We are a foster-based rescue, which means we work without a shelter facility or office. Every animal we help is cared for in a foster home. Most of our fosters and volunteers are located in and around San Isidro de El General / Pérez Zeledón, in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica.

Yes! Once your application is approved, we’ll coordinate a meet-and-greet with the foster home.  

For more information visit our:
DOG ADOPTION PAGE
CAT ADOPTION PAGE

We focus on rescuing dogs and cats, but we can point you in the right direction if you’ve found a wild animal in distress. We recommend contacting:

‍Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary in Uvita at +506 2200 3271
Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center via WhatsApp at +506 6058 3898
SINAC (National System of Conservation Areas) at (+506) 2522-6500 for wildlife emergencies.   To report a dog or cat in need please visit our CONTACT PAGE

For urgent cases, please refer to our Emergency Guidelines on the CONTACT PAGE.
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We are a small, volunteer-run organization with limited resources, but we do our best to help whenever possible. To report a stray animal or find more information, please visit our CONTACT PAGE.

There are two possible reasons:

1. We haven’t had time to upload the animal to the website, but it may still be available.
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2. The animal is in a foster-to-adopt trial or has already found a home. You’re still welcome to apply using our general adoption application. Then we can match you with a similar dog / cat.

Yes! Charlies Angels Resque is officially registered under the legal name Asociación Charlie’s Angels CR, cédula jurídica 3-002-757592.

We rely entirely on donations from generous individuals and the occasional fundraising. Every contribution makes a big difference. For more informatiopn visit our DONATION PAGE

Unfortunately, we can't issue tax-deductible receipts for donations made to our Costa Rican Bank Account or PayPal.

However, we’re supported by Friends of Charlie’s Angels Costa Rica, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in the U.S. This allows U.S. donors to make tax-deductible contributions to support our rescue work in Costa Rica.  

For more information visit our DONATION PAGE

All you need is a safe space for the animal. If you don’t have experience fostering, don’t worry! We’ll provide all the guidance you need. Plus, we supply everything necessary, including dog food, a crate, a dog bed, toys, and other dog-related items to make sure the animal feels comfortable.

No, we cover all veterinary costs while the animal is in your care. This includes vaccinations, deworming, flea and tick prevention, and any necessary medical treatments. You won’t have to worry about the vet bills!

You won’t be alone in this! We’ll stay in touch with you throughout the process, answering questions and providing support whenever needed. You’ll be part of a caring team, and we’re here to help with anything that comes up during your time as a foster.

The time commitment can vary. Some animals find their forever homes quickly, while others may stay with you for a few weeks or even months. Just let us know what time frame works best for you, and we’ll match you with an animal that fits your situation.

Our Foster-to-Adopt program gives you the chance to foster a dog or cat for a trial period, allowing you to see how the animal fits into your home and lifestyle before making a final decision. This trial period lasts up to 3 weeks, giving both you and the animal time to adjust and see if it's a good match.

During the trial period, the animal is not available for any other interested parties, we cover all veterinary costs, and you provide the daily care and love. After the 3 weeks, we’ll decide together if the adoption feels like the right fit. If everything goes well, we’ll finalize the adoption with the adoption fee and contract, and the animal becomes a permanent part of your family!If it’s not the right fit, we’ll work closely with you to find the best solution. Ideally, the animal will stay with the foster family until we find a perfect match (all costs covered by us). However, if there are any safety or health concerns (like unexpected allergies or anything that makes the situation unsafe for either the animal or adopter), we’ll address it immediately and take the necessary steps to ensure everyone’s well-being.

Please note that this Foster-to-Adopt program is only available for adoptions within Costa Rica.

Just start by filling out our Adoption Application Form ↓ . Once we receive it, our adoption manager will get in touch to talk about next steps and answer any questions you might have.

If you don’t hear back within 24–36 hours, feel free to follow up via WhatsApp at +506 8325 2514 or email tania@charlies-angels-rescue.org. Sometimes messages get missed, and we don’t want to keep you waiting!

