Support us in finding a new shelter for our special needs dogs and their loyal caregiver, Gerbien!

We urgently need to leave the home of GaGa’s founder, Gerbien, and the most vulnerable dogs who require special care and living conditions. They are severely traumatized, scared, sick, and old.

Gerbien Fricke has dedicated her past 25 years to running GaGa Animal Care, a dog shelter in Eressos, Lesbos, Greece. She takes in approximately 85 stray dogs and organizes TNR (Trap Neuter Return) sterilization campaigns twice a year, neutering approximately 800 dogs and cats annually.

As a result, there are no stray dogs left in Eressos! Our dogs are rescued and rehomed primarily in the Netherlands by our GaGa Netherlands team.

About 80% of the stray cats are neutered, and because they are fed and medically monitored year-round, animal welfare is at a high level. Gerbien lives next to a hotel, which is now fully run, and she has to leave because of noise pollution, which creates a very stressful situation.

Her current home, which houses about 10 special needs dogs—which we call “Villa GaGa”—is in very poor condition, but it’s the only place she can stay at the moment. No insulation, no hot water… after hours of work on animal care.

We have a facility called “Camp GaGa,” which can accommodate about 75 dogs. The last six runs were built in the spring of 2024 for puppies, new dogs, and, of course, a few special needs dogs. This is not a place to live, as there is no electricity or water hookup, so we can’t build there.

Most special needs dogs will stay with us their entire lives. We want the most home-like environment possible for these dogs, where they can receive plenty of individual attention and live a happy life with the only person they trust: Gerbien.

Since the nearest veterinarian is almost an hour’s drive away, a treatment room is very welcome so that first aid and basic care can be provided on-site to our dogs and companion dogs.

What do we want to do?

To create a home for Gerbien and the special needs dogs, with a treatment room where we can provide basic care, and four quarantine units for dogs after surgery or for sick dogs in isolation. In short, a solid “New Villa GaGa.”

What we’ve accomplished so far… thanks to people like YOU!!

• May 2023: We bought the land with a small brick house and built puppy kennels next to it. With the first €20,000 we raised in donations, we started renovating the house. The project was on hold, but we restarted, requested quotes, and our team enthusiastically continued.

• August 2024: We raised almost €16,000 with a few generous donations and continued with contractors.

• November and December 2024: We connected the electrical and plumbing lines inside and plastered both the interior and exterior. We also started the paperwork to move the electrical box to the house, as it had accidentally been placed 500 meters away.

• January/February 2025: We installed windows and are almost finished with the terrace and treatment room floor.

• June 2025: We received a fantastic donation of €2,500 from the Hans van Eck Foundation!

What we need now

We need €12,500 to finish the house and another €12,500 for the treatment room and quarantine accommodations.

Our goal is for Gerbien and the dogs to move in by spring 2026, and we need your help!

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