The past two weeks have been intense in a way that’s hard to put into words unless you’re actually in it. I gave myself that time to find a proper solution for the dogs. The idea was to move forward, not backwards. To find a better place, something safer, something that could actually work long term.

But that’s not how it played out.

I spent those days constantly searching, messaging people, checking groups, and following every lead that came up. WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups, contacts, recommendations. I looked at houses, land, and random setups that could potentially work. I tried to make things fit that clearly no longer fit.

And the more I looked, the clearer it became that this is not a problem you can simply solve here.

There are too many dogs and not enough real options. You see it everywhere. Every day, people are trying to find a foster place for one or two dogs, and even that is already difficult. So at some point, you have to be honest with yourself and ask how this is supposed to work for a full group.

At the same time, the dogs were still in boarding. And that creates a pressure you can’t ignore. Every day costs money, and every extra day there means paying for time I don’t really have. You can’t just keep searching indefinitely and hope something perfect shows up.

So I reached a point where I had to make a decision, even if it wasn’t the one I wanted.

I brought the dogs back to the rescue house.

Not because it’s a good solution, but because there was no real alternative left.

And I’m not going to pretend that this feels right. The environment is difficult, there are people around that I don’t trust, and on top of that, the dogs are not allowed to go outside.

No walks. No normal movement. Nothing.

If you’ve never dealt with that, it might not sound like a big issue. But it is. Last year, we had a situation with a local duck farmer where we couldn’t take the dogs out for a while. And you could see very clearly what that did to them. They became so frustrated that they started scratching at the ground constantly. Not just a little bit. They were literally trying to break through the concrete floor.

That’s the point where you realize this is not just about physical space. It’s about mental stability.

So leaving things the way they are now is not an option either. It’s just where we are right now.

What this means is that the rescue house needs to be upgraded in a very practical and structured way so it can actually work under these conditions.

The first thing is security. Right now, I don’t feel comfortable with the level of safety around the house, and that has to change. This means hiring a proper security guard, not just someone random, but someone reliable who is actually present and aware. On top of that, I need to install additional CCTV cameras to have full visibility around the property, as well as proper outdoor lighting with motion sensors so there are no blind spots at night.

Another important part is controlling how the dogs move in and out of the house. Right now, if you open the door, they will run out immediately. That’s obviously not something you can work with, especially if we start organizing pickups. So I want to build a small enclosed entry area in front of the main door, basically a second barrier. A controlled space where we can gather a few dogs first before opening the next door. This is standard in many boarding facilities and something we already had in a very improvised way in the old rescue house using pallets. But that’s not a long term solution. It needs to be properly built, solid, and organized so it actually works every day.

Once the house itself is secure and structured, the next step is movement.

If the dogs can’t walk in that area, then we need to create a system where they still get out regularly. The plan is to organize pickups and bring them somewhere safe, ideally the beach, where they can run, release energy, and just be normal dogs again. But this also means we need people who can handle that. Most likely a driver and someone who actually takes care of the dogs during those outings. I’m still figuring out the exact setup, but it’s clear that this has to become a consistent routine, not something that happens randomly.

And that brings everything together.

This is not a one time fix. This is a setup that needs to run continuously. Security, transport, people, maintenance. All of this creates ongoing effort and ongoing costs.

Over the past two weeks, I pushed this as far as I could on my own. I tried everything that came to mind, and there wasn’t some hidden option I ignored. This is simply the situation now.

So the focus shifts from trying to find the perfect solution to building something that actually works with what we have.

That’s also why I’m asking for support in a more structured way. Not because it sounds better, but because it’s the only thing that makes this sustainable. One time help is great, but it doesn’t create stability. What creates stability is consistency.

That’s where Patreon comes in. It allows this to be supported on a monthly basis, starting at a very small amount. If enough people decide to support this consistently, it gives this whole setup a foundation. It means I can actually build this properly instead of constantly reacting to the next problem.

Right now, this is where things stand. The dogs are back in the rescue house, and the goal is to make this place safe, structured, and functional as quickly as possible. First by securing it, then by organizing proper movement and routines for the dogs.

If you want to be part of that and help make this work, you can support through Patreon. And if you know someone who could help on the ground, especially when it comes to reliable staff, that would make a real difference.