The adoption fee is $150 USD or 78,000 CRC per dog / puppy. This helps cover part of the vet care each animal receives—like spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, deworming, flea and tick prevention, and any other medical treatment they’ve needed.

We almost never break even, as the total cost is usually much higher. That’s why we’re incredibly grateful when adopters are willing to chip in a little extra to support our work.

We aren’t able to offer reduced fees for puppies who haven’t yet been spayed/neutered or finished their vaccination series. But we have lots of sweet adult dogs who are fully vetted and ready to find their forever home.

The adoption fee helps us continue our rescue efforts and cover the essential care every animal receives before adoption. Things like vaccines, surgeries, and treatments add up fast. Your fee helps us keep going—and saves more lives.

All animals are spayed or neutered (if over 4 months of age), vaccinated, dewormed, and treated for fleas and ticks before adoption. If they needed extra medical care (which many do), we take care of that too before they go to their new homes.

So the fee includes the following:
- A wellness exam
- Vaccinations like rabies, distemper, parvovirus.
- Flea and tick preventative treatment
- Deworming
- Spaying or neutering
- Collar

Yes. Once the adoption is finalized, vet costs are the responsibility of the adopter. Our animals are fully up to date on vaccines and preventatives when they’re adopted. That said, puppies still need follow-up vaccines to build full immunity, and adult dogs may be due for a booster shot a few weeks later. We’ll let you know what’s needed so you can keep them protected.

Absolutely, once the adoption application is filled out and received. If you live nearby, we’ll arrange an in-person visit with the foster home. If you're farther away or adopting from abroad, we’re happy to set up a virtual meet and greet via video call.Please note that we’re unable to transport animals over long distances just for a meet and greet. If visiting the foster home isn’t possible, a video call is a great way to get to know the animal and ask the foster any questions before moving forward.

Because organizing a meet-and-greet takes time and planning—and our foster families and volunteers are all busy people doing this out of love.

We want to make sure it’s a good fit first. The adoption form gives us a chance to understand your lifestyle and what kind of home you can offer. It’s not binding in any way—it just helps us get to know you so we can make the best possible match for both you and the animal.

It really depends, but typically it takes anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. It all depends on how quickly we can check your references, do a home check (virtually or in person), and set up the meet and greet.

Yes—we’ve successfully placed many of our rescue dogs in loving homes in Canada and the US. We’ll help coordinate all travel logistics and work with flight volunteers to make the process smooth for both you and the animal.For details about costs and options, please contact us directly at tania@charlies-angels-rescue.org.
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Please note: we do not adopt to Europe. The process can take up to five months, which is too long for most of our foster homes to accommodate, and it's not fair to the animal. It's also very expensive and complicated. If you're based in Europe—especially in countries like Portugal, Romania, Spain, Greece, or the Balkans—we recommend connecting with rescue organizations who do the same work as us in Europe. Many of these countries are facing stray dog crises just like we are, and there are plenty of amazing animals already looking for homes nearby.

If things don’t go as planned, that’s okay. We’ll always take the animal back—no judgment. Under no circumstances may the adopted dog be re-homed to any third party, including other rescue organizations or shelters, without CAARCR's involvement and approval.

We do ask all our adopters to give the animal a real chance to adjust. Bringing a rescue into your home can take time and patience. We follow the “3-3-3 rule”: it can take 3 days for a dog or cat to decompress, 3 weeks to start feeling comfortable, and 3 months to truly settle in. Some animals may need more time—or even help from a trainer—to fully integrate into a new environment.

If rehoming becomes necessary, we’ll need a reasonable amount of time to find the right foster placement before taking the animal back. However, if there are any safety or health concerns (like unexpected allergies or anything that makes the situation unsafe for either the animal or adopter), we’ll address it immediately and take the necessary steps to ensure everyone’s well-being.  

We're here to support you through the adjustment process, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help along the way. Please understand that adoption fees are non-refundable unless the issue is clearly due to an oversight on our part.

