Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Adopting and fostering dogs in Rwanda: A guide for animal lovers

Dogs! Some people love them, many Rwandans aren’t so keen on them. Indeed, not so long ago, you would have been hard-pressed to say Rwanda is a dog-friendly country with the number of people who mistreated our furry little friends. It’s a little bit different today. A growing number of Rwandans are adopting dogs, and many expats bring them with them when they move here. There is a dog park now, and a number of organisations out there ready to help needy dogs.

Adopting a Dog

Welcome to the ranks of people who move to Rwanda and end up adopting a dog or three. Rwandan dogs and cats are lovely and there are lots in need of good homes. Not the kind of home where they are going to be loved for a year or two and then abandoned on the street again when their owners leave Rwanda, but genuine, loving, forever homes.

A certain Frances and Olivia have made a name for themselves by taking in abandoned dogs and finding loving new homes for them. Their organization is called WAG and they have a Facebook page full of info and cute doggy pics.

WAG generally has puppies and dogs less than a year old available for adoption. They are all vaccinated, clean of ticks, and fleas and will have spent time in a loving home. They won’t give dogs to people who just want a guard dog. You can contact on Facebook or visit their website.

Fostering a Dog

Great! If this is the case, WAG is always on the lookout for good foster carers, who can help them care for their dogs when they reach capacity. They only foster out healthy puppies. You would be responsible for providing food, love, and work on basic training if you can. WAG would handle vet care.

Veterinarian Services

There are a few different options when it comes to vets in Rwanda.  Available services include vaccinations, spaying and neutering operations, and general medical problems. Some also carry out micro-chipping, but it’s best to check with each vet individually.

Vets + Veterinary Clinic (a branch of PETS + Ltd) is located in Niboye, Kicukiro, at #7 KK 338 St. Led by Dr. Arum, the caring and friendly staff offer professional veterinarian services, such as spaying and neutering, vaccinations, hospitalisation, micro chipping, dental scaling, and more for all cats and dogs. They also deal with other small animals such as rabbits.
PETS + Ltd. also offers boarding and grooming at their location. For any inquires, you can call or Whatsapp +250 782 824 489 or send an email to [email protected].

Justin is a Rwandan animal lover who carries out some vet services. He is based in Kigali and his number is 0788 843 318. Justin can help with vaccinations, de-worming, and perhaps other services too. He will come to your home on his scooter.

There are some dog breeders in Kigali from whom you can buy expensive pedigrees, but I would suggest helping out abandoned dogs who need homes instead of encouraging the breeding of more dogs.

Dog Walking and Training

Surprisingly, yes. There are two Rwandan brothers who walk and train dogs in Kigali. I’ve used them and they are great, and we have had no problems. They walk dogs for two hours at a time, even those with some behavioral problems. Call Daniel on 0788 606 743.

There is also a friendly & dedicated pet walking and training service called ‘Follow + Lead’, a branch for PETS + Ltd., which was founded by El-Rahim Jaffer, a graduate of Animal Behavior College and certified in Pet First Aid from Toronto, Canada. They provide professional pet care and can help you to develop exercise, diet, and training plans for your dog. You can get in touch with them by phone/Whatsapp +250 782 821 262 or by email at t[email protected].

There are a number of good spots for walking dogs, namely around Kiyovu, Kimihurura, and Nyarutarama. You can also try Juru Park, a forested space on the hill behind Kicukiro. There may well be others too.

Buying Food, Crates, and Supplies

There are some shops that stock cat and dog food, and other supplies. There are listed below.  It’s also fairly easy to make your own dog food. A mix of rice, meat (or little fish) along with some leftover veggies are all it takes.  Eggs are an inexpensive source of protein, and you can just crack a couple on top of their food.

For a long time, it seemed that Brussels Airways was the only place you could buy dog crates in Rwanda, and only if you were travelling on one of their flights. Happily, it turns out there are some other local suppliers, and you don’t have to fly with a certain airline to do it. They are listed below.

  • PETS + Ltd – Located in the same place as their clinic mentioned above (#7, KK 338 St.), they have a great variety of food, treats, supplements, collars, leashes, muzzles, beds, grooming items, and they also deliver (+250 782 866 081),
  • Sawa City – They sell cat food, dog food, dog and cat treats and toys.
  • Agrotech – For animal supplies like leads, collars, and puppy food. There are a number of branches.

