Four Footed Heroes - a Beautiful Initiative

Four Footed Heroes is an organization based in Spain that is doing an incredible work, raising awareness on the lives of service dogs and finding them good homes when they retire. Read on to learn more!
Four Footed Heroes - a Beautiful Initiative

Last update: 14 May, 2019

Finding people that love animals to the point of dedicating their time, energy and resources to them without profit is quite rare. That’s why we’re so pleased when we find people like that. We should learn not to take it for granted. In today’s article you can read about a fabulous initiative called Four Footed Heroes.

This is a really different association, with a very noble objective that no other organization is addressing.

Four Footed Heroes, new as well as special

A trained police dog on a leash.

Source: Four Footed Heroes Facebook page

To define what this association does and where it comes from, we think that no one can explain it better than the creators themselves. Here is the introduction from their website:

“Four Footed Heroes originated from the idea of a small group of animal lovers. We belong to the National Police Body. Being aware of the current lack of options in Spain for the retirement of working dogs used by different Canine Units, we decided to create this non-profit organization.

The fundamental objective is to offer dignified retirement options to these “four footed heroes” that, for most of their lives, have been serving in society.

“From now onward, we want to make their story known, as well as the important work that these canines carry out daily, as guides as well as dogs. Finally, we want to stop them from being seen as just a simple work tool and want them to be valued as genuine companions.”

What do you think? It sounds great, doesn’t it? They are certainly valuable companions and deserve dignity and respect. And, above all, they deserve a retirement worthy of who they are: four footed heroes.

What else does Four Footed Heroes do for retired animals?

Apart from telling their story to the world, they make sure that these animals are treated as work companions and not as mindless animals. This association also takes care of finding the perfect balance for adoption.

What they do is to search for a suitable family or owner for the animal that’s retiring. They examine the potential owner’s circumstances and their home. And, finally, they make sure that these will go well with the dog’s personality and life.

To carry out this work, they have certain requirements for adoption. Firstly, the future owner must fill out a questionnaire. Then, they must let a representative see their home, and let a member of the association interview them.

On the other side – the association’s side –  they guarantee to provide a dog that’s already vaccinated, identified and sterilized. They also take care of giving the new family advice on taking in an adopted dog.

What kind of dogs belong to Four Footed Heroes?

An older dog in a cage with a man.

Source: Four Footed Heroes Facebook page

Although the association is directed by police officers, the initiative is open to all the different kinds of organizations that have dogs as work companions,  – organizations that serve the country or people. Therefore, firefighters, the military, civil protection, private security companies or other entities that use service dogs can contact Four Footed Heroes and take part in this initiative.

Who can adopt?

Anyone can do it. You just have to go to the Four Footed Heroes website and choose your favorite dog from among the many photos. With the photos, also included is a summary of each animal’s story. And, as we mentioned above, the association can help you with all you need to know in order to adopt a dog.

If you want to do a good deed for the animal world, why not collaborate with this organization? If you like German Shepherds for instance, you could adopt one here, although there are also other gorgeous breeds.

But what if you’re not in a position to adopt an animal? Well, you can also collaborate economically to help them take care of the animals they have.

However, the most important thing to remember: all of these dogs here are beautiful inside as well!

Photo source: Four Footed Heroes Facebook page


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.