In December 2024 and the first month of 2025, Network for Animals sterilized cats and dogs in Kenya and South Africa, provided food and care for countless starving, suffering dogs in Serbia and Greece, and rushed life-saving emergency aid to thousands of animals affected by disaster and war in the United States and the Middle East.
Read on for more updates from December and January.
Kenya 
Sterilizing suffering street cats in Lamu
Credit: NFA/Byron Seale
For the 10,000 street cats that call Kenya’s Lamu archipelago home, every day is a desperate fight for survival – plagued by hunger, disease and the constant threat of being stuffed into a sack and thrown into the ocean because you are seen as nothing more than a nuisance. Since 2021, we have been working to break the terrible cycle of birth, hunger, disease and death by sterilizing as many street cats as possible on the islands of Lamu and Pate.
Thanks to our supporters’ generosity, our team of vets was able to travel to Lamu in December 2024 and end the year with a huge win for animals, sterilizing 248 cats in just three days. We have sterilized 3,210 cats since we first started working in Lamu, making a massive difference to these vulnerable animals.
Read the original article here.
Serbia
Bringing hope and healing to abused and abandoned street dogs
Credit: NFA/Dejan Radic
In Serbia, street dogs face unimaginable cruelty – routinely poisoned, shot, beaten to death and then thrown in dumpsters. Those “lucky” enough to survive such horrors are often sent to overcrowded municipal shelters where comfort, warmth and love is virtually nonexistent. Together with our partners, Oaza Azil and the Association for the Protection of Animals, we are working to prevent such cruel and needless deaths for Serbia’s dogs by rescuing, rehabilitating and finding forever homes for as many abandoned, abused animals as possible.
Thanks to our supporters, we were recently able to help fund vital medication and food for shelter dogs, as well as emergency hospitalization and veterinary care for Srba, an abandoned street dog suffering from epilepsy and liver disease. These vital donations have secured life-saving food and care for shelter dogs like Srba, who would have otherwise died without our help.
Read the original article here.
South Africa
Breaking the cycle of suffering for dogs in rural, poverty-stricken areas
Credit: NFA/Luke Barritt
In South Africa’s Valley of a Thousand Hills, 1,500 dogs living in rural areas endure constant hunger, painful injuries, rampant disease and ongoing suffering caused by overpopulation and uncontrolled breeding.
Every week, our long-time partner, KZN Valley Dogs, ventures into the area to feed more than a thousand dogs. Our team has never missed a single feeding mission – but with an ever-increasing number of dogs clamoring for our help, we knew we had to do more, so we helped to sterilize 50 dogs, preventing hundreds of puppies from being born into suffering.
Read the original article here.
USA 
Rushing emergency aid to animals affected by deadly wildfires
Credit: Nic Coury/The Associated Press
In January 2025, a series of deadly wildfires tore through Los Angeles and the surrounding regions. The fires rank among the most destructive in California’s history, burning approximately 40,000 acres (16 000 hectares) and causing countless helpless animals to be displaced, severely injured or killed in the flames.
We rushed emergency funds to our partner on the ground, Pasadena Humane, to support life-saving rescue missions and critical medical care for animals affected by the fires. Hundreds of vulnerable cats and dogs suffering from smoke inhalation and burns were rescued and treated.
Read the original article here.
Greece
Feeding hungry ‘ghost dogs’
Gloria Davies, NFA’s founder, feeding ghost dogs. Credit: NFA
Rife with abandoned buildings and lawless Roma camps, Aspropyrgos, a semi-rural area near Athens, has become the nightmare home to over 4,000 abandoned dogs. Our team visits the area every week to provide food, medicine and veterinary care for as many of the traumatized, hungry and frightened animals as they can. For years, the municipality has done nothing, although it has a legal responsibility to do so. It is up to us, and our network of kind-hearted animal-lovers, to give these dogs the food and care they need and deserve.
Empowered by our supporters, we provided crucial support for abandoned, abused ‘ghost dogs’ for a month, helping them survive the worst of winter.
Read the original article here.
Middle East
Racing to the rescue of starving, injured and traumatized animals amid Gaza ceasefire
Credit: SOS
After 15 months of hellish war in the Middle East, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire this January. This fragile break in the fighting opened a vital window of opportunity for us to rescue countless starving, injured and traumatized animals from Gaza.
Together with a network of kind soldiers and our partner, Starting Over Sanctuary (SOS), we are working on saving animals from the ruins. The situation remains unpredictable and challenging. So far, 23 donkeys have been rescued amid extremely challenging conditions, and provided with food and medication. Rescue missions will continue, subject to military approval.
Read the original article here.
Latest updates
Credit: Trebinje Shelter
Trebinje, Herzegovina – Ljupce finally found her forever home! Remember Ljupce, the three-legged street dog we found in Herzegovina in 2021 who inspired us to build our state-of-the-art shelter in Trebinje? We are overjoyed to tell you that she arrived at her forever home just in time for Christmas and is currently settling into her new life. Ljupce has come so far, from being infected with deadly leishmaniasis and on the brink of death to a happy and healthy dog with a family of her own – this is why we never give up on suffering animals. It is supporters like you who make happy endings like these possible. Read more.
Credit: Protectora Modepran
Valencia, Spain – Our partner shelters are rebuilding after destructive floods. In October 2024, floods devastated Spain’s east coast, and we knew hundreds of animals would need our help. Together with our supporters, we rushed emergency funds to two animal shelters in Valencia – Protectora Modepran, which was completely destroyed, and the Jadoul Foundation, which suffered extensive damage . Rebuilding and restoration efforts are now well underway. Read more.
Credit: NFA
United Kingdom – Play the Unity Lottery and support NFA! Calling all our UK supporters: You could WIN up to £25,000 every week, all while helping Network for Animals rescue, feed, treat and shelter animals in 26 countries across the globe. Enter now for a chance to WIN and help us save animals worldwide.
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Ts & Cs apply – view the full terms and conditions on our website.
Credit: NFA/Dejan Radic
Albania – Two rescue dogs get a new lease on life. As part of our #NFAGivingTuesday campaign, we paid for crucial surgery for two rescue dogs in the care of our partner, Dandi Animal Rescue Mission (DARM). Rook suddenly fell ill with a lung virus and needed intensive care to survive. Adding to the complications, he also tested positive for leishmaniases. Lily needed to be spayed and hospitalized after a pin removal – but when she arrived at the clinic, the vets found a tumor, and she had to be put on chemotherapy. Our supporters helped cover the cost of both of their surgeries, while topping up their food supplies to keep their bellies full as they recover. Read more.
In the news
Credit: The Guardian
Turkey: Mother Dog Brings Her Unconscious Puppy to a Vet in its Mouth. Read more.
Dogs Living Near Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Have Mutated to Develop New Superpower. Read more.
New Zealand to Ban Greyhound Racing. Read more.
We are ready for another busy year of crusading against cruelty and saving the lives of countless animals in need across the globe. With our compassionate supporters on our side, we can continue making a life-changing difference for the cats, dogs, donkeys and horses who need us.
