AfriPaw Animal Welfare

The Vision of AfriPaw Animal Welfare is to see communities that treasure their pets, provide for their needs and protect them from suffering and disease. Our Mission is to partner with low income communities to educate families on their pets' primary needs and facilitate access to affordable support services with a focus on free mass sterilisation. Four of the biggest barriers to pet care in low-income communities and informal settlements in South Africa are lack of finances, lack of transport to reach veterinary services, lack of education and finally de-sensitisation and hopelessness caused by tremendous social challenges. We aim to remove all these barriers. The informal settlement ... read more The Vision of AfriPaw Animal Welfare is to see communities that treasure their pets, provide for their needs and protect them from suffering and disease. Our Mission is to partner with low income communities to educate families on their pets' primary needs and facilitate access to affordable support services with a focus on free mass sterilisation. Four of the biggest barriers to pet care in low-income communities and informal settlements in South Africa are lack of finances, lack of transport to reach veterinary services, lack of education and finally de-sensitisation and hopelessness caused by tremendous social challenges. We aim to remove all these barriers. The informal settlement of Vrygrond, (Capricorn, Muizenberg) is just one example of many struggling communities in South Africa. Many of these families live in shacks, are unemployed and rely on daily soup kitchens for their food. It is therefore a challenge just to provide food for their pets, let alone shelter and medical care. Gang-related violence and extreme poverty are part of the fabric of the colourful and amazingly resilient community we serve. Unemployment often results in unintentional neglect of pets, who are almost always at the bottom of the food chain and last on the priority list. AfriPaw started working with the vulnerable community of Vrygrond in 2017 and we have since expanded to the neighbouring areas of Overcome Heights, Seawinds, Lavendar Hill, Montagu Village and Hillview. Our vision is to replicate our model across the Western Cape and eventually South Africa. We come alongside pet owners, form relationships with them and teach them how to care for their pets. Instead of removing pets from unsympathetic environments, often resulting in almost immediate replacement with another pet by the uniformed owner, perpetuating the cycle of neglect and abuse, as well as adding to the burden of animal shelters, we choose to educate, make primary pet care accessible and affordable and bring hope to communities. Our two main programmes are Mass Sterilisations and monthly Pet Clinics. Our Programmes not only have community support, it relies on it. Our AfriPaw Ambassadors and Volunteers live in the community and they are vital to the success and sustainability of our projects. Since we have been working in the area for ninee years, we are well known to the people and we are trusted and supported. Our slogan "Together for Happy Pets" captures our ethos. Our efforts are fully community-integrated.