Yes! We’re happy to adopt out bonded pairs or help you find a second animal that gets along well with your current pet. That said, we generally don’t adopt out siblings from the same puppy litter to the same home due to something called “littermate syndrome” —which can lead to behavioral issues down the line. However, we do make exceptions in certain cases when it feels right for the animals involved.

This does not apply to kittens—we actually love seeing them go home in pairs, especially if they’ve grown up together.

Absolutely. Just fill out the adoption application and select "not sure yet" under which dog or cat you’re interested in. Tell us a little about your lifestyle, household, and experience with pets, and we’ll help match you with the animal that best fits your home and heart.

Our Foster-to-Adopt program gives you the chance to foster a dog or cat for a trial period, allowing you to see how the animal fits into your home and lifestyle before making a final decision. This trial period lasts up to 3 weeks, giving both you and the animal time to adjust and see if it's a good match.
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During the trial period, the animal is not available for any other interested parties, we cover all veterinary costs, and you provide the daily care and love. After the 3 weeks, we’ll decide together if the adoption feels like the right fit. If everything goes well, we’ll finalize the adoption with the adoption fee and contract, and the animal becomes a permanent part of your family!

If it’s not the right fit, we’ll work closely with you to find the best solution. Ideally, the animal will stay with the foster family until we find a perfect match (all costs covered by us). However, if there are any safety or health concerns (like unexpected allergies or anything that makes the situation unsafe for either the animal or adopter), we’ll address it immediately and take the necessary steps to ensure everyone’s well-being.

Please note that this Foster-to-Adopt program is only available for adoptions within Costa Rica.

We actually don’t have a physical rescue center anymore. In 2021, we closed our shelter and transitioned to working entirely with foster homes—and it’s been a great success!

All of our animals now live in loving foster homes where they receive personalized care, socialization, and a safe space to recover and grow.

Because of this, we don’t have one central location to visit, but once you’ve submitted an adoption application, we’re happy to arrange a meet-and-greet with the foster family—either in person if you’re nearby, or virtually if you’re not.This foster-based model has allowed us to save more lives, offer better individual care, and ensure that every animal is truly ready for a home like yours.

Charlie’s Angels Costa Rica is based in the southern zone of the country. Most of our foster homes and volunteers are located in and around San Isidro del General, in the Pérez Zeledón area.
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We don’t have a physical shelter—since summer 2021, we’ve been working entirely through a network of foster homes. This allows our animals to receive personalized care and helps us get to know them well, which makes for better adoption matches.
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While most of our fosters are in Pérez Zeledón, we sometimes have animals in foster homes in other parts of Costa Rica too.
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All of our adoption posts clearly mention where each animal is currently being fostered, so you’ll always know their location before applying.

You can either come pick up the animal yourself or we’ll help arrange transport. We work with a trusted professional driver who uses an air-conditioned van equipped with secure crates to ensure the animals travel safely and comfortably.

The cost of transport has to be covered by the adopter. Whenever possible, we try to coordinate shared transport with other adopted animals heading in the same direction to help split the cost—but that’s not always guaranteed. Our adoption manager will let you know how much the transport to your location will be.

Yes, it’s possible! If you're living in Canada or the US and your flight allows dogs, and if we have enough time to prepare the animal, arrange the logistics, and get all the necessary paperwork ready (we require a minimum of one week's notice), we can help you with the adoption.

To start, please fill out our adoption application here and we’ll guide you through the rest of the process.

If you're located in the US or Canada and would like to adopt a dog from us, contact us directly to discuss the international adoption process. We'll provide you with all the details, including:
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* Additional costs
* Timeline
* Necessary documentation
* Travel arrangements
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Contact Tania at: tania@charlies-angels-rescue.org

Just start by filling out our Adoption Application Form. Once we receive it, our adoption manager will get in touch to talk about next steps and answer any questions you might have.

If you don’t hear back within 24–36 hours, feel free to follow up via WhatsApp at +506 8325 2514 or email tania@charlies-angels-rescue.org. Sometimes messages get missed, and we don’t want to keep you waiting!

