Animal Welfare and Veterinary Medicine

This project was started by a devoted animal lover, Anna, more than 10 years ago, after witnessing the mistreatment of working donkeys. Over time it has evolved to not only a sanctuary for donkeys and other animals, but also animal rescue and veterinary treatment too and is one of few that give medical treatment to animals in Zanzibar. Over the years the project has used its very limited resources to help all and any animals in need including the Zanzibarian livestock, cows, donkeys and goats, and the occasional monkey or bird

The project is based in the countryside just a ½ an hour’s drive outside beautiful Stone Town, a UNESCO world heritage site, on the tropical East African island of Zanzibar. The clinic is a hub of activity for local animals requiring treatment, surgery, vaccination, and medical care. No animal is turned away and patients include dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, goats, cows, monkeys, and occasionally, birds.

The project’s aims are to:

• Establish care, support, and animal protection services to suffering animals in Zanzibar and Pemba.

• Educate the community on animal rights

• Tackle the stray animal population- sterilisation is key here

• To stop animal overloading, beating, mishandling and animal cruelty especially with working animals like donkeys.

• Provide education and awareness to local communities and encouraging the active participation of the community in the process of self-empowerment with animal husbandry skills.

The clinic accepts up to 4 volunteers at a time normally and you do need to be qualified or studying some form of veterinary medicine, in good physical health, have a love of animals and to be able to adapt to change as each day is never the same with the lifestyle far more laidback than in the UK, Europe and the USA. Please remember there are cultural differences too which you will need to adapt to.

Only basic medical equipment is available in Zanzibar, which means the work environment can be challenging. More gets done with less and as much as it can be difficult sometimes it is also immensely rewarding to treat an animal or save its life with almost no means.

The workload varies throughout the week and the year but generally the vet is busy spaying, castrating, responding to emergency and house calls as well as attending to animals brought directly to the clinic. Please be aware that house calls often mean a lot of time driving around the island in the clinic’s car with the veterinary doctor, but this is the perfect time to take in the wondrous sights and sounds of Zanzibar and take in your surroundings

Vets and vet students are encouraged to take part in all aspects of diagnostics, medical care, treatment, and surgery. Nurses and nursing students can participate in all nursing duties carried out at the clinic. Non-medical volunteers are welcome to help with animal care and rehabilitation.

On Saturday mornings there is an open community clinic where the local people bring their cows, goats, and dogs for free dip-washing and free rabies vaccinations. The vet also attends to any animal brought in for medical treatment; be it cows, goats, dogs, cats or the occasional chicken or rabbit. Often over 50 animals pass through the clinic on any given Saturday so things can get very busy. This has been stopped in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but should be functioning again in 2021

You will be shown how to assist and participate at the clinic and during house calls. There is enough to do around and everything is as important and helpful

Your volunteer duties may include a combination of animal husbandry and veterinary work depending on your skills and studies:

Animal Husbandry Work

• Maintenance & cleaning of kennels, cattery, stables and paddocks
• Dog walking and grooming
• Donkey grooming

Veterinary Work

• Sterilisations, vaccinations and surgeries
• House-calls around the island
• Treatment of animals brought to the clinic
• Saturday open Clinic for the local community which should be operational again in 2021

Volunteer Duties:

• Changing bandages, bathing animals, providing medication
• Bathing animals suffering from parasite or skin problems
• Feeding cats, dogs, horses and donkeys
• Nursing sick animals with the Vet’s guidance

Those studying Veterinary Medicine or Nursing will work alongside the Veterinary doctor and learn academic and clinical skills:

• Participate in supervised surgery Help spay and castrate animals
• Develop skills in wound care and management Learn to splint/cast and manage broken legs
• Scrub in to soft tissue surgeries
• Develop clinical confidence by participating in consultations
• Learn how to diagnose diseases without laboratory test facilities
• Learn to triage emergency cases

Mondays to Fridays is the time for treatments at the clinic and house calls

Saturdays have the open Community Clinic in the morning and afternoons are free for your own enjoyment

Sundays are free days

If you have any specific skills, studies, or qualifications that you feel could be of extra help, please let us know

The work of animal welfare and veterinary medicine is very dependent on the animals that need treatment and of course emergencies situations so very hard to predict

The normal schedule is Monday to Friday you will be starting around 8.30am at the clinic after breakfast. You will then break for lunch around 1pm and after lunch, resume your daily duties till roughly 4.30pm. Often you will be required to also attend house calls with the veterinary doctor on duty and other volunteers to various areas across the island. Your volunteer duties will be dependent on the need at the time but there is also lots to be done

On Saturdays there is a clinic for the local community which is roughly from 8am to 2pm. If the community clinic is particularly busy that Saturday, you may be asked to assist a little later. The community clinic was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic due to social distancing regulations in 2020 but will be resuming now in 2021 

Sundays are off days for you to explore this beautiful island paradise

Stone Town is about ½ an hour’s drive away and there are many daladalas (local buses) that can transport you there at a very reasonable fee. Stone Town has an amazing cultural heritage so there are lots of shops, markets, and tours to experience but don’t get lost in the many winding alleyways. It is also a great place to experience sunsets from the harbour or have a meal at one of the many restaurants overlooking the city.

Stone Town is also a great place to take a tour to nearby Prison Island where you can see the endangered Aldabra Giant tortoises. Another interesting tour is to visit the turtles at Mnarani Marine Turtles Conservation Pond in Nungwi on the north-east side of the island. 

If nature is more your thing, then a visit to Jozani National Park to try and see the endangered Red Colobus Monkey is a must

There are also plenty of tours offering snorkelling and sandbank visits with the locals and we particularly enjoyed snorkelling at the Blue Lagoon area which is just off the famous The Rock restaurant

A visit to the south-eastern area of the island is a great way to see smaller towns like Jambiani and do some local spice and fabric shopping or try your hand at kite surfing in the bigger town of Paje

If wildlife, nature, beaches, and culture interest you, Zanzibar is the ideal location to volunteer in and well known for the friendly Swahili local Zanzibarians