A Namibian charity has sterilised 30,000 pets for owners who cannot pay
Have a Heart has no paid staff and works with local vets. In September alone it treated more than 800 feral cats, including 300 in Oshana.
Windhoek — Since 2013, a Namibian charity called Have a Heart has sterilised and vaccinated against rabies more than 30,000 dogs and cats, free of charge, for owners who cannot afford a vet, The Namibian reports.
How it works
- It has no salaried staff. It works with existing veterinary practices, Namibian vets, volunteers and mobile teams.
- It is funded by donations from individuals, businesses and foundations in Namibia and abroad.
- It works in towns where veterinary care is hard to reach, including Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Rehoboth, Mariental, Gobabis, Tsumeb, Otjiwarongo, Lüderitz and Windhoek.
From January to September this year it sterilised 1,383 dogs and 1,912 cats. In September alone, more than 800 feral cats were treated through its trap, neuter, vaccinate and return campaigns, its coordinator, Geesche Neuburg, said.
Why
Ms Neuburg said the organisation was founded because so many animal welfare problems, from unwanted litters and abandoned animals to overcrowded shelters, come back to owners who cannot pay for care. Many of those owners love their animals, she said; what they lack is affordable services.
In Oshana
In September, about 300 feral cats in the Oshana region were sterilised and vaccinated, in a campaign funded by Have a Heart with the Oshana SPCA. It was proposed by a local vet, Philemon Hoon, who had seen feral cat numbers grow at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital, at schools and at businesses. Killing the cats is not the answer, he said, and lasting results will need continued monitoring and community involvement. Thirty pet owners who could not afford the operation also had their cats treated.
Source: The Namibian via AllAfrica, 15 October 2026.
