Animal Rescue League (ARL) Dakar is a non-profit animal welfare association started by a couple of expats in 2012. The group’s mission is to alleviate the suffering of street animals in Dakar, Senegal.
Check out Facebook to see how ARL is helping street animals in Dakar
Life can be brutal for cats and dogs living on the street in Dakar. Locals are generally indifferent or hostile to stray animals, and abuse is rampant (even by small children). Sadly, it’s routine to see a group of playful mutts chased away with a rock, or worse, a litter of newborn kittens tossed in the trash. ARL has seen horrible abuse cases, but I’ll spare you the details. The situation is compounded by well-intentioned expats who adopt a furry companion, only then to leave the animal to fend for itself when their job assignment ends.
ARL needs your support
ARL’s volunteers are currently fostering, feeding and caring for about 30 cats and as many dogs. The group is working at capacity, so only a fraction of these animals have been placed in foster homes. Every day, volunteers go around the city to give fresh food and water to neighborhood cats and dogs, monitor their health and treat them for wounds and illnesses. Most of these animals are friendly and used to human contact. ARL is always looking for responsible, caring people to adopt a pet.
I arrived in Senegal with 2 cats and 2 dogs of my own. Two months later, I took in 2 foster kittens that were found starving. We never found homes for them, so they became permanent residents. Over the next 2 ½ years I fostered more animals than I can remember. Many were adopted and many not… I now have a total of 12 cats in my house. I can’t find homes for the 10 adult cats, so they’ll have to stay with me. The other 2 are both 1 year old now with no prospects. – ARL Member and Co-Founder
Your donation will directly benefit an animal in need
To help control the animal population, ARL partners with local veterinarians to trap, neuter, release (TNR) and vaccinate as many animals as they can. The vets don’t offer pro bono services, so ARL relies entirely on donations to operate. Every so often, the group sponsors a mass sterilization and rabies vaccination campaign across the city, which costs upwards of 2,000,000 CFA (~ $3,500 USD). ARL also helps community members with little or no income to sterilize and vaccinate their pets.
A man who lives on the street with his wife and child came to us for help with his sick dogs. As it turned out, both dogs had mange, and one had it particularly bad. We treated the dogs, and a month later they were all but cured. Now when we check up on the dogs, we bring bottled water for the family and a few non-perishable items like rice, salt and canned goods. We’re going to have the dogs vaccinated and neutered as soon as we have the funds. – ARL Member
Little by little, ARL is changing the way people in Dakar think about street animals. The group is educating the local population about the problem and teaching them to treat these animals with compassion.
Animal Rescue League Dakar is a non-profit organization registered in Senegal, so your contribution is not tax deductible in the United States. That said, ARL is working on setting up an affiliate organization in the U.S., so future donations may be tax-deductible for U.S. tax filers. Stay tuned!