400 lives saved, 30,000 euros in debt.

We saved 400 animals in 2025. Now we owe €30,000 to veterinary clinics. Help us continue!

Fredy was found run over, on the side of a road in Espinho. Calvário was found with burns on his paws. Mãe Tricolor was found in a box, with four puppies whose eyes were still closed. Nero spent years chained up, never having gone for a walk.

Everyone got a second chance because someone answered the phone. That someone was us, and behind us, you were always there.

The Patinhas sem Lar Association cares for abandoned animals in the municipality of Espinho. In 2025 alone, we rescued around 400 animals and sterilized 350 stray cats, preventing the birth of thousands more. We manage a shelter for 110 dogs and a cattery for 80 cats. We do this with only two employees and dozens of volunteers who dedicate their nights, weekends, and holidays to this cause.

Saving lives comes at a cost. In 2025, we spent over €203,000, and almost €120,000 of that was on veterinary care alone: surgeries, hospitalizations, and treatments for animals that arrived in critical condition. We never said "no" to an animal because it was expensive to treat. But today we owe €30,000 to the veterinary clinics that trusted us and helped us save them.

Without paying these debts, we cannot continue to respond to the requests for help that reach us every day.

That's why we need you.

We don't need one person to give a lot. We need many people to give a little.

• €5 may seem like a small amount, but 6,000 people giving €5 each solves everything;
• €10 from 3,000 animal lovers is enough to settle this account;
• 30 euros from 1,000 people: we can do it!

Every euro raised goes directly towards paying off veterinary debts. At the end of the campaign, we will publish on our social media channels how each fund was used, as we always have.

If you can't contribute financially, please share this campaign . A share can reach the person who makes all the difference.

The animals we rescue don't know what debt is. They only know that one day, someone reached out to them. Help us continue to reach out to them.

Thank you for being there for them. 🐾

Patinhas sem Lar Association, Espinho

Bebé com panleucopenia internado no Hospital Santa Marinha

About the author

My name is Ana Paula Castro, I am 60 years old, I am a doctor specializing in Clinical Pathology, and a full professor of Medical Microbiology at the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) in Porto.

My passion for animals led me to create the Patinhas sem Lar Association 13 years ago in Espinho, in collaboration with other people who, like me, are sensitive to animal welfare. At the time, the purpose of creating the association was to care for 70 dogs that were abandoned on an isolated plot of land in Paramos, Espinho. Since then, we have rescued and placed more than 3,000 dogs and cats for adoption. Our aim is for the rescued animals to spend as little time as possible in shelters. After basic veterinary care, including deworming, vaccination, and sterilization, they are advertised on various platforms to promote responsible adoption. The motivation for this campaign is to raise funds to pay off debts to veterinary clinics.

Alguns voluntários

Budget and due dates

€30,000 to be raised by November 30th.

Images

Documents

• Declaração de dívidas às clínicas

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