01
Where the dogs come from
Almost every dog you'll see on an adoption listing in Cyprus started in one of three places: a municipal pound, the street, or a home that gave them up. Strays are found on roadsides and in fields, hunting dogs are abandoned when the season ends, and families surrender dogs they can no longer keep. Rescues and volunteer fosters take them in, treat them, and — crucially — live with them long enough to know their real character. By the time a dog is listed, someone can tell you honestly whether she's good with cats, scared of motorbikes, or a couch potato in disguise.
02
What adoption costs
Adoption in Cyprus works on a donation, not a price tag. Each rescue sets its own amount, and it typically covers what has already been spent on the dog: vaccination, sterilisation, microchip and vet bills. That's care that would cost you far more at the vet's if you started from zero — with an adopted dog, it's already done. withBobi itself charges nothing: the platform is free for adopters and free for rescues, so your donation goes to the animals, not to admin. If you're unsure what a specific dog's donation includes, just ask — a good rescue will itemise it happily.
03
How long it takes
There's no fixed timetable, and that's a good thing — it means the rescue is matching, not shipping. If the dog you've chosen is already sterilised, vaccinated and chipped, things can move quickly: an inquiry, a meet, a home check, and you're done. If she's still recovering from treatment, or too young to be sterilised, the rescue may ask you to wait until she's ready. Adopters come from all over Cyprus, and many rescues also rehome to the EU and UK, which adds travel paperwork to those adoptions. Ask the rescue for a realistic estimate for your dog — they'll tell you straight.
04
The cheap puppy ad is the expensive option
You'll see them on Facebook and the classifieds: puppies for sale, no questions asked. Here's what that price doesn't include: health checks, vaccinations, sterilisation, a microchip, or any idea of the puppy's background — and somewhere behind the ad, a mother being bred litter after litter. A rescue works the opposite way. They ask you questions, show you vet records, tell you the dog's faults as well as her charms, and take her back if it truly doesn't work out. If an ad wants money fast and asks you nothing, that's not a red flag — that's the whole flag.
05
Where withBobi comes in
withBobi isn't a shelter — it's Cyprus's animal-rescue platform, and it connects you directly with the people who know the dog. Browse the listings, send an inquiry, and you're talking to the rescue or foster themselves — most dogs are fostered around Limassol, at places like Robert's Sanctuary, with adopters coming from every part of the island. No forms disappearing into a void, no middlemen, no fees. And if you ever find an animal in trouble, the SOS map at withbobi.com/sos takes a report in about 30 seconds — or call the rescue line on +357 94332799.
