Second chances for stray dogs in Tela-Honduras

By July 2026, after years of fundraising, construction, delays, sacrifices, donations, volunteer work, and countless moments when we wondered whether we would ever reach the finish line, Fundación Perros Sin Nombre finally completed the shelter that so many abandoned animals in Tela desperately needed.

Today, 164 dogs and one very special cat call this shelter home.

For them, this is much more than a building.

It is the place where a frightened street dog can finally sleep without wondering where the next meal will come from. It is where an injured animal receives treatment instead of being left on the roadside. It is where dogs who have experienced hunger, abandonment, abuse, illness, or neglect learn that a human hand can also bring food, medicine, comfort, and love.

For many of them, this is the first real home they have ever known.

Completing the shelter should have been the moment when we could finally breathe a little easier.

Unfortunately, that moment did not last long.

Only about one year after our septic system was installed, the system failed.

This was not a small repair.

With 164 dogs living at the shelter, sanitation is one of the most important parts of our daily operation. Their areas have to be washed and disinfected constantly. Waste must be managed correctly. Floors, recovery spaces, kennels, and common areas must remain clean so that we can control parasites, bacteria, odors, flies, and disease.

A functioning septic system is not a luxury for an animal shelter.

It is essential infrastructure.

We are now facing the construction of a new septic system and another major expense that we simply were not expecting so soon after completing the shelter.

After investing so much into finally creating a safe home for these animals, it is heartbreaking to face another large construction bill.

And I want to be very transparent with everyone who has supported this project:

We are struggling financially.

There are moments when people see a completed shelter and understandably think, “They did it. The project is finished.”

But the truth is that finishing the building was only the beginning.

A shelter with 164 dogs does not stop costing money when construction ends.

Every single day there is food to buy, medications to provide, veterinary emergencies to treat, preventive care to maintain, employees and caretakers to support, cleaning supplies to purchase, repairs to make, water and electricity to pay for, and animals arriving who have nowhere else to go.

And now we must somehow find the resources to rebuild a septic system that should have lasted for many years.

When we say 164 dogs, it can sound like a statistic.

But we don't see a number.

We see 164 individual lives.

We see the older dogs who may never be adopted and for whom this shelter will be their permanent home.

We see dogs recovering from skin disease and malnutrition.

We see animals who arrived terrified of people.

We see mothers who were rescued with puppies.

We see dogs who have survived tumors, injuries, infections, abandonment, and years of living on the streets.

We see the ones waiting patiently for someone to choose them.

And we see the ones who may never be chosen.

They still deserve clean water.

They still deserve a clean place to sleep.

They still deserve medical care.

They still deserve dignity.

That is the promise we made when we rescued them.

There are days when I feel completely overwhelmed.

Running a rescue organization means constantly deciding which emergency has to come first.

Food or medicine.

Construction or veterinary care.

Repairs or another rescue.

A dog needing surgery or a shelter bill that cannot wait.

We stretch every donation as far as we possibly can, but there is a point where there is simply nothing left to stretch.

This year has reminded us how vulnerable a small nonprofit organization can be. We finally finished a shelter that took years to build, and almost immediately we found ourselves facing another unexpected expense worth thousands of dollars.

There is no large corporate account behind us.

There is no endless reserve fund.

There are simply people who care, volunteers who continue showing up, and supporters around the world who believe that an abandoned dog in Tela, Honduras, deserves a second chance.

That community is the reason this shelter exists.

And right now, we need that community again.

Despite the challenges, beautiful things happen here every day.

Dogs who arrived sick become strong.

Dogs who arrived frightened begin wagging their tails.

Animals who had never slept somewhere safe finally stretch out and sleep peacefully.

Some are adopted locally.

Some eventually travel to their forever homes.

Some remain with us permanently because of age, disability, medical needs, or simply because no adopter ever comes for them.

And every morning, regardless of what happened the day before, 164 dogs and one cat wake up depending on us.

They do not know whether donations were good this month.

They do not know that the septic system failed.

They do not know that our bank account is struggling.

They only know that this is their home.

And we refuse to let them down.

Our immediate priority is rebuilding the septic system so we can continue maintaining the level of cleanliness and sanitation required for such a large population of animals.

But we also desperately need help with the ongoing expenses of caring for them.

Every donation to Second Chances for Dogs in Tela helps us continue providing:

• Food for the animals living at the shelter

• Cleaning and sanitation supplies

• Veterinary treatment and medications

• Vaccinations and parasite prevention

• Sterilization

• Shelter maintenance and emergency repairs

• Safe, clean living areas

• Care for animals who may spend the rest of their lives with us

• Critical infrastructure, including the new septic system

Even a small contribution matters.

A donation may look like a few dollars on a screen, but here in Tela it becomes food in a bowl, disinfectant for a kennel, medicine for a sick dog, or another piece of the infrastructure that keeps our animals safe.

When we first began this journey, the dream of having our own shelter seemed almost impossible.

Yet people believed in us.

Land was donated.

Construction materials were donated.

People sponsored pieces of the building.

Supporters donated $5, $10, $20, $100, and sometimes much more.

Little by little, wall by wall, we built a home.

That is why I know we can overcome this problem too.

But we cannot do it alone.

If you have donated to us before, thank you. You helped create the home these animals have today.

If you have followed our work but have never donated, this would be an incredible moment to join us.

And if you cannot make a large contribution, please never believe that your donation is too small.

Many small donations built this shelter.

Many small acts of kindness have saved thousands of animals.

And many people choosing to help today can protect the 165 animals who are depending on us tonight.

One of the hardest challenges for rescue organizations comes after the big project is completed.

People celebrate the construction—and they should.

But then attention moves somewhere else.

The animals remain.

They need breakfast tomorrow.

Their kennels need to be cleaned tomorrow.

Someone will need medication tomorrow.

Something will break tomorrow.

And somewhere in Tela, another abandoned animal will need help tomorrow.

A shelter is never truly “finished.”

It is a living responsibility.

We have built the walls.

Now we need help sustaining the lives inside them.

Please help us rebuild our septic system and continue caring for the 164 dogs and one cat who depend on Fundación Perros Sin Nombre every single day.

They have already been abandoned once.

We don't want lack of funding to fail them again.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in these animals, for believing in our work, and for helping us continue giving second chances to the dogs of Tela.

Together, we built their home.
Together, we can keep it safe.

With gratitude,

Diana Gutierrez
Founder & President
Fundación Perros Sin Nombre