About Us

Sociedad Protectora para Animales de Torrevieja, or ‘SAT’ as it is usually known, is a voluntary organisation rescuing and re-homing stray and abandoned dogs in the Vega Baja region. We are a registered charity with Comunidad Valenciana. Our kennels are based in Dolores and we have 8 charity shops in different locations in Alicante province.

What do we do?

We help dogs in need. They come to us in different ways and for different reasons: some are abandoned and found wandering in the campo or on roads; some are dumped in boxes on our doorstep or thrown into canals; others are given up by their current owners because they have become too ill or infirm to care for them. Some dogs that come to us are perfectly healthy, others may have multiple life-threatening diseases and others may have horrific injuries after being attacked or run over. Whatever the situation we do much more than simply provide board and lodgings until they are found a new home – every dog over 6 months is blood tested on arrival, or if still in our care when they reach the age of 6 months. The blood test is for Vector Borne Diseases: – Leishmania, Heartworm, Anaplasma and Erlichia and also includes a complete Haemogram, Biochemistry and Protein Electrophoresis. Any treatment or special food highlighted by these tests can then be provided. Specialist tests and treatments may be required for less common conditions and expensive reconstructive surgery may be needed to help a dog recover from injuries received. All dogs that leave us for new homes are neutered, or in the case of young puppies they leave on condition that they will be neutered at the appropriate time.

It’s not all about physical problems either – some dogs that come to us have behavioural issues and we will provide training for the dogs and, if necessary, for their new owners including follow-ups in the new home where appropriate.

Where does the money come from?

We do not receive any money from government sources and rely entirely on donations and profits from our shops. We have 8 shops in the region where you can get a bargain on all kinds of goods. They are all manned by volunteers and an increasing number of our shops now accept card payments. You can find out more about the shops here.

There are many ways that you can help us – by making a donation through this website, at one of our shops, via Facebook, leaving us a legacy in your will or by purchasing items in our shops . If you want to keep in touch with SAT then why not become one of our Friends? If you are a business you might consider having a donation tin at your premises. There are also opportunities for individual and corporate sponsorship. If you are interested in any of these please contact the secretary on secretary@satanimalrescue.com

We are hugely grateful to all the members of the community who fundraise for us in so many different ways – through events, sponsored walks, making beautiful items for sale and so on. Every cent raised goes towards helping the dogs in our care.

Some history

SAT was founded in 1992 by a group of people of various nationalities to address what was then a more serious issue with stray and abandoned dogs roaming the streets of Torrevieja. Over the years we have broadened the area in which we work and now cover much of the Vega Baja region. Fortunately there are now more organisations in the area that help abandoned animals and we can share the load between us.

We moved from our original kennels on the south side of Torrevieja in 1998 to our present location on the outskirts of Dolores. There we have welcomed over 9,000 dogs through our doors.

The kennels in Dolores

In 1998 SAT bought the land in Dolores where the current kennels are located. This consisted of an old finca and adjacent land where existing outbuildings were converted into kennels and others built. At the end of the plot there is a large concreted area used for exercise and so on. While they have served us well over the years, the buildings are old and the configuration is not as good as it might be because of the physical constraints of the site. In the gota fria of 2019 the kennels were flooded and suffered serious damage and some parts are now beyond repair.

We have a small but very dedicated staff team at the kennels led by Julia Kennedy-Wright, the kennel manager. These are supplemented by a large gang of volunteers who help with dog walking, cleaning, maintenance and so on. If you could spare some time to volunteer at the kennels please get in touch.

The new kennels at San Isidro

In 2013, partly thanks to money received through a legacy, SAT was able to buy a larger site at San Isidro on which to build a new home for our dogs. Since then we have been busy raising money to finance the construction and in April 2022 we reached the very exciting point of being able to sign the contract for the first phase of the new build. This new centre will transform SAT’s operation and provide a much better home for the dogs in our care and we look forward to moving in to the new centre in early 2023. You can read more about the project here.

This, however, is only the beginning – the first phase will give us half of the planned accommodation at San Isidro, so the hard work continues to raise the funds required to build the second half.

How is the charity run?

In accordance with the laws of Spain and Comunidad Valenciana, SAT is a registered society having charitable status with the appropriate authorities. Members of the Board of Directors are elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting. The current officers are:

• President:                    Dewi Hughes CPFA, FRSA
• Vice-President:           Gisela Dickershoff
• Treasurer:                    Jean Torry
• Secretary:                    Russell Ede