History and services

Since 1987 the BSPCA has been working in and around Gaborone to help improve the lives of animals and to help people provide better care for their pets.

October 2003 our kennels were opened to provide shelter and to re-home stray and unwanted animals. At our official opening, our patron, Mayor of Gaborone Harry Mothei, stated “the kennels the BSPCA provide are a sign of the moral progress and recognition of social concern. The shelter is now the centre of operations for the BSPCA, and intends that it will become a learning and recreation centre for children and adults alike.

The BSPCA will soon have a humane education centre at the shelter site, where local schoolchildren can learn about the proper care of dogs, cats and other animals. The humane education programmed also reaches out to the community. By teaching children and adults about kindness to animals, and introducing them to the joys of pet ownership, it is hoped to contribute towards creating a caring society

The BSPCA receives no government funding. All of this has been achieved from memberships, fundraising events, donations and grants. The BSPCA is open to the public and you are welcome to visit the shelter and see the great strides being made.

The BSPCA takes in all unwanted, stray and abused dogs and cats provide veterinary treatment and tries to find homes for them. All dogs and cats are sterilized before being re-homed from the shelter so that BSPCA pets do not contribute to the pool of unwanted animals. Pets owners are educated about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets, and we sterilize pets for low-income families, who would normally not be able to afford the surgery.

The BSPCA is available to handle rescue/cruelty issues of other animals. We may not be able to take them to the shelter but we are able to take appropriate steps to ensure their well-being.

Our objectives

The BSPCA is dedicated to

Protect all animals from suffering and create a better living environment for animals and people

Decrease the stray, unwanted, and feral dog and cat populations in and around Gaborone by
- Providing shelter and re-homing
- Sterilizing all pets re-homed from the BSPCA Shelter
- Euthanizing, as a last resort, animals that are ill, injured, or otherwise un-adoptable

Minimize cruelty to animals by educating schoolchildren and adults about humane treatment and care of domestic animals and  providing hands-on educational experiences in the classroom and at the BSPCA Shelter.

Shelter

The shelter has become the centre of operations for the BSPCA. There are 26 kennels to house stray and unwanted dogs and a cattery which can house up to 30 cats at a time. There are also 4 quarantine kennels for dogs and a large facility for cats.



The shelter includes an operating room/medical facility and recovery room for sick and injured animals. Currently we do not have our own VET as funds do not permit, but VET's from Gaborone visit at least once a week to carry out spay and neutering and attend to the resident animals needs.

The TOUCH FARM is open with resident donkeys, goats,a sheep, ducks, guinea pigs and rabbits. The Touch Farm will form part of the Education and Community Outreach program and will hopefully encourage people to visit the shelter

Shelter Admission Policy

 Accept all animals: The BSPCA Kennel accepts all animals, whether they are your pets or strays from the street. No animal will be turned away. In the case of wild animals, cattle, snakes and birds, staff will advice on what to do. Contact the BSPCA if you need assistance with transporting the animal.

Hours: Animals shall be accepted into the Kennel seven days a week. Monday to Friday 08h00 to 12h30 and 14h00 to 17h00 hours. Saturdays and Sundays 09h00 to 16h00. In case of an emergency call the emergency number for assistance.

+267 71 820 111

Admission Form: The person who brings an animal to the Kennel must fill out an Animal Admission Form. If the animal you are turning over to us is yours, we appreciate receiving the Vet certificate along with the animal.

Donation: When you relinquish your pet to us, we request a donation from you. It is expensive to feed and provide the best care for our animals. Currently we receive no government funding and rely solely on contributions from the public to to provide services to the citizens of Botswana - human and animal

Ownership relinquished: When an animal is admitted to the BSPCA Kennel, all ownership rights to that animal are relinquished by the person who turns over the animal, and the BSPCA becomes the rightful owner of that animal. We feed, water and provide overall care for the animal, including veterinary requirements (vaccinations, de-worming, etc.) grooming and exercising. We try to give each animal in our care the best treatment possible.

Minimize suffering: Although we do everything in our power to find a good home for each animal at the BSPCA, we are unable to guarantee that a home will be found for your pet. However, the BSPCA kennels is a much kinder option to turning an animal out on the street when it is no  longer wanted. A life on the streets is no  life for a dog or a cat

Community Projects

We respond to emergencies, reports of cruelty or injured animals, and other calls from the public

Cat traps

We have cat traps, used by many community members and companies to capture feral cats. At times, although regrettable, we must euthanize an animal that has become a  nuisance in the community and that we are unable to re-home.

Spay-Neuter project

We have an on-site spay-neuter clinic so that veterinarians can sterilize animals prior to re-homing. Most important we are able to offer low cost sterilization to needy families with pets.

Adoption services

There are  hundreds of unwanted animals in our community that arrive at the shelter each year. Our job is to match healthy, adoptable pets with responsible, loving owners.

Dipping

Dipping facilities to the public for domestic animals are available at the kennels.

Boarding

We have 10 boarding kennels available for renting to the public at a cost of P25 for small to medium and P30 for a large animal per day.

Kennel Guidelines

Upon admission: All incoming animals are placed in quarantine for 10 days during which they receive a full medical examination, are vaccinated, de-wormed and dipped. In the case of very sick or wild animals, kennel staff will decide in conjunction with the VET the appropriate steps to be taken.


 

Housing: The BSPCA encourages social contact amongst dogs. Dogs of similar temperament may be housed together. Sexually mature animals will be separated by gender unless already sterilized. To ensure no unintended pregnancies, no unsterilized dogs or cats of  mixed genders, older than 4 months, shall be placed together.