Ajuda a Alimentar Cães Needs Your Help to Survive
It is Christmas season: if you believe in a project created by people determined to do good - a grassroots movement that, despite many difficulties, has helped make Madeira a kinder, better and more open place - this is your moment to shine and support Ajuda a Alimentar Cães.
Ajuda a Alimentar Cães has saved and rehomed thousands of animals and now faces the risk of eviction as rising rents leave the organization with only one option: to buy the space it calls home. The place that provides shelter to the animals.
Ajuda a Alimentar Cães Saved 422 Animals in 2025 Alone
The small animal shelter “Cantinho” in Madeira has rescued and adopted more than a thousand dogs and cats since opening its modest headquarters in 2023. In 2025, the shelter reported 422 adoptions so far, continuing a record of growing activity: 358 adoptions were completed in 2023 and 670 in 2024.
Our lease for this small shelter ends in January, and we have to leave. We have already received notice to terminate the contract.
We were given the chance to buy the property, but we do not have the means to do so.We need €75,000 to make sure this life-saving shelter can continue to exist. The amount is lower than the number of our followers.
A small donation from each of us is enough to save this place. It only takes people not to stay indifferent.
Without this space, we will have nowhere to go, and our animals will have no shelter.
Ajuda a Alimentar Cães, Facebook
▶️ GoFundMe: Save Ajuda a Alimentar Cães
Lease Ends in January, Leaving Shelter Without Space
The shelter’s current rental contract expires in January, and the owners have asked them to vacate. Though the shelter was offered the chance to purchase the property, it does not have the €75,000 needed to secure the space. Without intervention, the shelter risks losing its headquarters, leaving rescued animals without care or shelter.
Eleven-Year-Old Association has Saved More Than 1,450 Lives
Founded 11 years ago by the then 14-year-old girl Mariana Nóbrega, who sought help feeding her dogs, the Associação Ajuda a Alimentar Cães has grown into a volunteer-run operation rescuing abandoned, hungry, and sick animals throughout Madeira. The group estimates that it has saved more than 1,450 animals since its creation, highlighting the long-term impact of community engagement and volunteer efforts.
Fundraising campaign seeks small donations to secure shelter’s future
The shelter has launched an urgent fundraising campaign to raise the €75,000 needed to buy the property and they already raised more than 25,000 or 33% within less than two days. Yet, it is still a long way to go and time is of the essence.
Even small contributions can make a huge difference. Ajuda a Alimentar Cães emphsaizes that each euro is a brick of hope, and every share is a hand extended to those in need.
If you believe in people making a difference in Madeira, donate now and be part of the support that is desperately needed. Please, open your heart and wallet.
▶️ GoFundMe: Save Ajuda a Alimentar Cães
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