There is one question I hear surprisingly often at our events in Cyprus:
“Where do all your rescue puppies actually come from?”
Visitors usually tell me the same thing. Since arriving in Cyprus, they have seen cats everywhere – around restaurants, hotels, beaches and villages.
But dogs?
Almost none.
Some people spend an entire holiday in Paphos without seeing a single stray dog.
So when they meet our rescue puppies, they are genuinely surprised to hear how many abandoned and unwanted dogs still need help on the island.
And I understand the confusion.
If you only judge the situation by what you see while walking around Cyprus, you could easily assume that stray dogs aren't much of a problem here.
Unfortunately, the reality is very different.
The problem exists. You just don't see most of it on the streets.
So Where Are the Stray Dogs in Cyprus?
Unlike the many free-roaming cats that have become part of the landscape of Cyprus, stray dogs are often collected and taken into the municipal pound system.
From there, some are reunited with their owners. Others eventually reach shelters, rescue organisations or foster homes.
And that changes what visitors see.
The dog is no longer wandering along a road or outside a restaurant, but that doesn't necessarily mean its problem has been solved.
It may simply have moved behind a fence.
Into a municipal pound.
Into an already busy shelter.
Or into the home of a volunteer who has agreed to foster one more dog.
That is why Cyprus' stray dog problem can remain almost invisible to tourists while being very obvious to anyone involved in rescue.
Behind the Shelter Gates
This is the side of Cyprus most holidaymakers never see.
Dogs arrive for many different reasons.
Some have been abandoned. Some are found wandering. Some come from unwanted litters. Some are hunting dogs that are no longer wanted. Others were once family pets.
And then there are the puppies.
Sometimes entire litters need somewhere to go.
For years, rescue organisations in Cyprus worked under enormous time pressure because unclaimed dogs could have only a very short period in the pound system before their future became uncertain.
Recent changes to Cyprus' dog legislation have strengthened the protection of unclaimed stray dogs and extended that period.
That is an important improvement.
But it doesn't change the reason rescue organisations are under so much pressure in the first place.
The Real Problem Starts Earlier
For me, this is the most important part of the discussion.
The question isn't what should happen to a dog once it has already become homeless.
The bigger question is:
Why do so many dogs continue to become homeless in the first place?
Cyprus already has laws intended to protect animals. There are rules around ownership, registration, welfare and the responsibilities of local authorities.
But legislation only changes something when it is actually implemented.
And this is why I remain cautious when a new animal-welfare law is presented as though the problem has suddenly been solved.
Protecting healthy stray dogs is positive.
But if dogs continue to be abandoned, unwanted litters continue to be born and rules around responsible ownership aren't consistently enforced, rescue organisations will continue dealing with the consequences.
One puppy finds a home.
Another arrives.
One foster place becomes free.
Another litter needs help.
That is the cycle that has to change.
Laws Only Work When They Are Enforced
Recent events in Cyprus have also shown why transparency and enforcement matter.
In 2026, police in Paphos opened an investigation following allegations that numerous dogs had been illegally euthanised at a private animal shelter.
Those allegations were under investigation and should not be treated as proven findings.
But for me, the case still illustrates something much bigger:
A law on paper is not enough. Animals are only protected when those laws are actually followed and enforced.
And while politicians, authorities and organisations debate how the system should work, rescue volunteers still have dogs waiting for help today.
What Rescue Work Actually Looks Like
Rescue work is rarely one dramatic moment followed by a happy ending.
Usually, the dramatic moment is only the beginning.
Someone finds a puppy.
Someone has to collect it.
Someone has to organise a veterinarian.
Then come vaccinations, parasite treatments, microchips, food, medication if needed, paperwork, photographs, adoption enquiries and transport arrangements.
And somewhere in between all of that, the puppy has to learn how to live in the world.
Some puppies arrive completely confident.
Others don't.
Some have never walked on a lead.
Some are frightened by new places.
Some are unsure about people.
Some seem to settle in within hours, as though they have always belonged there.
Rescue isn't just keeping a dog alive.
The goal is to prepare that dog for a life in a family.
And that is where fostering can make an enormous difference.
How Our Retreat Became Part of the Rescue Story
This is the connection many visitors don't initially realise when they hear the words Puppy Yoga Retreat.
They understandably imagine the fun part first.
Yoga with puppies.
Cuddles.
Puppies climbing across mats.
Tiny teeth discovering shoelaces.
And yes – all of that happens.
