How the Dog Care Clinic gives stray dogs a second life

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country known for its infinite tea plantations, the world's best surfing beaches and delicious spices. However, there are about 40 million stray dogs living in Sri Lanka, that’s more than double the country’s human population . Most of these dogs suffer from hunger, neglect and untreated diseases. After accidents, they are left on the road, often with severe injuries. Many residents don't see dogs as loving animals. On the contrary, dogs are often physically abused. At the Dog Care Clinic, Marina and her 35 employees are used to these stories. Their goal is to give these dogs a second life replacing neglect and pain with tons of love and respect.

Sri Lankan stray dogs eat waste to avoid starvation. Every day since 2007, three Dog Care Clinic teams load a Tuk Tuk with 70kg of freshly made food and drive a 30-kilometer feeding tour. Through this fantastic project they can feed no less than 1000 stray dogs a week, a brilliant initiative that has a major impact. During the tour, Saman checks the health status of the dogs and provides medical aid on the spot in case of emergency. We were amazed how he could call all the dogs by their names! It was beautiful to see how Saman and his team were connected to the stray dogs. We could see - and feel the dogs’ gratitude.

Neutering stray dogs is just as important as feeding them. That’s why the DCC runs a completely FREE neutralization and vaccination service. Every day, they collect 15 stray dogs off the streets and neuter them to control the populations. More than 63,000 dogs have already been neutered by the DCC – the number speaks for itself. The DCC also has an amazing vaccination program, which helps reduce the spread of disease among the stray dog population. Since the clinic was founded, the team has given 535,000 life-saving vaccinations. Since 2015, there hasn’t been a single reported case of rabies among the dogs in their region. Amazing, right?! Pet owners can also drop-in with any pet-injuries or illnesses for free - it's all a part of making sure every dog in Sri Lanka has an equal chance at a better life.

Thanks to your ongoing support of Edgard & Cooper, we've been able to help the Dog Care Clinic to deliver its vital work for the last three years. So far, our donations have helped the clinic to invest in essential medical materials for their surgery, and create a separate kitchen and medical room. This means the team can now cook more food and care for more dogs! We’re proud and honoured to be part of this. Stay tuned for more news on this amazing project.