Paws of Nusa Penida Sterilisation Program

We are helping raise money to fund dog and cat sterilisations on the island of Nusa Penida, which is part of Bali. Locally owned dogs and cats are sterilised for free, and they also sterilise homeless female dogs and cats. This program aims to slow down the population growth of these animals on the island and to ensure all dogs and cats are homed.

Nusa Penida has recently opened to tourism which got going just three years ago. The majority of locals on the island still survive by conducting traditional subsistence farming in the rain season. Traditionally male pets were either sterilised by someone in the village who had no medical training or were left entire. Females had litters continuously, the offspring being rehomed or dumped in the bush and left to die. Without the knowledge that a Veterinary Surgeon can perform a sterilisation and without the funds to pay for it this was the traditional method of population control along with laying poison in an area if hungry, stray dogs became a nuisance to cattle or pigs. Sadly, little has changed and these practices are still the norm on the island.

The program seeks to address this situation, firstly by sterilising as many pets as funds allow.

They travel to villages to offer this service, locals are always happy for the vet to sterilise their pets, it becomes a social event with children curiously looking on, this is vital to educating the future generation. If they come across stray puppies or kittens they attempt to rehome them as much as possible and sterilise the mother. They worm, vaccinate and follow up on litters until they are old enough to be sterilised.   

The island is 200 kilometres in area and our task is a large one. There is a long history of locals owning dogs and cats and the Bali dog is one of the oldest dog breeds with unique DNA, they are well worth preserving however we need to ensure that they are all homed, healthy and well fed.

The cost to sterilise a female dog is 450,000 IDR ($45 AUD), a female cat is 350,000 IDR ($35 AUD). A complete vaccination is 250,000 IDR. 100% of all money raised goes directly to the animals in need. Please help us to support the local community and the provide a happy, healthy existence for their pets.