A REFUGE IN SOUTHWESTERN FRANCE

Dignity,
agency, and belonging
for all dogs.

A nonprofit sanctuary on twenty-two acres, built around one promise: bring each dog safely home.

OUR MISSION

Walnut Tree Sanctuary is committed to healing dogs through dignity, agency, and belonging.

Our nonprofit sanctuary—set on twenty-two acres in Southwestern France—is a refuge for at-risk dogs. We are committed to rescuing the most vulnerable dogs from France and around the world.

Walnut Tree Sanctuary provides safe passage and life-saving care, guiding our dogs through rest, rehabilitation, and readiness for a life beyond rescue.

We support each dog’s journey to wholeness through fear-free handling, expertly crafted programs, and long-term solutions designed to bring each dog safely home.

Our Values

DOGS AT THE SANCTUARY

Meet our pack.

Behind every face is a story—and a future still unfolding. Our dogs arrive from challenging circumstances and are met with safety, routine, and compassion. This is where their next chapter begins. Explore our pack, learn their stories, and apply to adopt a dog today.

See All Dogs

ABOUT US

More than a stop along the way.

Twenty-two acres in southwest France, a small team, and a long calendar. Some dogs stay a season. Some stay for life. Both are success for us, so long as our dogs have a better life.

About Us

SUCCESS STORIES

Walnuts in the wild.

From rescue to forever home, read about the work behind every adoption—the slow weeks, the quiet milestones, the moment a dog first chooses the sun. Stories from the sanctuary.

YOUPI

Youpi was among the very first group of dogs that we rescued in August of 20205. Because the sanctuary was not open yet, he spent his first few months at a foster where he had ample outdoor space and a doghouse to sleep in at night. We discovered he loved the doghouse, the couch, and being cozied up inside.

May 51 min read

ELDON

Eldon is another of our Romanian rescues. When we saw him on our first visit to Romania in the fall of 2025, he was extremely sick and skinny, his hip bones jutting out alarmingly. We worried that if he wasn’t rescued immediately, he might not survive. Our director contacted a vet we work closely with in Romania, and she agreed to take Eldon.

May 52 min read

SIMBA

We found out about Simba on Valentine’s Day through a former member of our staff who had been approached by a French public organization that oversees animal abuse. They had been contacted about a severely abused dog. Simba, at 12 years old, spent every day chained up in a garden. In fact, when we learned about him, there had just been a terrible storm, and he had spent it outside attached to a metal chain without any shelter. It is amazing that he survived.

May 51 min read

Read Our Stories

HOW TO HELP

There's a way for everyone to support our walnuts.

Adopt

Open your home to a dog ready for the next chapter. Submit your application today.

Foster

Provide a temporary home while a dog prepares for permanent adoption.

Whether you can offer a home, a few hours, or a contribution—every kind of support brings a dog closer to safely home.

Volunteer

Lend a hand on the ground in southwest France or help at our safe-houses around the world.

Donate

Direct contributions fund care, food, vet work, and the upkeep of the sanctuary.

Dignity, agency, and belonging for all dogs.