Land of the Strays is Doggie Heaven on Earth!

by Diana Faria

Published: April 4th, 2016

land of the strays is doggie heaven on earth

If you’ve ever wanted to be completely surrounded by happy dogs, book a trip to Costa Rica. That’s where you’ll find Land of the Strays, where dogs run freely through lush pastures.

There is a land far, far away where dogs happily run with their four-legged besties, their fur dancing in the wind and tails wagging all day long. If that doesn’t sound like paradise, I don’t know what does! Better yet, this paradise exists in Costa Rica’s Territorio de Zaguates, which translates into Land of the Strays.

Land of the Strays is a privately funded organization that is completely dependent on volunteers to help it run. Every dog here is given a name as well as assigned their own quirky “breed” based on unique characteristics. As you can imagine, the breeds given may not be accurate (take the Alaskan Collie Fluffyterrier as an example), as most of these stray dogs can’t exactly prove their heritage through paperwork.

All of these dogs are adoptable, but between finding their loving home, they can rest assured that they won’t be kept in tiny cages. Instead, they’ll be having a blast with their mutt comrades while they frolic in Costa Rica’s beautiful greenery.

The adoption process is also one-of-a-kind here in the Land of Strays. Rather than looking through thousands of online photos, potential adopters are welcome to come to the property and meet the dogs in person. Choosing one of them is, however, easier said then done – look how adorable all of them are!

To make sure all the dogs have daily exercise, volunteers lead scene hikes and invite potential pet parents to come along. What better way to find out what dog fits your personality than going on a barrier-free walk with dozens of pooches?!

When these dogs aren’t going on off-leash walks, they’re lapping water out of the facility’s troughs, which stream fresh flowing water, or cozying up for the night inside the shelter’s indoor facilities. Best of all? This is a no-kill shelter. Every dog is taken in and accepted as a part of their ever-growing family and is well taken care of until they find their forever home. Someone get me a one-way ticket, PRONTO!

[Source: BarkHappy]

Diana Faria

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28-pound Cat Named 'One Frosty Too Many' Finds a Forever Home

A morbidly obese cat found wandering the streets in Virginia has found a forever home after Richmond Animal Care and Control shelter posted a funny adoption ad on their Facebook page.Tipping the scales at 28.5 pounds the shelter named the chubby feline ‘One Frosty Too Many’ or Frosty for short, after Wendy’s frozen treats. “You know we love a cat with a belly, and lord almighty this one has the best belly in town. Meet One Frosty Too Many,” wrote the shelter on its Facebook page. The shelter described the cat as 28.5 pounds of pudge with a side of crankiness. “As long as you let him do what he wants when he wants, everything is fine; still we recommend you proceed with caution.”The person who brought Frosty to the shelter said he found the chubby cat roaming the streets of Richmond, shared shelter director Christie Peters. The cat was morbidly obese but was otherwise in good general health. “We put him on a strict low-calorie diet and he wasn’t too happy about that,” said Peters, estimating that Frosty is about two years old. “Because he was cranky, we kept telling him he’ll feel a lot better when he loses weight.”Frosty’s adoption ad garnered a lot of attention, and many were interested in adopting the chubby tabby. However, one woman beat everyone to it and took Frosty home. Maggie Thompson, her husband, and two sons were on the way home to Stafford when she saw the Facebook post about Frosty. “I thought, ‘Oh, I want that cat,’” said Thomson, who owns a pet-sitting business, according to The Washington Post. She persuaded her husband, Mike, to stop in Richmond so they could visit the shelter and ask about adopting Frosty.As soon as she met Frosty, she knew that she couldn’t go home without him. “He got on my lap and started purring,” said Maggie. “With animals, they pick you. You just know when it’s right, and they do, too.”Thomson’s sons, Mickey and Andy, were ecstatic they’d be taking home a chubby cat. The family already has two cats, Rose and Wolfie, which are around one year old. “They are under seven pounds each - less than 14 pounds together,” said Thompson. “But I had a feeling they’d all get along just fine and become friends.”After Thompson filled out adoption papers, the shelter staff explained to her that Frosty would need to follow a strict diet and eat low-calorie cat food twice a day until he’d dropped half his body weight. The shelter didn’t have a large enough carrier for Frosty, so they placed him in a dog crate. “We put him in the back of the car, and he didn’t protest at all. He was a good rider and was pretty quiet the whole trip,” said Thomson. When they arrived home, Thomson placed the family’s newest addition into a spare room for a few days to gradually introduce him to their other two cats.Thomson decided that their new cat deserves a new name, one that won’t be associated with desserts. “We’ve decided to call him Gus. That’s what he looks like to me. I now call him Gussie, and he responds well to that.”Gus has adjusted nicely to his new home and loves lounging on the bottom level of a cat tree. Thomson plans to start a weight-loss journey page for Gus on Facebook to track his progress.Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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