our mission

Connecting Aruban dogs in need to the loving, forever families they deserve.

Co-founders Jane and Jeremy have longstanding ties to Aruba, dating back decades.  The island is home to a vibrant, welcoming, and loving community, but, simply put, there is a homeless dog crisis in this beautiful place.

A vast number of pups in Aruba are not sterilized, and as a result, there are thousands of homeless dogs aimlessly wandering the streets, desperately searching for food and a safe place to rest their paws.  Without a sufficient pool of local, potential adopters, many of these homeless pups tragically end up in the kill cage — a dirty, enclosed space, where people drop unwanted dogs to be euthanized daily by an Aruban government worker.

Jeremy and Jane have spent time volunteering at the Aruban Animal Shelter in Oranjestad, currently the only brick-and-mortar shelter on the island.  This work, and an experience with one pup, in particular, inspired the idea for Cunucu Dog Rescue. While at the shelter in December 2018, Jane and Jeremy fell in love with a pup named Hazel, and knew they could not return home without her. After getting Hazel the medical attention she needed, Jane and Jeremy scooped her up, got her through customs, and brought her back to the US, where they promptly found Hazel an incredible forever home.

Immediately following their experience with sweet Hazel, Jane and Jeremy created Cunucu Dog Rescue. By partnering with the dedicated yet under-resourced rescue organizations on the ground in Aruba and serving as a direct conduit to potential adopters in the U.S., Cunucu Dog Rescue seeks to dramatically expand the number of forever homes available for the native Cunucus in need on the island. 

With your help, we can play a meaningful role in saving these beautiful pups!