top of page

Animal Rescue Center in Zanzibar

Animal care & husbandry programs
From Only €445 per week

Secure your place for only €25.00

  • ABOUT Zanzibar Animals Affection Society (ZAASO)

    ZAASO is a hub of activity for animals requiring medical treatment. No animal is turned away and patients include donkeys, cows, goats, dogs, cats and sometimes a bird or a monkey.

    This is a fundraising project for ZAASO and all volunteer funds received go directly to keep the NGO going.


    As a charitable donation-funded NGO we aim to:


    • Establish care, support and animal protection services

    • Tackle the stray animal population problem

    • Stop animal overloading, beating, mishandling and cruelty

    • Provide education and awareness to local communities


    The workload varies throughout the week and the year but generally, the vet is busy spaying, castrating, responding to emergency and house calls as well as attending to animals brought directly to the clinic.


    On Saturday morning there is an Open Community Clinic where the local people bring their cows, goats and dogs for free dip-washing. Our vet also attends to any animal brought in for medical treatment; be it cows, goats, dogs, cats or the occasional chicken or rabbit. Often over 50 animals pass through the clinic on any given Saturday.


    • Volunteer in paradise on the in Island of Zanzibar, Tanzania.

    • Work and help protect the islands animal.

    • Diverse and hands on work with plenty to do .

    • You will develop new transferable skills and gain industry experience that match your passion and interests.

    • Experience day off adventures and embrace the Zanzibar's local culture, sights & attractions.


  • Their mission is to provide essential medical care to animals in Zanzibar. We are committed to improving the health and well-being of the local animal population through compassionate veterinary services, community education, and ongoing support. By ensuring access to high-quality medical care, we aim to enhance the lives of animals and foster a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife on the island.

  • KEY ACTIVITIES

    Only basic medical equipment is available in Zanzibar, which means the work environment can be challenging. More gets done with less and as much as it can be difficult sometimes it is also immensely rewarding to treat an animal or save its life with almost no means.


    Husbandry Work

    • Maintenance & cleaning of kennels

    • Dog walking and grooming


    Veterinary work


    Our principal activities are:

    • Sterilizations, vaccinations and surgeries

    • House-calls around the island (weekly mobile clinic in North, South, and North-East coast)

    • Treatment of animals brought to the clinic

    • Saturday Open Clinic for the local community


    Don’t worry if you have no training or experience with animal care, we will show you how to assist and participate at the clinic and during house calls. There is enough to do around and everything is as important and helpful:


    • Changing bandages, bathing animals, providing medication

    • Bathing animals suffering from parasite or skin problems

    • Feeding cats, dogs, horses and donkeys

    • Nursing sick animals with the Vet’s guidance


    Those studying Veterinary Medicine or Nursing will work alongside our Vet and learn academic and clinical skills:


    • Participate in supervised surgery

    • Help spay and castrate animals

    • Develop skills in wound care and management

    • Learn to splint/cast and manage broken legs

    • Scrub in to soft tissue surgeries

    • Develop clinical confidence by participating in consultations

    • Learn how to diagnose diseases without laboratory test facilities

    • Learn to triage emergency cases


    LIFE AS A VOLUNTEER

    It’s a team effort all round and everyone mucks in to help with the daily chores. It’s a volunteer experience like no other: expect hands-on work, occasionally long days of intense cases and emergencies from one end of the island to the other. It’s an unforgettable learning experience in a community and environment with challenging infrastructure, limited access to veterinary resources, and sometimes heart-breaking animal abuse.


    Monday to Friday: clinic attendance and client-based veterinary work as well as mobile clinic days

    Saturday: Open Community Clinic in the morning and afternoons free

    Sunday: free


    Gain hands on experience, learn necessary skills, develop your future career and work alongside our vet all within the beautiful Island of Zanzibar.


    • Participate In Supervised Surgery

    • Help To Spray & Castrate Animals

    • Wound Care & Management

    • Splints, Casts & Broken Limbs

    • Soft Tissue Surgeries

    • Consultation Participation

    • Diagnosing Disease Without Lab Facilities

    • Triage Emergency Cases

  • ACCOMMODATION & MEALS

    Accommodation is on a share basis and volunteers are required to buy their own food and drinks for the duration of their stay. There are fresh seafood, meat and vegetable markets in Stone Town, which provide cheap and delicious ingredients to cook yourself. There are also plenty of restaurants and market stalls offering local food.

  • With so much to get involved in and only €445 per week


    Sign up today !!


Location

Additional Info

Qualifications


Every animal lover is welcome! There are no specific qualifications required. All ZAASO ask their volunteers is to be flexible, resourceful and willing to embrace new experiences. And of course… bring your loving heart and soul!


Don’t worry if you have no training or experience with animal care, ZAASO will show you how to assist and participate in all aspects of the clinic and during house calls. There is plenty to do around and everything little task is as important and helpful.


It’s a team effort all round and everyone mucks in to help with the daily chores. It’s a volunteer experience like no other: expect hands-on work, occasionally long days of intense cases and emergencies from one end of the island to the other. It’s an unforgettable learning experience in a community and environment with challenging infrastructure, limited access to veterinary resources, and sometimes heart-breaking animal abuse.


The Project


ZAASO is a hub of activity for animals requiring medical treatment. No animal is turned away and patients include donkeys, cows, goats, dogs, cats and sometimes a bird or a monkey.


The workload varies throughout the week and the year but generally the vet is busy spaying, castrating, responding to emergency and house calls as well as attending to animals brought directly to the clinic.

On Saturday morning there is an Open Community Clinic where the local people bring their cows, goats and dogs for free dip-washing. Our vet also attends to any animal brought in for medical treatment; be it cows, goats, dogs, cats or the occasional chicken or rabbit. Often over 50 animals pass through the clinic on any given Saturday.


Only basic medical equipment is available in Zanzibar, which means the work environment can be challenging. More gets done with less and as much as it can be difficult sometimes it is also immensely rewarding to treat an animal or save its life with almost no means.

bottom of page