Providing Protection from Preventable Diseases

For the 2024 Big Give Christmas Challenge, we aim to fund a mass vaccination programme to protect nearly 4,000 vulnerable animals against distemper and cat flu.

The problem

Unowned dogs and cats in Sri Lanka face significant risks from these highly contagious diseases, which can often be fatal. Animals that survive may suffer from life-altering neurological damage, weakened immune systems and a severely reduced quality of life. The current cost of living crisis in Sri Lanka has drastically reduced the number of pet owners able to afford vaccinations, creating a perfect storm for spreading disease.

The solution

Dogstar’s dedicated veterinary team works directly with street animals and underserved communities, spaying/neutering hundreds of dogs and cats weekly. We hope to be able to vaccinate every dog and cat we sterilise against preventable diseases, which would help halt the spread of infection, prevent unnecessary suffering and establish herd immunity. This approach will protect entire communities of dogs and cats, ensuring a healthier, safer environment and significantly improving animal welfare.

This year, we are taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge – an opportunity for our amazing Team Dogstar family to band together and have their donations doubled up to £7,500. With a total of £15,000, we could vaccinate close to 4,000 dogs and cats against distemper and cat flu, protecting them against infection and giving the promise of a better, brighter future.

For street dogs and cats in Sri Lanka, this would be the best gift they could receive this Christmas.

The Big Give Christmas Challenge runs from midday on Tuesday 3rd of December to midday on Tuesday 10th of December 2024. During this time (or until our target is reached), all donations made via our Big Give Christmas Challenge webpage will be doubled at no extra cost. We hope you will be able to join us for this paw-some event – your generosity can help us make twice the impact in 2025.