Donations to help stray animals in Uganda

There is little information available about the number of street dogs that roam the streets across towns and villages across the African continent. Uganda is no exception.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated the worldwide population of stray dogs at around 200 million in 2011, with well over 70 million of them living in Africa2.

With many countries across the African continent having high levels of poverty, care for animals is understandably a much lower priority within such communities. Street dogs are generally not spayed and therefore the number of street dogs continues to rise year on year. In addition, dogs are carriers of several diseases, the most prominent of which is rabies, which kills not only dogs but can also kill humans too.

Street dogs not only struggle to find food, but they have no veterinary care and are often abused (sometimes sexually) in horrific ways. Africa is also a continent on which dogs are killed for their meat, often meeting a terrible death in the process.

The Alex home of hopes for Animals is one organization that has been set-up to try and alleviate the suffering of some of the street dogs within the Katakala community in Uganda.The Alex  Shelter is located in the town of kasanda, in the kasanda District within the Central Region of Uganda.

At the present time, the shelter is located on rented land and consists of a wooden structure that provides shelter for the dogs from the elements (e.g., heavy rain, hence the shelter is raised off the ground) as well as a safe place for them to sleep.In the event that one of our rescue dogs requires a more complex operation we will transport and accompany the dog (using a transport box) in a rented vehicle to a larger veterinary practice in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Kampala is approximately 40 miles from our shelter in Kasanda.

HEALTH
In addition to the veterinary services outlined above that ensure any sick or injured dogs are quickly and appropriately treated, the long-term health of our dogs is of course very important. Some of the dogs we rescue and take into our shelter are clearly malnourished. Therefore, we need to purchase a steady supply of dog food from the local store in order to ensure they have a consistent and nutritious diet.

Packaged Dog Food
The Katakala Dog Shelter purchases packaged dog food of varying sizes. Apart from the veterinary costs, the cost of food is the other major expense that we face on a monthly basis and it is important therefore that we have sufficient donations to ensure we have a steady supply of dog food.

Home Produced Dog Food
In addition to packaged dog food, the Shelter also prepares its own food to supplement the packaged food. This supplemental diet has seasonal variation and may include crops such as rice, sweet potatoes, and maize and other crops harvested by the shelter’s team members.

Water / Milk

The dogs are always adequately hydrated with water. At feeding time, the water is also mixed with milk which the dogs enjoy even more.We currently have approximately 20 dogs in our care. We have installed fencing to keep them within the compound, so they don’t stray. The dogs are of varying sizes and weight. Some dogs are rescued in a malnourished state, and it takes time for them to put on weight. help/contribute.