Our Feeding Programme

A global pandemic. Countless dogs on the brink of starvation. A community of animal warriors who achieved the impossible. This is the story of our feeding programme.

What started out as a simple idea transformed into a loving and courageous family whose mission was simple: to guide hungry street dogs (and cats!) through a global crisis.

Cast your mind back to March 2020, when the first COVID-19 lockdowns were announced. Businesses around the world were forced to close their doors (with some never to re-open again), and people were ordered by law to stay at home.

Sri Lanka’s particularly harsh lockdown posed a significant risk to the hundreds of dogs and cats that roamed the streets. Not only did these animals depend on the scraps offered by local food vendors (who were no longer operational), they also relied on the simple kindness of strangers like you and me. The once bustling streets were now deserted, leaving innocent street animals to fend for themselves during a global pandemic.

“Donate five pounds to feed 10 street dogs a loving, nutritious meal.”

This was the urgent plea that was sent out into the Dogstar universe. It was a simple concept designed to lend a helping paw to street dogs in need. But the response that was returned was one no one could have prepared for.

Dogstars far and wide were giving whatever they could, often sacrificing their own wants and needs to rescue innocent street dogs. Many began opening their hearts to these animals every month, creating a loyal and loving community of dedicated change-makers. These generous gifts were what can only be described as pure acts of love. And with the heartfelt words of support and compassion that began to flood our inboxes, our feeding programme took off.

The Meals on Three Wheels tuk-tuk

Thanks to you, Team Blue have hit the streets every single day since March 2020, delivering delicious meals far and wide to street dogs and cats. They do it all in the Dogstar tuk-tuk, affectionately named the Meals on Three Wheels service.

Where are we now?

Fast forward over two years, we had reached a point where our world was slowly but surely recovering from the devastation of COVID-19. But in April 2022, Sri Lanka was plunged into an economic crisis – fuel ran out, inflation skyrocketed, and the animals were once again left facing starvation.

Similarly to the UK, we now face a cost of living crisis. People are struggling to feed themselves, let alone the street dogs in their communities, so our feeding programme is now more important than ever. And it’s kept alive by the love and support of animal lovers like you.