Walking through Valencia’s lively streets, you might not see them right away, but hidden behind gates and fences are thousands of animals waiting for a second chance. From municipal shelters to small sanctuaries tucked into the countryside, the city and its surrounding region are home to dedicated organizations that rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome abandoned animals. Despite their passion, these places are stretched thin. Overcrowding, limited funding, and the aftermath of natural disasters weigh heavily on them.

So, who are these organizations, what challenges do they face, and most importantly how can you help?

Valencia Shelter Volunteering & Adoption: Complete 2025 Guide

Modepran (Municipal Shelter in Benimàmet & Carlet)

The largest municipal shelter, caring for hundreds of dogs and cats daily. Needs volunteers, fosters, adopters, donors, and transport helpers. For more information best to go directly to the shelter.

🔗 Volunteer & foster info • Donate & sponsor

SVPAP (Animal Protection Society Valencia)

Private NGO focused on dogs and cats. Seeks volunteers for walks, cleaning, events, and transport. Located in Valencia. For more information best to go directly to the shelter.

🔗Volunteer,Adopt, Team up, Colaborate

DARNA (Carlet/Alzira)

Rescue group mainly for cats and dogs. Looking for foster homes and donations.

🔗 Contact and get involved.

Sanctuary Dharma

Focuses on bigger animals, horses, pigs, sheep, as well as chickens, cats, dogs, ducks. Implements sanctuary education.

🔗 Colaborate

Minipow or other micro-rescues

Tiny rescue of rabbits and guinea pigs. Adoptions, donations and collaborations are needed

🔗 Colaborate, adopt, foster

Refugio de Maria

The rescue center, which got affected by the latest natural disaster, needs all kinds of help, from volunteering to donations. Contact via Whatsapp.

🔗 Contact and help

Asociación Patraix gats

Non-profit organisation in the city centre, passionate about cats and their well-being.

🔗 Contact, team up, adopt

Center of recuperation "La Granja de El Saler"

Wildlife recuperation center in El Saler

🔗 Contact and information

1. Adopt: Give a shelter animal a loving, permanent home, there are so many rescue animals to choose from, all sizes, all age ranges, various characters

2. Foster: Offer short-term sanctuary during recovery, socialization, or while awaiting adoption.

3. Volunteer: Walk dogs, clean, tutor shy cats, help at events, or drive animals to vets/fosters. You would need to show up in person in the shelter of your choice, sign up and offer ways you would like to help

4. Remote help: Support fundraising, design, translation, promotion, or website updates. Yes, this way other people will have more time to help in person

5. Donate: Even €1/month matters. Or contribute food, blankets, meds, and supplies. Stop throwing away old bed covers, towels etc. collect them get some supplies from the pet shop and bring them to the shelter of your choice

6. Sponsor: Cover monthly care (food, medication) for a specific animal. If you don’t have time or a way to get to the places you can choose online an animal you would like to sponsor, usually it’s a cost of about 50! per year

7. Transport & events: Help move animals or organize local adoption/fundraising drives.

Animal Shelters in Valencia

How you can make a difference

If you have any questions about shelters in Valencia or adopting / fostering a pet, feel free to give us a call!

We'll shortly be writing a post about our experience at shelters in Valencia, so keep a eye out for it! We'll walk you through what a typical morning at the shelter looks like as well as how adopting or fostering usually goes.