Dreamy Costa Rica Sanctuary Is Home To 900 Lucky Dogs

And visitors are encouraged to drop by for a cuddle!

Costa Rica's untouched beaches, perfect and playful surf and Pura Vida ideals already make it a holy grail for tropical travelers.

But we've just discovered one more reason Costa Rica is absolutely worth a spot on your bucket list: It's home to a dog lovers paradise.

This incredible, pup-filled pasture is known as Territorio de Zaguates, the Land of the Strays.

While it may look like a heaven on Earth for wild dogs, it's actually a volunteer-run stray dog sanctuary nestled in the mountains of Santa Bárbara in Costa Rica's Heredia province.

The free-range sanctuary, which is home to over 900 rescued dogs, allows the dogs to roam through green hills during the day, according to a Facebook post shared by the organization, and volunteers provide beds and shelters for them at night.

The no-kill sanctuary (Costa Rica actually forbids euthanasia for animals) neuters the dogs it takes in to control the number of strays and runs an active adoption program.

The Land of the Strays is open to the public and visitors can stop by to frolic, play and cuddle with the happy pups.

You can even call the sanctuary to schedule a walking hike with a herd of dogs and have pretty much the happiest day of your life.

While adoptions are encouraged, there is no pressure on visitors to adopt a Land of the Strays resident, according to BarkPost.

There are more than one million stray dogs in Costa Rica, according to The Costa Rica Star -- and the sanctuary aims to rescue and re-home as many of these pups as they can.

With Santa Bárbara's lush rolling hills, coffee plantations and the nearby Brauilio Carrillo National Park, a trip to the Land of the Stray Dogs can be a relaxing, all-day cuddle-filled affair.

If you can't make it out there, you can do the next best thing and make a donation to help the sanctuary.

Below, check out Costa Rica's puppy paradise and be prepared to book a trip to Central America just so you can adopt one of these lovable furry friends.

Before You Go

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