Borneo Project
New state-of-the-art Animal Welfare Centre coming soon!
Thousands of dogs and cats in Borneo have no owner to feed them or provide them with a safe place to sleep. When they are ill they have nobody to care for them meaning they are not able to get the treatment they need. Under these conditions, many would live just a few years during which they would struggle to survive.
IAPWA has worked in Sabah, Borneo since shortly after we were established in 2009. Our work has involved providing a lifeline to the many dogs and cats in need of help in the following ways:
Neutering, vaccinating and providing veterinary care to over 12,000 dogs and cats throughout Sabah
Providing veterinary services to the local animal welfare community to aid the dogs and cats they rescue and support
Finding supportive homes for hundreds of dogs and cats who are struggling to cope on the streets
Delivering outreach campaigns to provide veterinary support in remote communities within Sabah
Managing the Government Dog Pound (DBKK) in Kota Kinabalu from 2014 through to 2022
Delivering a range of education, awareness and community engagement sessions to the public
Contributing to the changes in animal welfare legislation throughout Sabah, Borneo
Providing emergency support where needed such as assisting with rescues and flooding evacuations
Supporting a sun bear sanctuary with some needs for their facility to help those they rescue and care for
COMING SOON: New Borneo Animal Welfare Centre
The Centre
IAPWA was invited to help tackle the increasing stray populations in the city of Sandakan, which is a hotspot for conservation and ecotourism.
The city is home to the Orangutan Sanctuary, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, and the Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, which are all located within an hour’s drive of the city centre. IAPWA’s Borneo Animal Welfare Centre will be a part of Sandakan’s eco-focused heritage.
The Borneo Animal Welfare Centre will be spread over 7-10 acres of land, with the Veterinary Clinic (hosting our veterinary interventions) and the Education & Adoption Centre (hosting our RPO programme) near the main road at the entrance. The area behind the buildings is a beautiful, landscaped dog park which features walking trails, play-area enclosures, agility courses, and a picnic area for families. The entire facility is designed as a place where people can come and enjoy the companionship of their pet dogs, to promote the inclusion of pets as members of the family.
Our vision for the upcoming centre can be seen in the architectural drawings on this page, with a breakdown of the centre services and facilities below.
Dog & Cat Population Management
Supporting local NGOs
Veterinary Services
Outreach Programmes
Training Centre
Adoption Initiatives
Education Initiatives
Financial Sustainability
Community Engagement
Monitoring & Evaluation
Of course, to be able to build this centre, we need your support. If you love animals and want to help us change the lives of thousands of dogs and cats within Sandakan, Borneo, then please consider contributing to the first phase of our build process by making a kind contribution today via our donation form.
If you are interested in making a more significant contribution to our new centre, we’d be delighted to discuss this with you in more detail. Please email rebecca.lewthwaite@iapwa.org for more information.
We are so excited about the difference this project will make. Thank you for supporting our work – we couldn’t do any of it without you.
Joy Lee , Borneo Programme Manager
Snowie's Story
Brave boy Snowie was rescued from the streets of Borneo with a severe case of the skin disease mange. This poor boy had sores all over his frail body and was incredibly weak and nervous when he first came into our care.
The good news is that after many months of veterinary treatment and support, Snowie is now such a happy, healthy dog who loves making friends with both dogs and people alike. Snowie has even found his forever home where he will now spend the rest of his days surrounded by a loving and supportive family after all he has been through.
Thank you to all of IAPWA’s supporters for giving dogs like Snowie a second chance in life.
Some of our other patients who now have a bright future thanks to this programme
Donate to help animals today
If you would like to make a difference to the lives of the animals we help within our programmes, please support our work with a donation today. With your contribution we can make an even bigger difference to those who need our help.