The adoption fee is $30 USD or 15,000 CRC per cat or kitten.

This helps cover part of the vet care each animal receives—like spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, deworming, flea and tick prevention, and testing for FIV (feline AIDS) and FeLV (feline leukemia) when the cat is old enough.

As with our dogs, we almost never break even—so when adopters are willing to give a little extra, it makes a big difference in helping us continue this work.

All cats are spayed or neutered (if over 4 months old), vaccinated, dewormed, treated for fleas and ticks, and tested for FIV and FeLV (if old enough for accurate testing).

If they’ve needed any extra vet care, we take care of it before they’re adopted out.

Yes. Once the adoption is finalized, you’ll be responsible for any future vet care.We’ll let you know if the cat needs any follow-up vaccines or treatments. Many kittens, for example, will still need their booster shots to complete their vaccine schedule.

Definitely—once we’ve received your adoption application. If you’re nearby, we’ll arrange a meet-and-greet with the foster family. If you're farther away, we’re happy to schedule a video call so you can virtually meet the cat.

Please note that we can’t transport animals long distances just for a meet and greet.

Because arranging a meet-and-greet takes coordination, and all of our foster families and volunteers are doing this in their free time.The adoption form isn’t binding—it just helps us get to know you, your home, and your lifestyle so we can make sure it's a great match for both you and the cat.

It varies, but usually just a few days to a couple of weeks. It depends on how quickly we can check your references, do a virtual or in-person home check, and organize the meet-and-greet.

Yes—we’ve successfully placed several of our cats in loving homes abroad, especially in the US and Canada.We’ll help organize all travel logistics and work with flight volunteers to ensure a smooth process.For costs and travel details, please reach out to tania@charlies-angels-rescue.org.Please note: we do not adopt to Europe. The process takes too long, is very expensive, and not in the best interest of the animal or the foster family.

We’ll always take the animal back—no shame, no judgment.We do ask adopters to give the animal time to adjust. Cats, especially, need patience and space to feel safe in a new environment. We follow the “3-3-3 rule”: 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to start settling in, and 3 months to truly feel at home.If you do need to return the cat, we’ll work with you to arrange a solution. This may involve keeping the cat temporarily while we find a new foster placement. If there's any immediate concern for safety or health (allergies, aggression, etc.), we’ll step in right away.Please note: adoption fees are non-refundable unless the issue stems from an error or oversight on our part.

Yes—and in fact, we love it when kittens are adopted together. Unlike puppies, kittens from the same litter generally thrive in pairs, especially if they’ve grown up together.

We’ll let you know if a particular pair is bonded or especially well-matched, and we’ll do our best to find the right fit for your home.

Absolutely. Just fill out the adoption form and let us know you’re not sure which cat you’re interested in.Share a little about your lifestyle, family, and pet experience, and we’ll help guide you to a cat (or kitten!) that’s a good fit.

Our Foster-to-Adopt program gives you a chance to foster a cat for up to 3 weeks before making a final decision. It’s a great way to see if your home and lifestyle are the right match.

During this time, the cat won’t be available to other adopters. We’ll cover all vet costs, and you provide the care, love, and patience.

If it’s a good fit, we’ll finalize the adoption and complete the contract. If not, we’ll work with you to make a plan that’s best for everyone—including the cat.This program is only available for adoptions within Costa Rica.

We don’t have a rescue center anymore. In 2021, we closed our shelter and transitioned to working solely with foster homes. This has allowed us to offer more individualized care and has been incredibly successful.
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While there’s no central location to visit, once your application is received, we’re happy to arrange a meeting with the foster family—either in person or via video call.

Charlie’s Angels Costa Rica is based in the southern zone of Costa Rica. Most of our foster homes are in and around San Isidro del General in Pérez Zeledón.

We also occasionally have cats in foster homes in other parts of the country. Every adoption post clearly lists where the animal is being fostered so you’ll know their location ahead of time.

