Saving Mafia Island Animals for Over 20 Years

Join Hands And Be A Hero

Participate in our animal-saving mission and help us continue creating a better tomorrow for our rescues.

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Francesca and Puppy

We cannot love everybody, but we can love and care for anybody

“The trees, plants, animals, insects, air and water quality are at the mercy of our sensitivity.
And while they do not speak in the language of the real estate, finance or legal contracts, their voices are nonetheless valuable”

Updated June 2026

20 +

Animals Saved

20 +

Animals Vaccinated

20

Spayed/Neutered

20

Spayed/Neutered

What We Achieved

We started in Mafia Island more than 20 years ago. Since then, the Animalia Mafia Island Project has grown into a lifeline for the island’s dogs and cats, and for the communities who live with them.

Rabies prevention. Through regular vaccination campaigns, there have been no confirmed cases of rabies on Mafia Island for many years. Every sterilized animal is also vaccinated and treated for parasites.

Humane population control. Sterilization is the only effective and humane way to manage the island’s dog population. Culling doesn’t work and only removes healthy, vaccinated dogs.

Rescue and adoption. Four volunteer foster homes across the island (in Utende, Kanga, Vunjanazi and Usewe) care for 54 rescued dogs until they find a family. We also feed the free-roaming dogs and cats of Utende and Maruhubi every day.

Our latest results. In November 2025, 5 vets and 2 vet nurses cared for 454 animals in 16 days, and 317 dogs and cats were sterilized. From February to April 2026, a resident vet completed another 265 sterilizations and 350 vaccinations. This proved that a permanent clinic on Mafia Island can work, and it is our next goal.

Next: November 2026. From 3 to 23 November, 5 vets will return to the island. Our goal is 300 animals, and we need €6,000.

Help us reach it →

Volunteer Journey

Become a Heartbeat
of
Animalia Mafia Island

At the core of Animalia Mafia Island’s transformative animal welfare endeavors are compassionate souls like you — our cherished volunteers. Your dedication and spirit breathe life into our mission, ensuring every animal’s tale is one of hope and love. Whether you’re assisting in our campaigns, orchestrating fundraising efforts, or lending a hand in countless other ways, your contribution makes waves of positive change. Join us, and let’s weave stories of love, care, and rescue together for Mafia Island’s voiceless wonders..

Vets Group

Volunteering Experience

  • 3 years post qualification experience
  • Strong surgical skills
  • Outdoor Experience
  • Fund Raising

What Volunteers Bring

Volunteer Vets and Nurses are required twice a year for vaccination and spay / neuter campaigns by ANIMALIA MAFIA ISLAND.

The best periods are June/July and September or November.

Having VET TEAMS on a regular basis increases the awareness of communities to animal welfare and more and more people will be willing to host the vet teams at their homes, to enable them to provide veterinary care to animals in the remotest parts of Mafia Island, where veterinary cares are non-affordable, and sometimes vaccines, vet treatments and surgery are needed.

  • Vet Volunteering with ANIMALIA MAFIA ISLAND is not salaried.
  • Volunteers provide the expenses of flights to Mafia Island, as well as accommodation in Dar es Salaam when needed.
  • Vet Team usually works from 8.00am to 5.00pm for 6 days.
  • Volunteers Vets and Nurses must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience after qualification, surgical skill and be able to perform during emergency surgical situations.
  • The Vet Team works mainly in rural areas, where we set up a field clinic.
  • We often work in the villages using places offered by locals, like verandas of makuti (coconut palms) roof.
  • We also have a very suitable gazebo, 3 extendable tables and other small devises to facilitate our work.
  • Volunteers Vets and Nurses must be informed that sometimes work is very hard, as we operate in rural zones with basic facilities, where electricity, water and food must be carried by hand because cars don’t arrive to the programmed zone.
  • Our work implements Rabies and DHLP vaccination, spay / neuter surgery for dogs and cat, occasionally donkeys. Other surgeries as well, like teeth extractions, amputations, enucleations, wounds sutured and euthanasia when the animals are suffering from severe chronic diseases or wounds.

Every sterilized animal is also vaccinated against rabies, booster vaccine to those already neutered, receive antiparasitic and vitamin treatment, as well as grooming and cleaning from ectoparasites.

A Volunteers can even help doing fundraising from his / her home.

What Animalia Mafia Island Gives

Vet Team is usually accommodated at lodges and rural camps according to the operating areas.

The accommodation and meals are organized and arranged beforehand.

In Mafia Island free of charge:

  • full board accommodation,
  • soft drinks and beer,
  • transport,
  • excursions (diving, snorkelling or whale shark watching).
  • 1 day per week are off for excursions and resting.

Vets, Nurses and Paramedics, especially if they work in a remote island like Mafia Island – Tanzania, are rewarded with the result of their work.

…….even if tired from an exhausting day’s work, soaked in rain, dirty with mud… and it’s already night……, packing equipment and go back to the camp, at dinner altogether they are looking forwards to start again talking about animals, a mission……

Be a Part Of

Our Mission

It’s at the heart of what we do, and it’s one way we can make a real difference for both the welfare of the single animal, and the health of the whole local animal population.

Wild Life

Mangrove's Forests

Jimbo People

Community

Oceans

Clean Water

To Know More

Animalia Mafia Island Chronicles 🎥

Dive deep into the heart of Mafia Island, as we unveil the transformative journey of its animals. Witness the stories of resilience, hope, and the dedicated souls who make Animalia Mafia Island’s mission come to life. Welcome to our documentary series—a lens into a world where every animal gets a second chance. 🐾🌍 

They Need Your Help!

Any donation is worth twice as much to animals in need!