Kioto – A Young Dog Still Waiting for His Chance

Kioto arrived at the pound in November 2024 at around 11 months old. A young Belgian Shepherd cross, likely abandoned, he suddenly found himself in a loud and confusing environment.

At first, he struggled a lot. The noise, confinement, and stress of the pound were overwhelming, and he often withdrew into himself inside his cage.

With time, patience, and regular contact, Kioto began to open up. Little by little, his true personality started to shine through — a sweet, affectionate, and playful young dog who enjoys his walks and makes the most of every short break outside his cage. In the patio, he has shown he can interact well with both male and female dogs.

But despite all his progress, Kioto is still waiting.

Most days, he spends over 23 hours in a small cage. It is a cold, damp, and stressful environment, no place for a young dog to grow up and thrive. He can often be seen quietly lying in his bed, simply waiting.

Foster update – January 2026:
Due to heavy rain and the risk of flooding, all dogs had to be evacuated.
Kioto did spend time in a foster home, where he adapted well after a short settling-in period. He showed himself to be affectionate, social, and eager for contact, and once he had exercised, he was able to relax nicely. He also did well on walks and proved to be a very manageable young dog in a home environment.

Unfortunately, the foster placement could not continue long-term, and Kioto is now back at the pound.

Kioto is currently back in his cage, where he is now sharing space with Kayla. The two of them are an excellent match — they get along beautifully, play together, and also relax calmly side by side.
On walks or in the patio, Kioto comes alive — his tail starts wagging, his eyes brighten, and you see the affectionate, playful dog he truly is.

Kioto is more than ready for a real home. A place where he can feel safe, move freely, continue building confidence, and finally leave cage life behind.
He has already shown how much potential he has — he just needs someone to finally give him the chance he has been waiting far too long for.

Adoption event – April 2026;
Kioto attended the adoption event in April 2026 along with his best friend Kayla. He did amazingly well — like he had done it many times before. He was super calm in his new pen, even though the event was very busy, with lots of people, music, children running around, and food everywhere.

He simply took everything in his stride. He absolutely enjoyed all the attention he received from the volunteer looking after him and Kayla that day, and had so many belly rubs — both from the volunteer and from visitors coming into his pen to say hello. He was wonderful with everyone, including children.

He also travelled very well in the car — he just jumped in and sat quietly, calmly looking out of the window ❤️

www.spanishstraydogs.org.uk

This gorgeous dog is available for adoption in the UK. Homecheck and adoption fee apply. Adoption fee includes neutering, passport, microchip, all vaccinations, blood tests to screen for diseases, worm and flea treatment. Adoption cost in Spain (if no transport required) 155€ for males and €165 for females.

Adoption costs to the UK are £595. This includes all DEFRA paperwork and transport by DEFRA registered carrier ( using the TRACES system) direct to your door, except London, within the M25 motorway, Highlands of Scotland beyond Perth, and all off islands (if we cannot deliver direct, a mutually convenient meeting place will be arranged). We sort out all the arrangements and delivery/ meeting times will be advised in advance by the transporter.

For dogs brought to the UK by SSDUK to go initially into foster care, adopters will still be required to pay the full adoption fee of £595 to cover the above expenses.

In some cases, for example a failed adoption of a dog already in the UK, the fee may be reduced to £350 where the initial transport costs from Spain have already been met. This is to cover transport within the UK, kennel fees and any checks required. 

For adoption costs elsewhere, or for help and advice please e-mail adoptions@spanishstraydogs.org.uk

For more information about this dog, including advice and custom made video contact adoptions@spanishstraydogs.org.uk now.