Dierentehuis Stevenshage (Dierenasiel Leiden)

Dierentehuis Stevenshage, on the Kenauweg in Leiden, is the shelter and boarding kennel for the Leiden region. It shelters, cares for and rehomes dogs, cats, rabbits, small rodents and tropical birds, and every animal may stay for as long as it takes to find a new home. It provides stray animal care for the municipalities of Leiden, Alphen aan den Rijn, Katwijk, Teylingen, Nieuwkoop, Kaag en Braassem, Leiderdorp, Oegstgeest, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude. Strays are kept for the statutory 14 days while the shelter looks for their owners, and are then offered for adoption.

The shelter works by appointment only, so you cannot simply drop in to look at the animals. To adopt, you choose an animal from the list of adoptable animals on its website and fill in the interest form on that animal’s page; the care team then contacts you and arranges a meeting. Adoption fees are €250 for a dog, €125 for a cat and €40–€65 for a rabbit or guinea pig, and dogs leave vet-checked, vaccinated and microchipped. It also offers paid one-to-one advice sessions for people deciding which dog would suit them.

Stevenshage is run by the Stichting Dierentehuizen voor Leiden en omstreken (SDLO), whose board is made up of volunteers and which publishes its annual reports and accounts. It is a member of the Dutch federation of animal welfare organisations (NFDO) and holds an annual Open Asieldag (open day).

You can help by giving a one-off or annual donation, sponsoring a kennel or cat pen, setting up a tax-efficient periodic gift, leaving a legacy, donating supplies or volunteering. The foundation has ANBI status from the Dutch Tax Administration, so gifts are tax-deductible in the Netherlands.