Dog Rescue in Costa Rica: The Land of the Strays Will Change Your Life

I have been lucky enough to call Costa Rica home for many years now. This country has given me more than I could ever put into words, its people, its landscapes, its wildlife, and its spirit. But if I had to pick one experience that has moved me more than almost anything else since founding Blue Osa Yoga Retreat and Spa, it would be the day I first visited Territorio de Zagüates, the Land of the Strays and their extraordinary dog resuce in Cost Rica.

If you love dogs and you are planning a trip to Costa Rica, what I am about to share with you from visiting this dog rescue in Costa Rica, might just change the way you travel forever.

How a Dog Rescue in Costa Rica is Helping the Stray Dog Crisis Around the World

How Bad Is the Stray Dog Problem in Costa Rica?

The stray dog problem in Costa Rica is real and it is significant. Walk through many towns and rural areas across the country and you will see dogs without homes, wandering streets and beaches in search of food and shelter. This is not unique to Costa Rica, it is a global crisis.

Around the world there are an estimated 600 million stray dogs living without permanent homes. In the United States alone, the ASPCA estimates that approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter shelters every single year. It is a number that is hard to wrap your head around. But what is even harder to sit with is knowing that millions of those animals are euthanized simply because there is no room for them.

The Rise of Designer Dogs and the Overpopulation Crisis of Stray Dogs

Part of what is driving this crisis is a trend that has taken the pet world by storm, the rise of so called designer dogs. The most popular of these breeds are the Labradoodle, or any kind of “doodle” creating a hybrid dog from the Poodle breed. Making “cuter” breeds have the hair of a poodle, making them hypoallergenic to be more aesthetically pleasing for those allergic not wanting to be limited to pure bread poodles.

This trend quickly grew in popularity and the mixing of breeds now has no end. In the increase of demand, breeders grew as well, and so did inhumane and dangerous breeding practices. Overbreeding designer dogs poses significant dangers to animal welfare, often driven by high consumer demand for “fad” breeds, which results in the prioritization of profit and aesthetics over the health and well-being of the animals.

Irresponsible breeding, including puppy mills and backyard operations, treats dogs as commodities rather than sentient beings, leading to severe physical, behavioral, and genetic issues. Breeds like the Pomsky, a mix between a Pomeranian and a Husky, are being bred and sold at premium prices while millions of dogs in shelters around the world wait for a home that may never come.

Some purebred dogs sell for extraordinary sums, the Tibetan Mastiff, for example, has sold for as much as $1.6 million, making it the most expensive dog breed in the world. While there is nothing inherently wrong with loving a specific breed, the rate at which these dogs are being bred is contributing directly to the overpopulation crisis. It is a cycle that needs to be broken, and this dog rescue in Costa Rica, The Land of the Strays, is doing something remarkable to break it.

Land of the Strays: A Most Extraordinary Sanctuary Dog Rescue in Costa Rica

When I first heard about the Land of the Strays shortly after opening Blue Osa, I honestly thought it sounded too good to be true. A sanctuary in the hills of Alajuela just outside San José where hundreds of rescued stray dogs roam freely across open green fields, go on scenic hikes with visitors, and wait patiently for their forever home? I had to see it for myself. And when I did, I was completely blown away.

This place is not just a dog rescue in Costa Rica, it is one of the most inspired and compassionate organizations I have ever encountered anywhere in the world.

How This Dog Rescue in Costa Rica Is Redefining What a Shelter Can Be

The Land of the Strays dog rescue in Costa Rica operates on a philosophy that is as simple as it is powerful, every dog deserves a life worth living, regardless of breed, size, or background. This is a no-kill shelter, which means no dog is ever turned away and no dog is ever euthanized to make room for another.

A No-Kill Dog Rescue in Costa Rica With 1800 Unique Breeds

With more than 1800 dogs on the premises at any given time, that is an extraordinary commitment to uphold. But what really sets this dog rescue in Costa Rica apart is the way they have flipped the script on what it means to be a mixed breed dog. Rather than labeling their residents as strays or mutts, the team has created their own playful designer breed names for each unique dog.

Visit the sanctuary and you might meet the “Alaskan Collie Fluffyterrier,” the “Fire-Tailed Border Cocker,” or the “Chubby-Tailed Dobernauzer.” Their billboards say it best: “When you adopt a dog, you adopt a unique breed.” It is a message that stops you in your tracks, and it works.

Meet the People Behind Most Famous Dog Rescue in Costa Rica

Behind this incredible mission are founders Alvaro Saumet M. and Lya Battle B., two people who looked at a crisis and decided to build something extraordinary in response. Running the Land of the Strays dog shelter costs approximately $22,000 every single month.

