By area, we are the biggest large-yard dog sanctuary in Western Bulgaria: 27,000 m2.
(*learn how you can help our rescued dogs through our Virtual Adoption program here*)
Every Dog Matters EU, a registered nonprofit NGO (Reg. 205679614), was founded by Australian Terry Kyle and is directed by Ivanka Patterson.
Apart from some temporary yards for puppies, socialization rehab and emergencies, our smallest yards are roughly 250 m2, 400 m2 and 630 m2 (expandable to 1260 m2) and our largest yard is 1,500 m2.
Here our dogs play with each other constantly every day whereas at most tiny-cage, prison-style shelters, the dogs are too depressed, too frustrated and too fearful to play at all.
We hope that shelter operators EVERYWHERE across the world strongly consider switching to the large-yard model as the dogs are much happier, healthier, better socialized and more adoptable.
All that is needed is land – every country has unwanted land – and ambition.
EveryDogMatters.eu is trying to lead the future of rescue dog management with our first no-cage, open yard dog shelter.
The Every Dog Matters EU sanctuary approach is very different from most medieval-style prison shelters for dogs because we give our dogs:
Even though our dogs have plenty of space to play and run, we take each one of them regularly on walks. This helps them not to get bored, to socialize and get used to new people and to learn to walk well on a leash.
Our dogs health is our number one priority. We feed them only with high quality food, they get dewormed monthly.
Each one of them is regularly being checked and re-vaccinated.
And when we take in a new dog, it get immediately tested and quarantined till full immunity is build.
And if the dog needs surgery we make sure to provide the best service available.
Each one of our dogs is put up for adoption only once our chief vet Dr.Ilieva confirmed the dog has fully recovered and healthy.
Preparing the dogs for the forever loving homes is equality important for us.
Our dog trainer who has more than 10 years of practice, works with our dogs to help them overcome the fears they carried upon arrival.
We use only Positive Reinforcement training as we believe love and patience are the key to a happy and obedient dog.
We look for the best homes for each one of the dogs under our care.
Therefore you can not come to our shelter, pick a dog and take it home the same day – our adoption process takes a bit of time so we make sure every potential adopter will be the best one for the selected dog.
We are socially engaged and opened to participate in projects with other NGO’s to showcase the potential each dog has in our lives and society (e.g. we have participated in a project with Alzheimer’s Society where we were taking our dogs to visit the residents of homes for elderly with dementia).
OUR CURRENT PROJECTS?
As an organization, our primary goals are:
[1] building a new quarantine area at our sanctuary site to ensure an even higher level of medical care for our rescue dogs
[2] demonstrating our successful model of large-yard animal sanctuaries as the future of rescue animal management for any person or organization to implement anywhere in the world (visits at any time are very welcome)
[3] rescuing/rehoming/medical care for vulnerable dogs
[4] ongoing castration programs (to reduce the homeless dog population – an unwanted animal can have a terrible life here)
[5] lobbying for changes to legislation (e.g. outlawing keeping dogs on a chain, very common here), then actual enforcement of those laws
[6] education (to castrate, to help animals in trouble, to consider making your office dog-friendly like WPX.net etc, frequent school student visits to our site)
We also have been feeding hundreds of homeless dogs at an abandoned industrial site near the capital since 2016 and co-sponsoring a private shelter in Veliki Preslav for the last 4 years.
We hope to see you in person at our sanctuary in Kostinbrod soon, details on our location here):