Leaving Rwanda with Your Dog or Cat

It’s not as difficult or as expensive as you may think, even if you’re travelling to England. You don’t have to quarantine dogs when you enter the UK, as long as they have their correct vaccinations, a microchip, and paperwork.

Nearly all airlines will accept dogs or cats, you just need to make sure to prepare. You will need proof of vaccinations (rabies is especially important and needs to be done within a year, and not sooner than 30 days before departure), a dog or cat crate and, depending on where you go, possibly a microchip. You will also need an animal export permit from RAB, which takes a few days to get. All of these things can be done relatively quickly and cheaply in Kigali. Contact a vet (see above) for more details on what is needed. Jode Garbe is a particularly good resource on this and has a lot of experience getting dogs on planes.

Each country has its own regulations regarding bringing dogs and cats into the country.  Consult with the local embassy or consulate as well as the country-specific websites for detailed requirements including vaccines, blood work, microchipping, and quarantine possibilities.

Also make sure to check with the airlines that they allow pets to fly all-year round (some won’t fly them in the summer) and book your pet on board as soon as you book your ticket. Some airlines take a restricted number of pets on each flight, and they may get booked up.

When you do board the plane, make sure you ask to speak to the pilot and inform them that you have a dog travelling in the hold and remind them it is their responsibility to monitor the temperature in the hold. If there is a lengthy plane delay, make sure you speak to the pilot to remind them a pet is on board.

IATA (International Air Transport Association) approved crates for dogs can be procured from Drymon or Octagon. If you are flying Brussels Air, they will supply you with a crate ONLY if you have a boarding pass. Cat crates can be procured from Drymon or shipped directly from retailers in South Africa. Or if you’re traveling to South Africa via air, you can easily purchase cat and dog crates and check them as luggage on your return flight to Rwanda.

Good luck!

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28 COMMENTS

  1. I bought my “boys” from Jode over a year ago and she came to my house to perform their surgeries and is always helpful when I call her as a worried “momma.” I highly recommend her and her sanctuary in Nyamata.

  2. I can understand why Rwandans tend to dislike dogs, considering what happened with dogs 20 years ago…glad to see they’re making a slow comeback.

    • I always assumed the scarcity of domestic pets like cats and dogs was more to do with the general meat shortage in Rwanda. People are less likely to give meat to an animal if they don`t have enough food for themselves.

  3. Hi,
    thank you so much for this article. I found it just at the right time and it is full of very useful information. I took over a street dog from a colleague when I arrived here two years ago – a beautiful dog, quite well educated by now, but still having some scars of his life on the street (he doesnt like to be touched by strangers, behaves very guarding when it comes to food). I will leave Rwanda soon and I’m struggeling with the difficult decision of how to poceed. I cant see how I can take him with me, because I won’t have the conditions to properly care for him when I’m back to Germany.
    Thus, my first option would be to find a new home for him here. If anybody knows of somebody who likes dogs and who is ready to take over this responsibility, I would be very glad to get in touch: [email protected]
    Best wishes and thanks in advance
    Lucia

  4. If you do want to get a dog, please check out WAG, a dog shelter in Kigali, with always plenty of puppies and adult dogs that need to be re-homed.
    They’re well taken care of and they’re free (please do give a donation when taking one)

    You can find out more WAG via facebook.

    If you need a Certified dog trainer, please do contact me at rahimj27 [@] yahoo [dot] ca
    I offer a free consultation & assessment and consultation or a free class for potential adopters.

    Help us join with our vision of making the Rwandese see that dogs can actually be great creatures.

  5. BLUELINE-KENNELS:-The all-black and dark sable German Shepherd Dogs will be in our breeding programme in 2016. Blueline-kennels has imported these working bloodlines from the Czeck Republic.
    The Dark Sable line from Jinopo http://www.jinopo.cz-Czech Working German Shepherd Dogs with DDR blood in their generation pedigree.
    The All-Black line from Working line German Shepherd Dogs in the Czech Republic from http://www.krasnoocko.cz and http://www.vlciudoli.cz.
    BLUELINEDOGS:-Police type proven working abilities, Large size, Strong-Big bones and Solid temperament are primary considerations in selection of our breeding stock.
    OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BREED, REAR AND TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF AN ALPHA POLICE SERVICE WORKING GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG. http://www.blueline-kennels.com
    Meanwhile we have puppies from WOTAN von der weidenstrasse SA of Blueline-kennels-the puppies are a combination of large size, strong-big bones, solid character and deep chocolate colour pigmentation.