Thanks to the generous support of Central Veterinaria, who donates around 190 bags of dog food each month, they are able to keep all 900 dogs fed and cared for. But as Alvaro will tell you openly and honestly, they are always in need of more food, more supplies, and more financial support.

If this story moves you, and I think it will, how could it not? Please consider making a donation. It does not take much to make a real difference to these dogs. Every little bit helps, no donation is too small.

How You Can Support Dog Rescue in Costa Rica

There are several meaningful ways to get involved with dog rescue in Costa Rica and support the incredible work being done at the Land of the Strays. The most direct way is to make a financial donation to help cover their substantial monthly operating costs. If you are traveling to Costa Rica and want a truly unforgettable experience, you can also sign up to volunteer at the sanctuary, spending your days hiking through the hills of Alajuela surrounded by hundreds of grateful, joyful dogs.

And of course, if you are in a position to offer a loving and permanent home to one, or more, of these animals, adoption is the most powerful thing you can do. Here in the Osa Peninsula, Janina Schan of Osa Peninsula Rescue and Adoptions is also doing vital work, offering affordable spaying and neutering services to help end the cycle of overpopulation and abandonment at the local level. Every action, no matter how small, moves the needle.

How One Visit to a Dog Rescue In Costa Rica Brought Sam Home to Blue Osa

I remember the moment we arrived at the Land of the Strays like it was yesterday. Alvaro greeted us personally and the tour started right away. Nothing I had read or heard had prepared me for what it actually felt like to walk through that sea of dogs. Every size, every color, every personality you could imagine, all moving together across the lush green hills in this extraordinary joyful herd.

Hiking the Hills of Alajuela with Hundreds of Rescued Dogs

We stopped to sit in the grass at one point and within seconds we were completely surrounded. Dogs resting their chins on our knees, dogs rolling in the grass beside us, dogs looking up at us with those eyes that say everything words cannot. By the end of the hike I was physically tired and emotionally full in the best possible way.

How Blue Osa Supports Dog Rescue in Costa Rica

We could not leave without taking someone home. A calm, sweet, caramel-colored dog had quietly made his way to my side during the hike and never really left. That was Sam. And just like that, Sam became part of the Blue Osa family.

Since arriving at our retreat on the Osa Peninsula, Sam has flourished. He loves long walks on the beach, soaking up the Costa Rican sunshine, and he is slowly but surely working up the courage to get his paws wet in the ocean. He is a daily reminder of why this work matters so much.

Blue Osa is also home to Pete and Rama, two other rescued dogs who have woven themselves into the fabric of life here at the resort. Rama found us by wandering up from the beach one day. Pete and his brother Steve were rescued from the local veterinary. These dogs are not just pets, they are family. And they make every guest who walks through our doors feel instantly at home.

Supporting dog rescue in Costa Rica is something Blue Osa is deeply committed to, and I plan to continue visiting the Land of the Strays, making donations, advocating for their mission, and let’s be honest, adopting dogs for the Blue Osa Family, for as long as I am here.

Why Dog Rescue in Costa Rica Should Be Part of Your Travel Plans

Here is what I want you to take away from everything I have shared. Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse, beautiful, and soul-nourishing places on the planet. People come here for the beaches, the rainforests, the wildlife, and the yoga. And all of that is waiting for you at Blue Osa.

Plan Your Visit: Dog Rescue, Yoga, and Pura Vida at Blue Osa

But what you might not already know is that Costa Rica also has a depth of heart and humanity that most travelers never get to experience because they shuttle from the airport to the resort and don’t look outside of that experience.

The Land of the Strays dog rescue in Costa Rica is one of those places to experience outside of your yoga retreat as an excursion as a different kind of immersion, one in the heart of the local environment and those who live here. A day spent hiking through the hills of Alajuela with over a thousand rescued stray dogs is not just a fun activity, it is a perspective-shifting, life-affirming experience that will stay with you long after you have come home.

My invitation to you is this: come to Costa Rica with an open heart. Stay at Blue Osa and let us take care of you, with luxury accommodations, world-class yoga, farm-to-table cuisine, a luxury spa, and some of the most stunning natural surroundings you will ever wake up to. Then spend a day with stray dogs at the Land of the Strays and let them remind you of something important, compassion.

That compassion is contagious. That joy is simple. And that sometimes the most meaningful thing you can do on a vacation is show up for something bigger than yourself. We would love to help you plan that trip. Pura Vida.