Adoptions on the rise: in 2025, 135 dogs found a family
For those who work every day alongside abandoned animals, there is no better news than this: in 2025, as many as 135 dogs from our Footprints of Joy shelter found a family, marking a 26% increase in adoptions compared to the previous year.
Behind this result are 135 new lives that have begun. Some dogs left the shelter after just a few months, while others had been waiting for years for the right opportunity.
Among them is Romario.
From abandoned puppy to family dog
Romario arrived at our shelter in January 2023 with his siblings. They had been abandoned in a field during the winter and needed care, protection, and safety.
Over time, he grew, learned to trust people, and began his recovery journey. And yet, month after month, no adoption requests seemed to come for him.
Then, after more than three years of waiting, the news we had been hoping for finally arrived.
Today, Romario lives in Sweden with a family that takes care of him.
Follow the stages of Romario’s recovery
A result built on teamwork
The increase in adoptions is the result of energy and resources invested to give our animals greater opportunities to find a family.
We strengthened our collaboration with partner organizations in several European countries, particularly in Germany, expanding the network of families potentially interested in adoption.
We also enhanced the work of our dog trainers, who support each dog through a personalized program to help them overcome fears, insecurities, and behavioral challenges.
Finally, we improved the shelter’s spaces with new areas dedicated to play, socialization, and daily activities, all essential for the animals’ well-being during their stay.
Every adoption is a new opportunity
When a dog leaves the shelter, it’s not just a space that becomes available.
It marks the completion of a journey made of veterinary care, daily attention, training, and guidance. And it opens a new opportunity for another animal in need.
That is why the result of 135 adoptions represents much more than a number: it tells the real possibility of turning stories of abandonment into stories of recovery.
Romario’s story is proof of that.
And as we celebrate this important result, we continue working so that more and more dogs can have the same opportunity: to find a family and start a new life.
