Woman adopts a thousand stray dogs, this is where they all live

Danielle Barker | Animalkind

Show Caption Hide Caption Thousands of stray dogs live in this doggy paradise You could call her a crazy dog lady, (she does have over a thousand stray dogs), but this devoted animal lover has given them the best possible life.

HEREDIA, COSTA RICA -- She started with only a few stray dogs.



Now she has more than 1,000.



Lya Battle has always loved animals. In 2006, she and her husband Alvaro Saume adopted a couple of dogs from a shelter.

Their family grew as Lya began to notice the hungry, vulnerable stray dogs roaming the streets of Costa Rica. They were in desperate need of help, so she took them in.



Before they knew it, Lya and Alvaro owned more than 100 dogs. Space was cramped in their home, so it was time for a new location. The 375-acre farm left to Lya by her grandfather was the perfect place.



Now, Territorio de Zaguates (“Land of the mutts and strays”) is a paradise for dogs. They are free to roam and play there for the rest of their lives.



"We don't put an expiration date on our dogs," Lya explains. "Some are really ill, some are on their last leg, so it's important to us that they have at least a good memory of their time on Earth when it's time to leave."



See Lya and Alvaro's labor of love in the video above.

Volunteers and donations help keep Territorio de Zaguates running. Click here for more information.

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