Urgent: Help ELT Move: A New Home For Our Animal Sanctuary

Matthew Haden is organizing this fundraiser.

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Help Us Move & Grow: 1 Month To Fundraise, Build and Move

Since 2016, our animal shelter has been a safe haven for Dar es Salaam’s most vulnerable animals. Over the past 9 years, we’ve welcomed thousands of paws through our gates; from scared little kittens to loyal old dogs, and today, we’re home to over 200 dogs and 150 cats.

Throughout the last five years, we’ve loved every moment at our current location on the peninsula. It’s been a place of healing, love, and wagging tails. But as the area develops rapidly, we have no choice but to move on. While we hoped to have more time, we have to act quickly to ensure our animals are moved safely and that a beautiful new home awaits them. We have just 1 month. This is not going to be easy, but we have hundreds of animals in our care (and more arriving every day as we are in a high volume season with the rains) who depend on us to be strong and remain positive and dedicated.

This shelter was built with love, every single corner of it.

From day one, we’ve poured our hearts into creating a space that feels nothing like a typical shelter. There are no rows of cages here. No cold, lonely, concrete kennels. Just happy dogs and curious cats living openly, freely, and surrounded by people who love them like family.

We chose every detail with intention, from the bright colours that lift your mood the moment you walk in, to the open spaces that let our animals run, play, and just be themselves. Our animals don’t wait in sadness - they wait in joy. They heal here. They thrive.

We’ve always wanted this place to feel like a home. And for so many animals, it has been exactly that: the first safe, warm, loving home they’ve ever known.

A New Chapter Begins

We’re not just relocating - we're rebuilding the entire shelter from the ground up. That includes everything from quarantine areas and dog runs to cat gardens, the kitten nursery, fencing, water systems, and staff facilities. And we have justone month to raise the funds, build it all, and move.

Yes, we're feeling a little nervous. It’s a huge task with a tight timeline. But we love these animals - they are our family. Even the ones we haven’t rescued yet. And we would never give up on them.

We also know how much this shelter means - not just to the animals, but to the people, we have a beautiful community who truly cares. We understand the role we play in the community, the lives we’ve touched, and how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.

We’re choosing to see this as an opportunity to do better. With every move, we’ve learned, grown, and improved - and now we can create a space that’s stronger, safer, and more sustainable than ever before.

Why We Need Your Help

Relocating hundreds of animals is no small task. While most of our dogs tend to adapt relatively well to change, cats can be more sensitive, and stress can take a serious toll on their health. That’s why it’s especially important that we prioritize building calm, secure cat enclosures and gardens right away, so they can transition with as little disruption as possible.

How You Can Help

Donate what you can. Every single contribution brings us one step closer to our goal - no amount is too small.

Prefer to donate locally? We also accept contributions through our Tanzanian bank account. (Message us for Tanzanian Bank Information)

Host your own little fundraiser. Whether it’s a bake sale, donation jar, art auction, or community event - your creativity can help us reach more hearts.

Spread the word. Share this campaign with friends, family, and fellow animal lovers.

Contribute in-kind items for our Silent Auction! We’ll be going live soon, and all proceeds will go directly toward rebuilding the shelter. Goods, services, experiences, gift certificates, art - if it can be auctioned, it can help!

Donate building materials or offer manpower! Anything used in construction is deeply needed and appreciated - from bricks, cement, roofing, nails, paint, and windows to fencing materials and tools. If you or someone you know can help us build, we welcome all hands and every bit of support.

Let’s Build This, Together.

This is a pivotal moment for our shelter family. It’s a challenge, yes- but also an opportunity to rebuild in a way that reflects everything we’ve learned and everything our animals deserve.

We’re reaching out to everyone who has ever visited us, adopted from us, volunteered with us, brought in a rescued animal - or simply believed in what we do. Please help us keep this shelter alive.

Let’s make sure we not only survive this move, but come out stronger on the other side.

With All Our Love

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Thank you for caring, for helping, for being part of this family. We’re not just moving a shelter - we’re carrying forward a mission. And we’d love for you to be part of the next chapter.