Walk a Shelter Dog in Lviv: 3 Places That Need You
Lviv's animal shelters are short of hands. Staff feed, treat and clean the kennels, but simply taking a dog out for a walk — giving every one of them some attention each day — is more than they can physically manage. Volunteers are always in short supply: half an hour of your time can be a dog's whole day.
Below are three places that take volunteers. No certificate and no previous experience is required — only clothes you do not mind getting dirty, the willingness, and 30 to 60 minutes. Each shelter has its own rules — gathered below from the venue cards.
1. Domivka Vriatovanykh Tvaryn (Home of Rescued Animals)
Address: 24 Oleksy Dovbusha St, Lviv
When to come: daily, no days off, 9:00–17:00
A shelter in the Kaiserwald area that cares for cats and dogs as well as wild animals and birds, including those evacuated from the war zone. It runs «Mriia», a sanctuary for elderly and injured dogs. You can sign up as a volunteer via the form on domivka.org.ua. Several times a year it holds the charity festival «Bazar Dobra», with tours of the shelter.
Tips:
- Bring treats (dry ones, no cocoa), but ask the staff first whether this dog is allowed them
- Dress as you would for a walk in a park — hands free, footwear that copes with mud
- If you are coming with a child, tell the staff in advance
2. LKP Lev (the city shelter)
Address: 56 Promyslova St, Lviv
When to come: daily 9:00–12:00 and 16:00–17:00, by prior arrangement
A municipal enterprise of Lviv City Council — a veterinary and sterilisation centre for stray animals. Volunteer hours run in two windows, morning and evening. To join, come to Promyslova St, 56 with your passport and sign a volunteer agreement on site.
Tips:
- Bring your passport — you cannot walk a dog without signing the volunteer agreement
- Come during the volunteer hours, not between them
- Bring fresh water in a bottle; you may need it
- If you plan to volunteer regularly, ask about "sponsoring" one particular dog
3. Myloserdia Shelter (Briukhovychi)
Address: 58 Nezalezhnosti Ukrainy St, Briukhovychi
When to come: daily 10:00–17:00, call ahead
A shelter in the forest between Riasne and Briukhovychi, founded in 1992 with support from IFAW and run by the Lviv Animal Protection Society. Only dogs are kept on site — between 250 and 400 by various counts. Arrange a volunteer visit by phone in advance.
Tips:
- The shelter is outside the city, in the forest — plan your journey ahead
- If you want to come as a family, say so when you call
- Dry treats (no chocolate, no raisins) are welcome, but show them to a keeper before giving them
How to prepare
- Clothes: casual, not new. Dogs get excited, jump, and may catch you with their paws
- Footwear: something that copes with mud. The grounds can be wet
- Treats: always ask — some dogs have allergies or are on a diet
- Time: allow at least 30 minutes for the walk plus 15 for getting back and a short chat
- Temperament: some of these dogs have been through a lot. Do not force contact and do not insist — let the animal give the signal
If you cannot come in person
All three shelters accept help: donations and food, and Domivka and Myloserdia also take things for the animals (kennels, bedding). Phone numbers are on each shelter's page (see the links above).
Also useful: if you love animals and want to spend time with a child somewhere worthwhile, look in at the Lviv Children's Ecological and Naturalist Centre at 12 Kubanska St. It has a mini-zoo with over 250 species — mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians — and free clubs for children aged 6–18. Entry and tours are free, but visits must be booked in advance by phone.