About Paws Xaló
Paws Xaló is a charity dedicated to rescuing, caring for and rehoming lost and abandoned dogs within the village of Xaló (Jalón) and the surrounding Jalón Valley.
Rescuing and Rehoming
We work closely with the local community, Ajuntament de Xaló (Town Hall) and Police to rescue dogs; and are committed to never turning away a dog in need.
Rescued dogs receive vet checks, worming, tick and flea, vaccinations, microchipping, pet passports and neutering.
Our rescue shelter, located in peaceful surroundings just outside Xaló/Jalón, provides safe and comfortable accommodation while our dogs await their forever homes.
We work to find suitable forever homes for each and every dog who finds themselves in our shelter.
As a result of the tireless efforts of our donors and volunteers, we are able to rehome the dogs without charging an adoption fee. We believe that a responsible, loving home is the most important factor for setting up a dog for a successful life. And lack of money for an up-front fee should not be a deterrent.
Supporting our Core Mission
To raise funds to support our mission we run a Charity Shop and Dog Club in Xaló/Jalón and host a series of fundraising events each year. We also receive kind financial donations from fellow dog-lovers in the area (and beyond!).
As a completely volunteer-run and led charity, every Euro we raise goes towards helping the dogs.
We are fortunate to be able to rely on the support of a wonderful multi-national community of volunteers who give their time to support our shelter, our shop, and our fundraising events!
We are also indebted to many local businesses and organizations for their vital support:
Clinica Veterinaria Bèrnia: Our wonderful vets, José and his team go above-and-beyond the call of duty to help our dogs in need!
La Solana Pet Hotel: Phil and Julie have come to our rescue many times, kindly loaning space in their Pet Hotel when we need for extra flexible space and helping us with dog washing and grooming!
The Food Co. Overseas Supermarket Benissa who kindly host an in-store collection point for donations
Policia Xaló who help us to trace the owners of microchipped dogs
Ajuntament de Xaló who have supported us since the very beginning!
The Paws Xaló Story
Paws Xaló was founded in April 1999 by Jayne Webb. A committed dog lover, Jayne was already providing foster care for nine dogs. In close collaboration with the Ajuntament de Xaló she set about creating a charity that would be able to provide help anywhere it was needed within the valley.
As we are entirely reliant on donations and community support, the first step for the charity was to launch our Charity Shop in the village to provide a source of income. With this up-and-running, we went on to rescue 58 dogs in that first year.
And Paws has gone on to grow year-on-year ever since!
Then along came COVID. During the following couple of years we worked hard to ensure that the important work we do could continue through this time of great uncertainty. After this, we began to really focus on scaling and growing our capabilities - both in terms of our ability to help more dogs, and in our ability to fund this growth.
In 2022 we opened our shelter in the hills outside Xaló/Jalón, as well as opening our new Dog Field and associated Dog Club on the edge of the village. In 2023 our Charity Shop moved into larger premises next door - where more stock meant more fundraising potential! By 2024 we were running our biggest ever calendar of annual fundraising events, as well as hosting stalls at many local markets and fiestas.
Today, our charity is busier than ever. Jayne is supported by her daughter Natasha Campbell and a large team of dedicated volunteers who together make sure that we continue to never have to turn away a dog in need!
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April 2019
The Start of Something Special
Paws Xaló is founded by Jayne Webb, in coordination with the Ajuntament de Xaló
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April 2019
A Grand Opening
On 15 April 2019 we held the Grand Opening of our first charity shop in the village of Xaló/Jalón, with the Town Mayor on hand to cut the ribbon!
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May 2019
Hitting the Streets
Paws Xaló hosts a stall at the local Xalónia Festival - our first ever event!
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June 2019
A Week to Remember
At the end of June 2019 we had our first big week of rehoming, sending five puppies off to new homes in a single week!
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April 2020
Happy Birthday to Us
We celebrated our first birthday under lockdown conditions, reflecting on the 58 dogs we had successfully rehomed in our first year. We had great momentum, and we weren't going to let a little thing like a global pandemic get in the way of the important work we were doing for the dogs...
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August 2022
The Dog House
In 2022 we opened our shelter in the hills outside Xaló/Jalón. These were built in collaboration with - and due to the kindness and ongoing support of - the Ajuntament de Xaló.
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September 2022
Wanna be in My Gang?
With COVID firmly in the rear-view mirror, we got back down to work on finding new ways to support dogs and their owners. In September 2022 we opened our enclosed dog field on the edge of Xaló/Jalón, and with it began the Paws Dog Club!
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April 2023
On the Move
In 2023 we moved our charity shop into bigger premises next door. This expanded the shop's fundraising potential, critical as we continued to rescue more dogs each year.
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2024
Mark it in your Calendar
Paws continues to expand our events calendar, supporting the charity through fashion shows, afternoon teas, picnic parties, a dog show, and stalls at many of the local fiestas and markets.
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August 2025
Answering the Call
Paws Xaló and our wonderful volunteers demonstrate our ability to respond at speed to ensure we never have to turn down a dog in need. A tricky situation sees us taking in 75 dogs over the course of a year from a single source, including 35 dogs with just one day of notice!
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Early 2026
Caught in a Web
In early 2026 we launched our new website - aiming to reach more potential adopters, showcase our wonderful dogs, and smooth the adoption process.