Doing animal welfare work in Namibia is deeply rewarding, but it is not without challenges.

 

The good news first:

In the communities we serve, people care a lot. There is no lack of compassion, no cultural resistance, and no shortage of responsible dog and cat owners who understand the importance of sterilisation. Our waiting lists are long, our Spay Days fill up within hours, and requests to expand our services keep coming in. This shows just how urgently our work is needed and how strongly it is welcomed.

 

Still, Have a Heart faces a few very real challenges that only continued support can help us overcome.

1) Funding - our biggest challenge.

Have a Heart Namibia receives no government funding. Despite being welcomed by municipalities, town councils, village authorities, traditional leaders and even government facilities and despite working successfully in their communities, our work is funded entirely by donations and grants.

We are incredibly grateful for:

   🐾 Private donors in Namibia and abroad

   🐾 Support from businesses, trusts and foundations

   🐾A yearly grant from a Namibian-based trust

   🐾Animal-Kind International, which supports our emergency medical fund twice a year

   🐾The support we receive from the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in France.

 

Volunteers also organise fundraising events whenever possible. However, fundraising activities cover only about 65% of our annual costs. That means: Nearly half of our work depends directly on private donations.
Without them, Spay Days cannot happen and waiting lists grow longer.

 

2) Distance, remoteness and logistics.

Namibia is vast. Veterinary clinics are few and far between, especially outside major towns. Reaching the animals who need us most often means travelling hundreds of kilometres on long, difficult roads with veterinarians, volunteers, equipment and supplies.

 

To make this possible, we work closely with local SPCAs, rescue organisations and other registered animal welfare groups closer to remote areas. These partnerships are invaluable, but they also face the same reality we do: everyone relies on donations.

 

Looking ahead, we know that:

• Adding paid staff will become necessary to sustain growth

• Expanding mobile clinic capacity will allow us to reach even more remote communities

 

Equipping veterinarians with mobile clinic trailers is one of our key goals. These units would dramatically improve efficiency and allow us to help more animals, faster, where help is currently out of reach. 

Why donating makes such a direct difference

When you donate to Have a Heart, you are not supporting an idea, you are making action possible.

Your support helps cover:

• Sterilisation surgeries

• Vaccinations and parasite treatments

• Medical supplies and medication

• Transport to remote communities

• Follow-up care

• Emergency treatment when animals are injured or ill

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3) Animal welfare education.

Education is a vital part of lasting change. Thanks to the collaboration of PAKO Kids magazine with Have a Heart, we are able to continue and strengthen our animal welfare education efforts for children and adults.

 

In 2025, a special Have a Heart PAKO edition was launched and it helps us teach kindness, responsible pet care, and respect for animals in an accessible, Namibian-made way. Schools and communities are open and eager to learn, and the impact of education is clear wherever we work.

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While our primary focus remains urgent veterinary care, we actively combine spay days with education, encouraging questions, sharing knowledge, and promoting responsible ownership whenever possible.

 

Education will grow alongside our clinics, helping prevent suffering before it starts and creating a future where compassion for animals is the norm, not the exception.