With your support we've sterilised over 22,000 animals - so far!
We offer free spay and neuter services and basic medical care for dogs and cats of low and no income families in municipal townships and informal settlements throughout Namibia.
Clearance Certificate received!
About Have a Heart
Have-a-Heart is a registered non-profit organisation (21/2014/0378), working across Namibia, with the ethos of 'saving lives through sterilisation'.
Our main aim is to provide free dog and cat spay and neuter services to pet owners with low or no income. Our goal is the ultimate, sustainable aim of reducing the number of stray animals and animals in shelters thus eliminating the need for mass-euthanasia, whilst improving the health and welfare status of township dogs and cats. Every dog and cat has the right to live a happy and healthy life!
Every dog and cat sterilised by Have-a-Heart also receives a vaccination and 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.
Together we are making a difference!
Let's take a stroll...
we make our work transparent
How we work
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.
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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.
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Our mission is saving lives through sterilisation, and and to make sure we have the possibly best positive impact, we work with the six principles of effective, sustainable DCPM by ICAM: Humane and ethical, adapted to local dog and cat population dynamics, sustained and adaptive, evidence-based design, monitoring and evaluation, focus on root causes, central role of human behavior.
Why is it necessary?
According to our surveys and a public census, every fourth person in poverty-stricken areas owns a dog, and every fifth person owns a cat. It is estimated that over 1 million people in Namibia live in extreme poverty, making them eligible for assistance and support from organisations like Have a Heart. Countless more people struggle to make ends meet. We estimate that at least 250,000 dogs and 200,000 cats in Namibia qualify for free services from Have a Heart. We have long waiting lists.
We thoroughly track the numbers of animals helped through Have a Heart (operations, follow-up vaccination, parasite treatments, medical treatments and others) for our statistics and every operated animal is listed and reported as required by law.
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Have a Heart works in townships, rural settlements, and villages, often hundreds of kilometers away from the next big town and in the poorest areas of a larger city. Animals living in remote and secluded regions or large townships face unique challenges in health care and accessing veterinary care.
But the most significant proof of why Have a Heart's work is needed in Namibia is shown by how many requests of help reaches us daily and that most spay days are fully booked within a couple of hours. We cannot stress enough that we simply offer support, and thousands of responsible, grateful owners make use of the offer. Responsible dog and cat owners in Namibia know what is best for their pets and want to improve the health of their pets!
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The health and welfare of dogs and cats are intertwined with the community's overall well-being. By ensuring that pets receive essential veterinary care such as spaying, neutering, vaccinations, and parasite treatment, Have a Heart promotes healthier pets and, in turn, healthier communities.
Have a Heart was shortlisted twice by the
Global Alliance for Rabies Control
for the World Rabies Day Award
in recognition of our efforts to
fight rabies in Namibia.
Healthy pets - healthier communities!
Woof?
Have-a-Heart is the first and only registered non profit 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 - all possible because of your donations and support.
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Our teams have been working with low and no income families since 2013, and know well the challenges of working in townships and rural settlements in Namibia. The teams are well experienced and practiced in communicating the benefits of our work to pet owners and answering any questions they may have regarding sterilisation and vaccination or animal health and welfare.
Funding
Have-a-Heart Namibia is a non-profit organisation and we receive no support from the government, meaning we are to 100 % reliant on donations and grants to carry out our much needed work.
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If you would like to become a valued donor and make a difference in Namibia's dogs and cats:
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Have a Heart | Bank Windhoek | Acc: 2000266940 | Outjo 481 673 | SWIFT BWLINANX | Savings
Ewallet: 0811249033 | PayToday: Have a Heart Namibia | PayPal.Me/HaveaHeartNamibia
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Have a Heart Namibia | Sparkasse Südholstein | DE 74 2305 1030 0511 5558 07 | BIC: NOLADE21SHO