About Us
Our Work
Amigos de los Animales (ADLA) Puerto Rico is a non-profit rescue organization and shelter that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes abused and abandoned dogs throughout Puerto Rico. Our shelter is located at the Piñones beach home of former director Adrienne Galler Lastra, known as Adri throughout Piñones and the animal welfare community. Adri has vowed to dedicate her life to making a difference in the lives of the animals here. Since 2008, the shelter has become home for all ADLA rescues. Adri lives at the shelter 24/7, ensuring each animal is safe and loved. In 2021, Ruby Velazquez took over as the director of ADLA.
There are approximately 500,000 stray dogs, called satos, in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, due in part to the low adoption rate in Puerto Rico, there are far more satos than there are local homes for them.
That´s where ADLA steps in! ADLA rescues satos throughout the island. After making sure that the dogs are healthy and ready for a home, ADLA puts them up for adoption or transports them to no-kill shelters in the United States. In addition to our branch in Colorado, we work with sister shelters in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Florida, Boston, and Rhode Island.
Outreach and Community Involvement
ADLA also promotes humane animal treatment within the community. We organize low-cost sterilization and vaccination events to promote education on humane animal treatment. Together with the Puerto Rico Health Department and Career Development Institute of New Jersey, we coordinate a six-day Animal Control Officer/Cruelty Investigator Course, which is attended by police officers, members of animal welfare organizations and animal control facilities, as well as animal enthusiasts and individuals interested in learning about animal welfare and proper animal care. Download our brochure for additional information.
Our Team
Adrienne Galler Lastra: Shelter Director
Former ADLA director Adri
Adri was one of the founding members of ADLA: she was one of the main participants in rescuing 1,000 dogs from “Dead Dog Beach” in 2006; won the first animal abuse case involving a horse in Puerto Rico; and heads our shelter.
Adri was born in Baltimore, Md and raised there till she was 19 when she moved to be with her mom in Puerto Rico. She lives in Piñones where she converted her home to what is now the Piñones Beach Project Shelter of Amigos de los Animales. After receiving a BA in Music Education from the Interamerican University in San German, Puerto Rico, she went to Los Angeles, Ca to pursue her career as a bassist.
Adrienne moved back to Puerto Rico in 2002 to care for her mom after her mother suffered a stroke. Shortly thereafter Adri began rescuing horses from a notorious housing project called “Llorens Torres” in Ocean Park, managing to clear the housing project of 14 horses. Horses are often used as drug tender among traffickers.
In 2010 Adri and John Saccenti of Career Development Institute, brought the first ever 6-day Animal Control Officer/Cruelty Investigator course to Puerto Rico which is certified by the Office of Animal Control of the PR Health Department.
At Adri’s home there are always 60+ rescued critters in different stages of rehabilitation so her life is never boring
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