The Heart Behind Luving Paws
Celebrating 10 Years of Rescue
Our Mission
The Luving Paws Foundation is a Puerto Rico based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and advocating for the island's forgotten dogs, or beloved boridoggies.
Born from the spirit of Puerto Rico itself, boridoggies are resilient, loyal, and full of heart. They are survivors. They are part of the island's culture, history, and soul.
For years, Luving Paws has rescued the island's most vulnerable and forgotten dogs across Puerto Rico. Giving them more than temporary safety; giving them the opportunity to truly heal.
Unlike many rescues focused primarily on placement, we believe in building lives, not moving inventory.
Our mission is rooted in rehabilitation, decompression, structure, enrichment, and compassionate care so every dog has the chance to rediscover trust, confidence, and love before finding a forever family.
Our sanctuary based rescue allows dogs the time and space they need to simply be dogs again. Whether they are seniors, special needs dogs, large breeds overlooked for years, or those carrying emotional scars from survival on the streets, every boridoggie matters here.
At Luving Paws, we celebrate the beauty and resilience of Puerto Rico through the dogs we save.
By adopting a boridoggie, families carry home a little piece of the island, it's strength, spirit, and heart.
Born from the spirit of Puerto Rico itself, boridoggies are resilient, loyal, and full of heart. They are survivors. They are part of the island's culture, history, and soul.
We are committed to strengthening the human-animal bond through education, advocacy, and community outreach while promoting responsible pet ownership and the important of spay and neuter initiatives throughout Puerto Rico.
Every boridoggie deserves not just survival, but the chance to thrive.
The Founders
The Luving Paws Foundation was founded by Daphne "Nani" Osorio and Steven Craig Trottier, two peoples who's lives became deeply intertwined with the dogs of Puerto Rico long before The Luving Paws Foundation became what it is today.
What began as simply helping dogs in need slowly grew into something much larger; a lifetime commitment to rescue, rehabilitation, and advocacy for Puerto Rico's most forgotten dogs.
In the early years, rescue looked very different.
Like many small rescues, Luving Paws started humbly, helping individual dogs however possible, coordinating adoptions fostering, fundraising, transports, and trying to save as many lives as they could with limited resources.
Every success came through hard work, sacrifice, and unwavering belief that these dogs deserved more than survival.
Everything changed after Hurricane Maria. When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, the island and it's animals, faced unimaginable destruction. Families lost homes, infrastructure collapsed, veterinary resources became scarce, and countless animals were left abandoned, displaced, injured, and fighting for their life.
For Daphne and Steve rescue could no longer be about simply finding homes.
The crisis revealed something much deeper; Puerto Rico's dogs need rehabilitation, sanctuary, stability, and long term commitment. They needed a place where healing could happen safely and intentionally.
That realization became the foundation for the Luving Paws we know today.
Together, Daphne and Steve built what would eventually become "the land." A sanctuary and rehabilitation place in Humacao, Puerto Rico, where boridoggies are given the opportunity to decompress, recover, socialize, and rediscover trust at their own pace.
What makes Luving Paws different is deeply rooted in who Daphne and Steve are as people. Daphne, lovingly known by many as "Nani" is fiercely devoted to the emotional wellbeing of every dog who enters their care. As a proud Boricua, she believes Puerto Rico's dogs deserve to be celebrated, advocated for, and seen for the incredible souls they are. Her passion for rescue is deeply connected to Puerto Rican culture, resilience, family, and community.
Steve brings years of hands on behavioral knowledge, structure, and rehabilitation work to the rescue. Much of his time is spent directly with the dogs, building confidence in fearful dogs, helping overwhelmed dogs decompress, managing pack dynamics, and using enrichment routine, and trust to help dogs heal emotionally. Around the rescue, Steve has become especially known for "Cookie Chronicles," ones of the dogs' favorite daily traditions and a simple reflection of the trust and joy they work so hard to build.
Together, they created Luving Paws around a philosophy that continues to guide every part of the rescue today:
They are known individually
Their personalities matter
Their emotional wellbeing matters
Their healing matters
Some dogs are adopted quickly
Some require extensive rehabilitation
Some become sanctuary dogs and remain part of the Luving Paws family forever.
And every single one is treated as worthy of love, dignity, patience, and a real chance at life.
The Land
The land is the heart and soul of The Luving Paws Foundation. A peaceful sanctuary where forgotten dogs are given the gift of time, healing, and love. Surrounded by light, nature, and compassionate care, dogs are free to decompress, recover, build confidence, and rediscover joy.
It is a place where broken hearts mend, weary souls find peace, and every boridoggie is reminded why they matter.
Step inside and discover the magic of The Land
