Our Story
Our Story
In 2017 mother-daughter dog-rescuing team, Barbara and Lisa, moved from England to enjoy the amazing lifestyle and beauty that Puerto Vallarta has to offer. The last thing they had on their mind was running a large dog shelter and coordinating international adoptions. However, life had other plans! After moving to Puerto Vallarta and seeing so many dogs that faced horrendous neglect, medical issues and injuries caused by life on the streets or at the hands of neglectful owners, they knew they had to do something.
Barbara and Lisa realised that the sheer volume of dogs and other animals that needed help required a bit more than this duo could provide on their own. Their passion for helping animals and mounting veterinary bills turned into The Sula Society which stands for 'Saving Unloved Lovable Animals'. The Sula Society evolved out of a need to raise donations to make their newfound dream of having a large shelter and compound possible.
On 26 October 2020 their vision became a reality when they moved into their new shelter compound. This huge walled compound features outbuildings, huge lawn space, an agility area and even a river running through for the dogs to swim! Their vision for the shelter is a welcoming space for their rescue dogs to decompress, rehabilitate, and be loved while they wait for their furrever families to find them.
In February 2021 dog trainer extraordinaire, Roy, joined the Sula team. Roy introduced an agility program, pack walks and even going on bike rides. He also teaches the dogs basic training, recall and socialisation to give them the best start in their furrever homes. The Sula Society is a new breed of shelter where it's not enough to just create an environment for their rescues to survive - but also thrive! The shelter is always full of volunteers and friendly faces for the dogs to interact with and feel loved while they wait to be adopted.
Our dogs aren't just adopted locally. We fly our rescues to various locations including Canada in the USA to provide our rescues with the best possible homes.
The Sula Society is ever evolving to meet the needs of the community, including educational outreach and providing funds for low income families in Puerto Vallarta to keep the dogs they love while providing them with the veterinary care they need. This outreach is essential for shaping the future of dogs in Puerto Vallarta.
At The Sula Society we are 100% volunteer run and rely on donations, grants and legacies. Without our committed team of volunteers, flight angels and donations from people all over the world we would not be able to continue our work rescuing Puerto Vallarta's animals in need.
Our People
Lisa (Co-founder)
After having moved from the UK to Puerto Vallarta in 2017 this animal lover knew she had to do something after seeing dog after dog abandoned on the street in deplorable conditions, left to suffer. Lisa has taken up the call and not looked back. She has dedicated her life to rescuing these suffering dogs and providing community outreach to help provide affordable veterinary care to residents of local communities.
Barbara (Co-founder)
One half of this mother-daughter-dog-saving-duo is Barbara (mum). Barbara moved from the UK to Puerto Vallarta to enjoy the retired life. But the relaxing retirement came to a quick end when Barbara and Lisa discovered the deplorable conditions that many of Puerto Vallarta's dogs were living in. Even at home Barbara is always looking after our SULA dogs with many taking shelter breaks or recovering in her own home.
Roy (Trainer)
We can't say enough amazing things about our trainer extraordinaire - Roy! Roy has been with us since February 2021. He works with our dogs to assess their behaviour so we can provide the best possible descriptions and ensure our dogs have the best start in their furrever homes.
Roy takes our dogs through regular training, recall, basic commands, agility and pack socialisation. Shelters don't need to be a sad place and thanks to Roy our SULA dogs stay happy and stimulated with pack walks, swimming, agility and much more.