But our puppies are not bought for Puppy Yoga and they are not bred for our events.
They are rescue puppies who need foster care.
We work with rescue organisations including A.I.R.S. Foundation and Staradopt, and foster puppies while they are waiting for their next chapter.
Puppy Yoga happens during that time.
But it isn't the reason they are here.
They are here because they needed somewhere safe to go.
A Foster Home Is More Than Somewhere to Sleep
During their time with us, the puppies have a routine.
They eat, sleep and play. They spend time outside. They meet other dogs. They experience new places and gradually become familiar with all the little things that will eventually be part of normal family life.
And they meet people.
Lots of different people.
For some puppies, that isn't particularly exciting. They run towards every new visitor with a wagging tail from day one.
For others, those experiences matter much more.
A nervous puppy might first watch from a distance.
Then move a little closer.
Then accept a treat.
And eventually decide that this new human might actually be quite nice.
Those may look like tiny moments.
But they matter.
Our Guests Become Part of Their Socialisation
This is one of my favourite parts of what we do.
Someone books Puppy Yoga because they want a fun afternoon in Cyprus.
Someone else comes for Coffee, Cake & Cuddles.
A retreat guest may simply want yoga, Mediterranean sunshine and a week surrounded by puppies.
But while our visitors are enjoying their time with the dogs, something useful is happening from the puppy's perspective too.
They are meeting different people.
Different voices.
Different ways of moving.
Quiet people and energetic people.
People who immediately sit on the floor and want cuddles.
People who wait and allow a shy puppy to approach them first.
All those interactions help a young dog learn that unfamiliar people can be safe.
That is why I don't see our visitors as completely separate from the rescue work.
They become part of the puppies' socialisation.
And Sometimes Someone Falls in Love
Occasionally, the story goes one step further.
A visitor comes to an event.
They meet a puppy.
Then they ask its name.
Then where it came from.
Then whether it already has a home.
And suddenly the conversation has changed.
Through our events and retreats, several puppies have already met people who eventually became their families.
For me, that is one of the most beautiful parts of the concept.
Finding your future rescue dog doesn't always have to mean walking through rows of kennels in a stressful shelter environment and trying to make an enormous decision immediately.
Meeting a puppy in foster care can be very different.
You see them play.
You see how they behave around other dogs.
You begin to notice whether they are confident, shy, cheeky, cuddly or independent.
You get to see more of their personality.
Sometimes a guest comes because they simply wanted to cuddle some puppies.
And leaves thinking about one particular dog.
Puppy Yoga Is Only a Small Part of the Story
Of course, our guests enjoy Puppy Yoga.
So do we.
There is a lot of laughter when a yoga strap suddenly becomes a tug toy or a puppy decides that the person in tabletop position is clearly something to crawl underneath.
But behind that fun hour is a much bigger story.
There is a rescue organisation that took responsibility for that puppy.
There may have been veterinary treatment.
There is a foster place.
There are people looking for an adopter.
And eventually, hopefully, there is a family waiting at the end of it.
Our events and retreats help us continue fostering while also giving rescue puppies something incredibly valuable:
visibility.
People meet them.
People learn where they came from.
People discover that a rescue puppy isn't automatically frightened, damaged or difficult.
Often they are simply puppies.
Funny, affectionate, curious, naughty, sleepy puppies who happened to start life without the family they deserved.
The Dogs You Don't See
So when visitors ask me:
“Where do all these rescue puppies come from? We haven't seen any stray dogs.”
I understand why they ask.
But that is exactly why I wanted to write this article.
Not seeing dogs on the streets doesn't mean there aren't homeless dogs in Cyprus.
Many of them are simply somewhere visitors don't see.
In pounds.
In shelters.
With rescue organisations.
In foster care.
Waiting for somebody to choose them.
And behind them are countless volunteers, foster families and rescue organisations doing the work that happens long before most people ever meet the puppy.
Our retreat is only a small part of that much bigger rescue network.
But if we can provide a safe foster place, help a puppy become comfortable around people, support the costs involved in fostering and introduce rescue dogs to people who might otherwise never meet them, then Puppy Yoga becomes something more than a fun experience.
And sometimes, somewhere between a yoga class, a cuddle and a puppy falling asleep beside a guest, the final part of the rescue story begins.
A puppy finds its way home.
Be Part of Their Journey
Spend a week in Cyprus with yoga, Mediterranean views, vegetarian food and the rescue puppies we foster while they wait for their forever homes.