You can pick up your new cat in person, or we can help arrange transport. We work with a trusted professional driver who uses an air-conditioned van and secure crates for a safe, stress-free ride.

Transport costs must be covered by the adopter. When possible, we try to coordinate shared trips with other adopted animals heading the same way to split the cost.

Yes, it's possible! If you're living in Canada or the US and your flight allows pets, and if we have enough time to prepare the animal, arrange the logistics, and get all the necessary paperwork ready (we require a minimum of one week's notice), we can help you with the adoption.

To start, please fill out our [adoption application here] and we’ll assist you with the next steps.

If you're based in the US or Canada and would like to adopt a cat or kitten from us, please contact us directly to discuss the international adoption process. We’ll provide you with all the details, including:
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*Additional costs
*Timeline
*Necessary documentation
*Travel arrangements

Contact Tania at: tania@charlies-angels-rescue.org

A Flight Angel is someone who helps rescue animals by flying with them to their new homes abroad. If you’re already planning to fly from Costa Rica to the U.S. or Canada, you could volunteer to take a rescued dog or cat with you, ensuring they get to their forever family. We handle all the logistics, and your job is easy and incredibly rewarding!

Nope! We cover all the animal-related travel expenses. This includes the cost of the flight, travel crate or carrier, and any required paperwork and permits. However, we do not cover any of your personal travel costs.

Once you’ve signed up, we’ll guide you through the whole process. We’ll meet you at the airport in Costa Rica (San Jose or Liberia) with the animal, their travel crate, and all the required documents. When you arrive at your destination, a volunteer will meet you to take the animal from you.

It’s simple! Just fill out our Flight Angel Application, and we’ll take it from there. We’ll walk you through the process and provide you with everything you need to know to help get the animal safely to their new home.

We’ve done this many times before, and we’ve got plenty of experience. We can even provide references from past Flight Angels to make sure you feel comfortable. It’s a straightforward process that we’ll guide you through step by step.

Yes, we focus on flights going to the U.S. or Canada. This is because we have partner organizations in these countries ready to take in the animals

By becoming a Flight Angel, you're providing a vital lifeline to animals who may otherwise have to wait months—or even years—before finding their forever home. Your simple act of bringing them along on your flight changes their life forever.

Yes, you need to be at least 18 years old to become a Flight Angel.

Yes, absolutely! In fact, it’s even better if both of you can escort the animal. Having more than one person ensures the animal is well taken care of, and it makes the journey a bit easier for everyone involved.

We’ll help guide you in choosing the best airline based on your route, the animal's needs, and current weather or airline policies. Pet transport rules can vary and change often, especially due to heat in Costa Rica or cold temperatures in North America.

That said, airlines with a good reputation for transporting rescue animals include: Alaska Airlines, Avianca, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, and JetBlue.

‍Please note: Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines do not transport animals, so we don’t recommend them.

If you're volunteering as a Flight Angel, we’ll make sure you’re matched with an airline that can safely accommodate your rescue animal.

Charlie’s Angels is a foster-based rescue—we work without a shelter or center. This means we cannot host international volunteers who need housing, but we’d love help from locals or expats already living nearby.

We need hands-on help in the Pérez Zeledón area, especially from people who:

Can drive animals to and from the vet (having your own car is essential)
Assist in rescues
Help with dog training or walking
People who can support our foster homes - make sure they have eberything they need
Support our monthly spay & neuter clinics
Dog training skills for puppies and adults Dog walking (if foster has not enough time or has multiple dogs)
Photography and short videos of our animals
Social media and website content
Organizing adoption events or fundraisers

Nope! Just a big heart, some spare time, and a willingness to learn.

Just fill out our Volunteer Application Form and we’ll be in touch!

If you’re unable to volunteer locally, you can still support our mission in other ways:
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- Foster an animal: Provide temporary care until they find their forever home.
- Become a flight angel: Transport an animal on your flight to their adoption destination.
- Donate: Financial contributions are always deeply appreciated and help us continue our work.

Every effort makes a difference—thank you for your support!