Bulawayo SPCA

The Bulawayo SPCA in Zimbabwe was first initiated in 1954 with a piece of land being donated by the Bulawayo City Council for the purpose of constructing kennels to house dogs and cats, and an office block for administration.

Construction of the office block and kennels began in 1956, and in 1983 the clinic was built to help the lower income group with vaccinations, spaying and neutering, and other medical procedures. The clinic has one qualified veterinarian and two veterinary nurses, and there are 27 kennels reserved for clinic treatment.

The current SPCA buildings comprise 24 kennels for re-homing dogs, 12 quarantine kennels mainly for new dogs brought in to be checked over medically and to be held for 10 days before re-homing. Sometimes dogs escape from their property and are picked up by members of the public – so the 10 days gives owners a chance to reclaim their pets.

There are also 7 kennels for dogs under investigation – this is where abused dogs have been brought in and their circumstances are being investigated before re-homing can take place. We also offer a boarding facility, though on a very small scale and only have 5 designated for that purpose. The cattery has 27 kennels for kitties.

The SPCA is a registered welfare organisation and therefore non-profit making, as per the global RSPCA constitution. Under previous regimes we were listed in the national budget and received an annual grant from the government. Sadly this no longer applies and the SPCA relies entirely on donations, legacies and kennels sponsorship from the public. Consequently our fundraising programme is constantly on the go and of paramount importance in keeping all aspects of the kennels.