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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
14 Oct 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
31
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Details
Description
Our organization has been dedicated to helping animals in need on the Canary Island of Tenerife since 1992. What started with the vision of Ute and Elmar Lobüscher and the construction of a safe haven for animals in distress – our very own “Noah’s Ark” – has grown into a well-established animal shelter and sanctuary. Over the past 33 years, we have rescued, cared for, and rehomed thousands of dogs and cats.
Today, our work focuses on:
• Promoting and advocating for animal welfare on Tenerife.
• Maintaining and improving our animal shelter.
• Preventing cruelty and neglect.
• Raising awareness about animal welfare issues among locals and tourists.
• Providing the best possible care for rescued animals and finding them loving, suitable homes.
• Carrying out neutering campaigns to reduce overpopulation.
• Offering lifelong sanctuary to animals who, due to age, illness, or shyness, cannot be rehomed.
Many of our permanent residents will stay with us for the rest of their lives, receiving the care and love they need in a safe environment.
Our shelter covers around 12,000 m² and includes separate houses for dogs and cats. At any given time, we care for around 60 dogs and 70 cats – all of them in need of attention, care, and love.
We are a recognized charitable organization and proud member of the German Animal Welfare Federation (Deutscher Tierschutzbund).
Life at our shelter is international and communal: usually up to 4 volunteers and 6 staff members live and work together at the rescue center. There is always plenty to do, but also a strong sense of teamwork and purpose as we care for the animals and give them the chance of a better life.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Interests
Mountain
Beach
Hiking
Van life
LGBTQ
Vegetarian or vegan
Pets
Charity work
Animals
Nature
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Volunteering with us is a unique opportunity to learn more about cats and dogs – their behavior, needs, and daily care. You will spend lots of time with the animals, and gain hands-on experience in feeding, walking, socializing, and training.
If you are interested in veterinary medicine, our team is happy to share their knowledge with you. You can learn about treatments, preventive care, and even support during spaying and neutering campaigns.
Besides animal care, you will also experience the local culture of Tenerife. Living on the island gives you a chance to discover Canarian traditions, enjoy the beautiful nature, and meet people from different countries. Our team and volunteers come from many backgrounds, so there is always an international exchange of ideas, languages, and experiences.
Help
We are looking for motivated volunteers (25+ years old) who can stay with us for at least 8 weeks and truly love animals. 🐾
👉 If you already have experience in animal shelters or special skills with dogs or cats, we are also happy to welcome younger volunteers.
What we need from you:
• Experience in walking and training dogs with positive reinforcement, or being a true cat lover who enjoys spending time cuddling and playing with our cats.
• Helping every morning with the daily routines: cleaning and feeding. Please note: cleaning is a big part of the job, not just walking or cuddling animals.
• Spending extra time with the animals – especially the shy ones – who need love and attention outside of the regular working hours.
👉 Important to know:
Many people imagine volunteering in a shelter as cuddling cats and walking dogs all day, like a holiday activity. The reality is different. Running a rescue center means a lot of hard work to make sure every dog and cat is healthy and happy. Cleaning, feeding, walking, socializing – all under the Tenerife sun, which can be very hot!
Also, life here is never quiet: our cats and dogs are everywhere, and the nights can sometimes be noisy. Please think carefully if living and working in a busy animal shelter is really the right experience for you.
What we offer in return:
A unique experience with our 60 dogs and 70 cats, living and working in a small international team of up to 4 volunteers and 6 staff members. You will make a real difference in the lives of rescued animals – and they will thank you with wagging tails and purring hearts. ❤️
Language skills: English or German are required.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Accommodation
You will live in our Finca (main house), which you share not only with other Workaways but also with around 30 cats and 6 dogs. 🐾
That means: you will usually share your room with some of them – so you should truly love having furry roommates.
• The rooms are simple but comfortable, with a single or double bed and a closet.
• You will share the kitchen (yes, also with cats and dogs 😉) and the bathroom with other volunteers.
• The kitchen is fully equipped, and we provide sheets, blankets, towels, as well as a washing machine and dryer.
• You are responsible for keeping your own room clean and tidy, and for taking care of the animals that live with you. Don’t worry – during your free time, our staff takes care of feeding and medical needs.
Since we are busy with the animals all day, we don’t have time to cook. Instead, each volunteer receives €30 per week for food, and twice a week you can use our car to go shopping in the nearby town.