  6. Does anyone have a phone number for Octagon or Drymon? Or does anyone have a large airline certified kennel they want to get rid of? I’m having trouble finding a kennel and I leave Rwanda at the end of the month! Thanks!

  7. hey. I’m. very glad to meet with this website contains full of info on hw to care our dogs.
    At the beginning of our service, it wasn’t easy to see people who wanted to train they dogs. By the time things are changed completely.
    For us, we train dogs on the need of owner. Firstly, we train dogs on “Obedience”. this stage includes: encouraging dog to know his/her name, sit position, to come, to go, to bring something,down position, to jump, to move with the boss, to train dog on hw, where to feace and urine,…..
    We deliver high service and U can call us to train ur dog at ur home. Any need, contact 0788588648, or [email protected]. U’re welcoming

  8. Blueline-kennels breeds purebred, registered and micro chipped German shepherd puppies: Our kennel is registered with East Africa Kennel Club. We specialize in this breed because it’s one of the most intelligent, versatile and trainable of all breeds, making it suitable for almost any type of work.

    Our ultimate goal is to breed, rear and train the next generation of an alpha police service working German shepherd dog and establish a Blueline bloodline that; has unquestionable working abilities, is large sized and has impressive physical characteristics.
    WE ARE EXPECTING A LITTER END OF NOVEMBER

  9. Hi. I am former head manager of Virunga National Park in DRC. I had to leave my cat there (she is congolese), and now that I leave in Rwanda Gisenyi, I want to take her with me. So I am glad to see people is sharing my passion for animals in Rwanda. True that I did not find a lot of help for animals here and less in DRC … I am part of shelters in Spain and France, and I would like to meet animal lovers here in Gisenyi. Sure there are ! My facebook is terranimalia viva if someone wants to visit it. Thanks a lot for all u do.

  10. i’m very interested in daily caring for pet, hence engaged animal behavior studies far my Veterinary career.
    Further i wish to link whoever willing her/his pet’s therapy,behavior,physical&psycho fitness trainer
    call +250788282962

  11. Didn’t Dr. Alphonse die?

    Think this article needs a little update 🙂 Dr Arum should definitely be on there. She’s fantastic: 0784401599

    • Dr Alphonse’s clinic lives on after his passing. Sadly, Arum is no longer working as a vet in Kigali ( agreed she is fantastic!)

  12. Hi,

    I am Rwandan and i am Dog lover. If you wish to have a less 4months old dog from the village and train him as per your wishes, please contact me on +250788798217/[email protected]. And if you want to know more on how our society, especially in small cities/villages considering dogs/cats, i will like to share my experience. First give me a call or email, i am currently staying at Western province -Karongi-Rubengera. Thanks

  13. thank for all information so CLINIVETKGL PETS LTD doing very well all services for pets. you can call at 0788300659.

  14. Hi. My name is Uwase.. I am rwandese..grew up in rwanda.. I love all kinds of animals.. Cats/Dogs/birds/chickens.. Animals are really unique in their own ways and so interesting! I am thankful that there is such genuine people helping these vulnerable beings in our country.. I wasn’t personally aware until I found this article online.. Am so happy! I was trying to find a pet for my daughter to get her grow with animals and for her to develop a loving heart towards animals but didn’t know exactly how to introduce her to new thing. So thank you for sharing these info. I will contact these wonderful people for more advice’s. God bless you

  15. I think you’d come off as extremely rude to approach a pilot and give him instructions on temperature control of the cargo hold. The same way a pilot in command receives a pax manifest stating exactly how many souls are on board, the captain also receives a manifest with exactly what live animals (if any) are in the hold, their number and their exact location within the hold. All this is done in the preflight planning phase of the flight… Airlines carry pets (unaccompanied) as well as live wild animals all the time… I don’t think they really need someone disrupting their tasks telling them to make sure that the doggo is comfy.

    • Actually – the airlines REQUEST THAT YOU REMIND the flight attendants/pilots that there is a pet in the cargo area so that they can make sure the temperature is correct. Better for there to be a 5 second follow-up about a live animal in the cargo than for there to be an accident with the temperature.

  16. hi
    we are a new family in kigali and we like to adopt a dog, preferably < 6 months old, male, we are looking for a Border Collie, must not be pure bred, mix is also ok. We had two mixtures before both from SPCA, each for about 10 years traveling with us between Europe and Africa. Who can help with contacts? pls call 0785 232 538 or mail hajoschaeferATgmx.de
    thanks
    Hajo

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