Inside the Grassroots Mission Saving Shkodër, Albania’s Stray Dogs

How to support: Share this video, visit their page, or consider making a donation to help @ProQenAlbania keep these tails wagging! Via PayPal (Please as "Payment to friends"): info@proqenalbania.org Purpose: Food By bank transfer: Recipient: Pro Qen Albania IBAN: AT97 4300 0500 2741 0000 BIC: VBOEATWW Bank: Volksbank Wien AG Purpose: Food To help permanently with Teaming (only 1 € per month!): https://www.teaming.net/proqenalbania Albania’s stray dogs are impossible to ignore. Spend enough time walking through cities like Shkodër and you start recognizing them—the same dogs sleeping outside cafés, wandering familiar streets, and becoming part of the neighborhoods around them. But why are there so many stray dogs in Albania? And why isn’t building more shelters enough to solve the problem? Albania’s free-roaming dog population is tied to a complicated mix of history, culture, economics, and the country’s rapid transition after communism. Understanding that context changes the way you see the dogs on the street—and the people trying to help them. One of those organizations is ProQen Albania, a grassroots rescue in Shkodër working to create sustainable change through rescue, sterilization, vaccination, rehabilitation, and international adoption. Their open shelter currently cares for more than 40 dogs, with a small team handling everything from emergency vet visits and daily cleaning to preparing dogs for new homes. But rescue alone can’t keep up with an unchecked street-dog population. Sterilization is a critical part of reducing the number of free-roaming dogs over time, while volunteers, donors, flight escorts, foster homes, and adopters all play a role in helping the dogs already here. For travelers, it’s easy to see Albania’s stray dogs and feel either heartbroken or frustrated. The reality is much more complicated. Looking at the problem within Albania’s cultural and economic history—and at the work already happening on the ground—offers a very different perspective. CHAPTERS 00:00 Albania’s Stray Dog Problem 02:05 Why Albania Has So Many Street Dogs 06:10 Why Shelters Alone Won’t Solve It 09:05 Inside ProQen Albania 13:15 How You Can Help #ProQenAlbania #RescueDogs #DogShelter #AlbaniaStrays #DogLife #AdoptDontShop Join us as we explore the world through slow travel, spending 30 days in each destination to truly live like locals. From the diverse landscapes of Albania to our upcoming journeys across the globe, we’re sharing the best local pours and intentional living tips. Postcards & Pours subscribe:    / @postcardsandpours   RESOURCES & LINKS Official Website: https://postcardsandpours.com Instagram:   / postcards.pours   Facebook:   / postcardsandpours   ✨ WHY POSTCARDS & POURS? We focus on intentional travel through monthly stays. This slow travel strategy allows for a deeper connection to the culture and more affordable long-term exploration. Currently, we're documenting our year-long journey through Albania and beyond. #SlowTravel #Albania #Tirana #PostcardsAndPours #Travel2026 #DigitalNomad