In the evenings, we sometimes cook together, play games, or just sit and chat – it’s a very family-like atmosphere.
Public transport is about a 35–45 minute walk away, but we also have some bicycles that you can rent to get around more easily.
What else ...
Tenerife has so much to offer in your free time: you can go surfing, relax on the beach, enjoy the nightlife, or visit Mount Teide, Spain’s highest mountain. The island is full of beautiful places to discover – from volcanic landscapes to little villages and black sand beaches.
Sometimes we also do small trips around the island together with our volunteers – always a nice way to explore new corners. 🚗🌴
Please note: our rescue center is in a quiet rural area with no direct bus connection. The nearest bus stops are in San Isidro, Casablanca, or Tenerife South Airport. From there you can travel by bus all over the island. Sometimes we can bring you to the bus stop, but not every day. Walking there takes about 35–45 minutes (depending on your pace 😉).
And one more important thing: we don’t have WiFi at the shelter. Many volunteers buy a local SIM card in San Isidro for mobile data instead. No WiFi, but 70 cats and 60 dogs to keep you entertained. 🐶🐱
In the evenings, we sometimes cook or sit together and chat – but it’s usually calm and relaxed. Community life here is about sharing the space with the animals and each other, not about partying.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Lotte
Lola
Keeper
Kenai
Curry
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (16)
The first week it was a lot to learn and remember and the work was very physical. After that you get used to it and get a lot of reward from the dog. All the people working there are very passionate and kind and work very hard to give the best to the animals.
its important to realize that the place is in the… read more
We hope that she will come back one day and wish her all the best.
Anna and Marlen do an important and amazing job!
And it was a pleasure to support them for a while.
And most of all, I loved working with the dogs.. and I am already missing them to hard.. the cats as well by the way :D
Maybe we'll… read more
All we have to say is that we are so so happy that Franziska will come to us back this year :-)
She did such a great job and we can´t wait to have her back in our team soon.
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
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Cultural exchange:
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The first week it was a lot to learn and remember and the work was very physical. After that you get used to it and get a lot of reward from the dog. All the people working there are very passionate and kind and work very hard to give the best to the animals.
its important to realize that the place is in the… read more
We hope that she will come back one day and wish her all the best.
Anna and Marlen do an important and amazing job!
And it was a pleasure to support them for a while.
And most of all, I loved working with the dogs.. and I am already missing them to hard.. the cats as well by the way :D
Maybe we'll… read more
All we have to say is that we are so so happy that Franziska will come to us back this year :-)
She did such a great job and we can´t wait to have her back in our team soon.
I shared my room with some cats, which was quite funny.
I worked 25 hours per week and had 2 days off after.
My work was mainly feeding the cats, cleaning the cats area and cuddeling of course!
Even with so many animals, I felt like the whole shelter was more clean than some restaurants.… read more
The did such a great job and were spending so much time with our animals in there free time. They are so passionate about animals and also really lovely people. We hope they will come back one day.
There's a lot of positive things that we could say about this shelter (as already written in all the other reviews 😅). Everything… read more
Everything is very well organized and everyone is very experienced working with the animals.
They really have heart for the animals and it shows in every way possible.
I've worked here with both cats and dogs and can't choose which i like to do more!
It's also a great place to… read more
I planned to stay one mounth (October 2021) but i stayed one more week longer and if i could would like to stay longer hh. I was sharing… read more
She did a great job with the dogs and knows a lot about training them.
All the volunteers where a really great team together and they had so much fun :)
I stayed for two months and had the most amazing time.
Where do I start?
The work was amazing and really satisfying for an animal lover, your role at work was always clear, all the animals were amazing (and I really miss them!) and especially all the people there were… read more
We loved to have you here in our team.
We had so much fun and you and your work was really great.
The people you live & work with are incredible, the animals you look after become your 'fur babies', how organised everything is, the clear communication and understanding of your role, the generosity & kindness from everyone each day, the support… read more
How she traines the dogs was really great and also the crazy ones got calm with her on their side.
Thanks for being with us.
The finca Is a beautiful healing place for cats and dogs. They have a lot of space and they are treated with love and care.
Anna , the boss, is. Really a good boss! Clear with communication and information since the beginning . She will do… read more
