How One Expat Helped Empty a Madeira Shelter — One Dog at a Time.
A beautiful heart warming story to start the weekend. ❤️
Benedikte Koldingsnes came to Madeira from Norway in January 2023 and quickly became part of the island’s digital nomad community and a supporter of Madeira Friends. She first walked into the dog shelter in Ponta do Sol in early January 2023 — not knowing it would change her life.
After just a few months of volunteering, one particular dog stole her heart. In July 2023, she adopted Benji, a calm and gentle Labrador–Podengo mix — but she didn’t stop there.
Over the next three years, Benedikte made it her mission to help every single dog in that shelter find a home.
Today, all of them have.
We sat down with her to hear how one person’s determination, stubborn hope — and refusal to give up — helped change the fate of dogs who had spent up to five years behind kennel doors.
When you first walked into the shelter, what did you see — and what changed in you that day?
I remember it clearly. There were about ten dogs there at the time — all beautiful and sweet in their own different ways. And all of them just… waiting.
Some were pacing back and forth. Some were spinning in circles. One barked nonstop. Others simply stood still and looked at me, as if asking, “Is it my turn?”
There were no toys and no beds — just wooden pallets to sleep on. The volunteer who introduced me to the dogs told me that some of them had already been there for five years. When I heard that, I cried.
I simply couldn’t accept that this was their life.
That was the moment I decided: I will get them out. Somehow. I didn’t know how yet. But I knew I wouldn’t just come and walk them a couple of times a week and hope someone might adopt them by chance — when that clearly hadn’t been happening for these dogs.
The first dog I took out was a beautiful one called Rocky, as he was pacing the most in his kennel. We went down to the village so he could see and smell something new.
And that’s when I knew: this is how we will get these dogs out.
I believed that if people could see them for who they truly are — their sweet personalities — they would want to adopt them.
That’s how the mission began.
You say you’ve almost single-handedly emptied the shelter. What did you actually do?
My motivation for volunteering was never just about walking the dogs. From day one, my focus was to get them out of there as quickly as possible.
I knew that social media exposure — combined with real-life introductions — would be the most effective way to do it.
So I spent hours every week with the dogs: hiking, playing, sitting quietly with them, and getting to know their personalities. I filmed a lot of those moments — tail wags, funny expressions, peaceful walks.
Then I made individual reels for every dog on Instagram and shared them on Facebook. That hadn’t really been done before. I wanted people to get to know every dog individually outside of the kennels — in nature, by the river, simply being dogs — and show that they were not “just shelter dogs.”
I also put up posters in the village and drove around the neighborhood to find their previous owners. I brought them to social events with Madeira Friends, and we visited the senior home in the village a few times. During Carnival and Christmas a group of volunteers brought them into the village so people could meet them.
Donations were collected to pay for Facebook ads, and Madeira News Blog kindly published several articles about the dogs — one of them is now in a loving foster home because of that. The organisation Madeira Street Dogs has also helped find new homes in Germany.
But the most important thing? I never gave up on any of them.
When I first started, there was a blind dog there named Stevie — after Stevie Wonder. He had already spent years in the shelter, and the other dogs were bullying him because they sensed he was different. No one believed he would ever be adopted.
But I refused to accept that.
First I found him a wonderful foster family. Then, with the help of a former volunteer, we found a lovely local family who care for disabled dogs.
I personally drove him to his forever home.
That moment will stay with me forever.
Stevie
You faced resistance along the way. What kept you going?
There was quite a lot of resistance in the beginning — and honestly, right up until this year.
Most of it came from within the volunteer group, which was the most surprising and discouraging part. When I first started, I wasn’t allowed to help with social media or the website. Anything related to promoting the dogs was basically off limits.
It was frustrating. And honestly, it hurt.
The way things had been done until then clearly wasn’t working very efficiently — dogs had spent years of their lives there — which is exactly why I wanted to help.
So instead of accepting that, I created my own Instagram account and started sharing my walks and interactions with the shelter dogs, and other dogs I was helping, through @dogwalkingmadeira. I also created a dog-walking program to engage locals in walking dogs — with the goal of helping even more dogs, including those who already had owners. Webpage
About a year later, there were changes within the volunteer group, and I finally got access to the official channels. That’s when things really started moving.
But that first year was heavy. I’ve been burned out more than once over the years. It’s exhausting to constantly push against resistance.
Still, I had made a promise to those dogs. And that promise mattered more than my frustration.
So I kept going.
One dog after another found a loving home.
The resistance over the years, and the lack of help when I repeatedly asked for it, is why I sometimes say I almost did it alone. In the hardest moments — when I was exhausted and overwhelmed — I often felt alone with a huge responsibility and workload, on top of my regular job and caring for my own dog.
But there were also other volunteers who contributed in their own ways, with great enthusiasm. I appreciated their love and care for the animals deeply. Some of them even ended up adopting dogs themselves — and today several of the shelter dogs live happily with them in Ponta do Sol.
Rocky, luckily, is one of them.
Is there one dog who represents this journey for you?
Yes — his name was Black.
He was the first dog I helped find a home for using my “strategy.” He was a bigger black dog who had already spent five years in the shelter.
Larger dogs are harder to place here, and if they are black it can be even more difficult. It felt like people had quietly given up on him.
But I remember thinking: No, Black. Not another year.
I asked a friend to film us while we walked along the riverbank. I posted the video on my channel, someone shared it — and within a few days a couple reached out. They had previously owned a black dog and felt Black would be perfect for them.
He was adopted the following week.
Every time I see photos of him or any of the other dogs now — happy, with shiny fur, relaxed and enjoying their new lifestyle — I get emotional.
Seeing their “after life” is everything.
That’s the fuel that kept me going.
Black
You made it your mission to get Rex out before stepping down. Why?
Because I promised him I would.
It might sound strange to make a promise to a dog — but that’s exactly what I did. Rex was the last dog from “my time” at the shelter.
And when I finally found him a wonderful family, it felt like everything had come full circle.
I’m now living in Norway again, and it feels amazing to know that I completed my mission and was able to help so many dogs find new homes.
Rex
Any final message to the expat community?
To other expats, I would say: get involved with the shelters on the island.
There are so many dogs who need care, attention, and love. You can volunteer to walk them, foster them temporarily, or offer them a loving forever home. Or do like me, help them get adopted.
Getting involved might mean facing some resistance, especially if you want to introduce improvements to the way things are currently done. Systems fail, and people sometimes have different agendas. It can be messy, and it’s not always easy.
So be respectful and patient — but most of all, determined.
If you feel that spark inside you — the feeling that you want to do something meaningful — then follow it.
Because one person really can change the entire life of another being. ❤️
A huge thank you to everyone that helps share the news, and together finds new families for these lovely dogs.
