Gournes Animal Shelter

Frequently mentioned in reviews: Top-rated.online cuts through the clutter, highlighting only the reviews that are most helpful, earn the most likes, or come from the most active contributors. If you are in the Heraklion, Crete, and planning to one of the famous attractions in the Gournes–Gouves area (CRETAquarium, Dinosauria Park, the Planetarium, the water park, the local beaches, etc.), please take a few minutes to also stop by the Gournes Animal Shelter. A small act of kindness here can mean the world to an abandoned animal. The is located on the right side of the road leading from the main road to the aquarium. You’ll find it easily—the barking of the can be heard from a distance. Even a brief can brighten their day: you can spend a moment playing with the cats, offer comfort to a lonely dog who desperately craves affection, or, perhaps most importantly, make a small donation - whether in money or in animal food. For the poor creatures here, every coin, every bag of food, every kind gesture matters. P.S. You might see some negative reviews online from people who tried to contact the by phone or email and did not receive an answer. If you in person, you’ll see just how busy the are, and you will understand why they cannot always respond quickly to messages. Peace, and may you enjoy a wonderful vacation! I found a video on TikTok about the animal so did some further investigating about visiting whilst on our holiday and I’m so glad I did!! Lovely friendly staff who welcome you in to have a look round and see the in the shelter. Some are very nervous which is sad to see but who knows what they went through before getting to the and others want some love and attention. They all get super excited and noisy when leads and food come out :) you can ask to and the staff will get you to wait outside the main gate and bring them out to you. If it’s really hot then you can only them after 5pm. It’s right next to the beach so the is lovely and the are happy and excited to be out. There is also a garden where are free roaming and you can go in with them and sit with them, pet them and give them lots of cuddles. There is also a cat corner that you can go in too. The relies on donations as they get no government help. I had read about people taking things from the local pet store with them so we did and the donations of dog/cat food were very much appreciated. The lady at the pet store helped recommend things they would need. You can also donate through PayPal or sponsor a dog or cat. We loved taking out for a and it was a huge highlight of our holiday! I didn’t want to leave. Could have happily walked up & down all day! Absolutely recommend a if you’re a dog/cat person. I worked as a volunteer here and it was a great experience. Anyone can come in and pet in the petting garden which contains a bunch of younger (4-12 months as far as i know). There you can also the cats. All the animals love being pet and are extremely friendly. You can also see the other but those are in cages and only staff and can go inside. Buuuuut it is very much appreciated when you ask to go on a walk. Yes, you can go on walks with them if you ask. Of course the or staff choose easier for you to with, so don’t be worried. Donations are also very appreciated, since the financially relies on them. The staff is extremely kind and they have such big hearts. It was an honor volunteering there. A very caring animal shelter. Some are together with another dog, other are alone. Some a bit scared, the rest (and maybe the scared ones as well) is very sweet. I find that astonishing, are special. The cats I didn’t see, they must be at another part of the shelter. I petted every dog that was in for it, and it broke my heart and some tears I couldn’t hold back. I think they are well taken care of, but for every one of them I hope they find a warm forever home. Some push themselves almost through their fence to get close to you. I walked Ivo to the beach and back. What a wonderful dog. So sweet, easygoing and gentle. You can also make a donation while you are there (which I did as well). Keep up this very good and important job. I spontaneously passed by the and read online that you can take out for a walk, so I went to the entrance gate where some people were waiting and friendly amidst the dog barking checked their paper sheets to give visitors a suitable dog for their in terms of size, strength and dog experience. It was nice to see one strong man for example who suggested to take one of the biggest and strongest out as he knew not many people could handle the very big dogs. I only waited for a few minutes, then a dog on a leash was brought to me that I could take out for a 30 mins to the nearby beach and then bring back. This was such a nice experience that I did it again right afterwards and got a second very friendly dog. The were not particularly interested in me, which was absolutely ok for me, they were just happy to get out and that made me happy, to be able to give them a good time. Of course dog shelters can be emotionally challenging, seeing all the in sometimes small enclosures but I was positively surprised how well the busy handled the situation with visitors and dogs, how comfortable it was for me as a visitor and how nice and easy it is to spend your time on something so rewarding and make happy. I can only recommend it to do something good in your holiday and hope that also outside of the busy tourist season people show up. Amazing place, the are so kind. We walked an amazing dog however you can see how much they are deprived of love. The dog that we walked was super energetic but he didn't even acknowledge us, he was just taking the opportunity to go outside. They have a garden where you can pet very calm and friendly and cats. They are all so lovely. Cats jump on your laps for pets and are very gently and playful. I was told you can choose an animal and get them shipped to you (Germany, I asked for NL), just for 150 euros. If you have the time to stop by and in to take a dog for a walk, do it, it's absolutely worth it. Went during our holiday and took one of the for a walk, lovely to see these animals are able to get out and stretch their legs due to volunteers. Cat house had lots of cuddling and playful cats to spend time with First of all: I couldn’t find the info so here ya go - they work EVERYDAY 11:00-17:00. Including Sunday, which was a gamble for us since nobody picks up the phone here:) The is amazing, very well kept, the animals are very clean and looked after. You don’t have to make a “reservation” to a dog. Just come during the aforementioned hours and you’re good to go. There is a beach literally 2 minutes from the so you can the there. They provide you with a leash and poop bags. Note: bring some wet antiseptic wipes for after the walk/visit to clean your hands since petting always leaves a bit of a residue on your hands🤭 Truly amazing team and amazing place! Also took the time to pet the that were in cages. All of them are longing for love and affection❤️ Website change monitoring Monitor any webpage for changes – get instant email alerts when prices drop, new jobs are posted, products come back in stock, or competitors update their sites. See how the number of reviews and average review scores have changed over time.