This Awesome Rescue Shelter Lets Dogs Live in Fairytale Cottages Instead of Cages (PHOTOS)

Were you heavily influenced by Disney (and any princess-driven movie whose target audience was girls) growing up? If so, you probably understand having a soft spot for anything that looks like it hopped right out of a medieval-inspired fantasy land. You can get your fix by visiting theme parks, but if you’re also an animal lover, it is an unfortunate fact that most theme parks have a pretty firm stance on the presence of man’s best friend: no dogs allowed. Luckily, your fantasyland paradise exists. Nestled in the forests of Eugene, Oregon is a pure and wonderful place called Luvable Dog Rescue, a sanctuary for dogs rescued from high-kill shelters.

While shelters provide a space for thousands of homeless cats and dogs to find their forever home, the stressful environment does not help to bring out the best in every animal. Consider for a moment what it must be like for a dog in a typical shelter. Halls with concrete floors are lined with cages and depending on the shelter, the dogs may not even have beds to curl up in or their own toys to play with. With nothing to do other than bark in desperation whenever a human passes by, there is no way of knowing what these dogs will act like once they make it into their forever home.

Set on a 55-acre wooded property, Luvable Dog Rescue’s pastel cottages and kitschy wall decorations make it look like a combination of grandma’s house and somewhere a Disney princess would live, in the best way possible.

When asked why she went for such a striking theme, founder Liesl Wilhardt told Inside Edition “A lot of dogs go downhill once they’re in a shelter. It’s a very stressful environment. We wanted to give them an environment that was as cozy and homelike as possible.”
Life in a shelter cage can be stressful. At Luvable Dog Rescue, the cozy furniture gives everything a homey feel and puts all the doggy residents at ease. It also gives shelter staff an idea of how each dog will behave in a home setting.
As for the wall decor, we have to say that it is 100 percent awesome.
In addition to their adorable cottages, the resident dogs enjoy daily hikes in the shelter’s wooded property and plenty of playtime with staff and other dogs.

When you’re a homeless pet, it’s tough enough waiting for the day when you get to go home with your forever family. We’re so glad that this amazing rescue is making the effort to make sure that each and every one of their residents is comfortable. Although their volume of animal residents is small compared to the six to eight million animals that enter U.S. shelters each year, we hope they inspire future shelter founders to make life for homeless animals the best that it possibly can be.

Last, but not least, if you’re considering welcoming a dog into your life, always adopt and never shop!

To learn more about Luvable Dog Rescue and their work, visit their official website.

All image source: Luvable Dog Rescue