Alleviating the suffering of street animals in Sri Lanka by providing –rescue, refuge, veterinary treatments, rehabilitation, sterilisation, vaccinations, homing/adoptions and animal welfare education.
About Us
A Sanctuary of Care and Compassion
At Animal SOS Sri Lanka, we are dedicated to rescuing, treating, and rehabilitating street animals in desperate need. Nestled in the heart of southern Sri Lanka, our beautiful free-roaming sanctuary provides a haven for sick, disabled, and abused street dogs and cats.
There are an estimated 3-4 million roaming dogs in Sri Lanka that lack veterinary care and help when they become sick, injured or abused. We offer a unique lifeline for many otherwise doomed animals.
What we do at our sanctuary
· Refuge: We are currently caring for 2,400 rescued dogs and 30 cats at our sanctuary. These rescues receive veterinary care, full course of vaccinations, sterilisation, regular treatment for parasites, nutritious meals and all the love and care we can give.
· No-kill shelter: We work within the laws of the land and our ethos is pro-life. We strongly believe that every animal deserves a second chance and fight for every life with huge successes and transformations. We work tirelessly to save those who would otherwise suffer in silence, die by the roadsides or be euthanized elsewhere.
· Specialised care for disabled dogs: Over 450 disabled dogs call the sanctuary their home and benefit from therapies including physiotherapy and hydrotherapy in the Indian Ocean. Many disabled dogs do walk again with therapies, but those that do not, are provided with mobility carts so they can get around in our beautiful garden or on the beach during our weekly hydrotherapy.
· Recovered dogs that can be safely returned to their territories are sterilised, fully vaccinated and released. Other dogs that have been abused/face hostilities if released, or are disabled, need to remain with us.
Comprehensive Veterinary Care
At the core of our sanctuary are our two on-site veterinary clinics, where we have diagnostic tools such as blood machines and scanners to diagnose and promptly treat the huge numbers of critical animals that arrive at our gates. Each clinic is staffed by dedicated local vets and trained assistants.
From lifesaving treatments to compassionate care, we ensure every sick or injured animal has the chance to heal and thrive.
We have strict protocols that begin when animals arrive at our gates. Our protocols around diagnostics and treatment plans have helped to save many lives over the last years.
Our Community Impact
Beyond our sanctuary walls, we're making a difference in local communities through:
· Providing as many neutering and anti-rabies vaccination programmes as funds allow. Neutering reduces the root cause of the endemic animal suffering we see and the tragic sights of unwanted litters of dumped puppies and kittens near roadsides. Vaccinating against rabies saves both human and animal lives and can reduce hostilities and intolerance towards street animals due to the fear of rabies. Our neutering and vaccination programmes are free to all locals that bring their dogs and cats to us.
· Animal welfare education helps to win hearts and minds in communities, temples and schools. Promoting loving kindness and compassion creates a safer and better future for Sri Lanka’s street animals. Unless hearts and minds are changed, suffering of animals and the cruelty cases we witness will continue, despite our efforts.
· Operating Sri Lanka’s largest feeding programme. We feed over 2,700 animals daily, both at our sanctuary and in our local community.
· Offering adoption both locally and international. Finding loving homes for animals that we have rehabilitated both in Sri Lanka and abroad. We believe that every animal deserves a chance of a loving home.
How we are different
We are a UK Registered Charity since June 2007. What sets us apart to other charities is that we operate with a very small and dedicated team of unpaid volunteers in the UK. There are no fat cat salaries, plush offices with paid staff. Our charity admin, the running of our charity shop and all other related charity work, is managed by unpaid volunteers. We do this because we want donations to go directly to animals in dire need. We work tirelessly all year
round to save the lives of some of the most desperate souls ever. Our charity is a true labour of love and dedication. Every donation large or small, makes a huge difference.
How it all began
The founder of the charity Kim Cooling, a Social Worker, has been helping animals for many years prior to the formation of the charity. This rescue work was self- funded from her salary.
In 1998, whilst on holiday, Kim rescued a dog from Thailand that would have been poisoned. The profound love for this dog named Rama, inspired her to do more for street animals and ultimately a project in Sri Lanka. Kim had visited Sri Lanka many years earlier and was deeply distressed by the tragic sights she had seen and the lack of help/facilities for sick and injured street animals. With so many animal welfare organisations emerging in Thailand since the rescue of Rama, the Sri Lankan street animals became her focus for a future project.
Rama’s story planted the seed for something extraordinary. The love and devotion between Rama and her rescuer inspired the formation of Animal SOS Sri Lanka, a charity committed to easing the suffering of street animals in Sri Lanka. Today, Rama’s legacy lives on through the thousands of lives Animal SOS Sri Lanka has saved. Her story is a testament to the transformative power of compassion and love.
You can help continue this legacy. Join us in making a difference for street animals that desperately need love and care.