Have-a-Heart: Spay and Neuter Project

'Have-a-Heart Namibia' - a much needed project that allows us to provide free spay and neuter services as well as basic medical care to dogs and cats of low and no income families across Namibia, also in areas currently without veterinary services.Have-a-Heart is a registered non-profit organisation (21/2014/0378) which aims to reduce stray animal populations in a sustainable and humane way.Have a Heart is solely relying on donations and run by volunteers. All donations received are used to pay several vets for spay, neuter and necessary medication. Our volunteers go out of their way to improve the lives of animals in townships and informal settlements by providing advice and physical help to caring pet owners who would otherwise have no access to such information or service.Since starting in 2013, Have-a-Heart has grown to having teams volunteering in several towns across Namibia and has collectively sterilised over 20,000 animals.Every dog and cat sterilised by Have-a-Heart also receives full vaccination and internal and external parasite control treatment, bringing direct health benefits to dogs and cats themselves as well as the human communities and local wildlife populations. With your support we provide and improve system equality by giving less fortunate pets access to vetarinarian care.Have-a-Heart is the only registered organisation in Namibia carrying out mass sterilisation in townships, and is already well known and established in the country with a proven track record of success. There are currently no other registered organisations providing large scale spay and neuter services in Namibia. However, we have good relationships with local SPCAs, for example in Swakopmund the SPCA recognise that spay and neuter is the only long-term solution to reduce the number of animals in SPCA’s and is working closely with Have a Heart. Additionally we have a number of support letters from local conservation groups who recognise the benefits of sterilisation and vaccination to Namibia’s wildlife populations.

Have-a-Heart Namibia has partnered with about 20 veterinarians from all over Namibia, other charities and the mobile animal clinics of Dr Erna Meyer, Dr Hartmut Winterbach, and Dr Ian Baines. We work together with the vets and organise spay and neuter events for dogs and cats, depending on the availability of the vets and funds received through donations.

​Our main aim is to sustainably and humanely reduce the number of stray animals in Namibia and improve their health status. We achieve this with your support by providing free spay and neuter services to underserved communities, thereby eliminating the need for mass euthanasia or killing. Of course we also help in cases of injuries or illness with basic medical care - thanks to the emergency fund of Animal-Kind International! Through our dedicated efforts, we have have significantly reduced the breeding rates of dogs and cats in the areas where we work and also improved their health and the value of the pet within the community.