WE HELP. WE TREAT. WE EDUCATE. WE CARE.
There are an estimated three million street dogs in Sri Lanka, who are lacking even the most basic veterinary care. As vets, we find that unacceptable – we believe every single animal in the world deserves high standard vet care.
OUR MISSION
We dream of having WECare clinics all over the world, in the areas we're needed most. However, we've currently got our work cut out here in Sri Lanka - it's been a far more daunting challenge than we ever could have anticipated. With a steady stream of severely injured patients flowing through our hospital, we need all the support we can get to ensure we're able to be in Sri Lanka for as long as the animals need us.
Help Us Help ThemThe #WECare Effect
Our 24-hour, fully-equipped hospital on the south coast of Sri Lanka is dedicated to providing healthcare to those who have no-one else looking after them. Confronted with extremely advanced illnesses and injuries every day, this facility is vital in our mission to provide a high standard of veterinary care to the street dog population.
1 DOG FOR EVERY 6 PEOPLE
According to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health, there's one dog for every six people in the country. With such a high concentration of dogs, you can imagine the number of road traffic accidents, dog fight wounds, and infectious diseases. Sadly, veterinary services on the island are limited (especially for street dogs) and locals often don’t have the money to take community dogs to the vet — we aim to bridge that gap.
Why Sri Lanka?
The Need Here Is Huge
We're the only veterinary hospital on the island that's dedicated to street dogs. The shocking injuries we see every day prove that our work is vital. The hospital is always working beyond capacity, and this is just in our small area of the island — our dream is to one day have the entire country covered.
Street Dogs Are Part of Culture
Street dogs have been part of Sri Lanka's culture for generations, but they’re often hugely misunderstood, by both locals and tourists. There's a lot of misinformation about rabies, causing many to fear the dogs. However, we’re not here to judge — we aim to understand, help, and educate.
Rabies Is Endemic
In Sri Lanka, 20–30 people still die each year from rabies, most after being bitten by an infected dog. This is heartbreaking, especially as rabies is entirely preventable through vaccination. By vaccinating street and owned dogs, we can stop the spread and help Sri Lanka move closer to becoming rabies-free.
Get To Know Us
We're a mixed bunch from all corners of the globe, but there's one thing we have in common; we're absolutely bonkers about dogs!! Our highly skilled team works their little flip flops off to ensure that the WECare dream one day becomes a reality; living in a world where no animal goes without high-standard veterinary care.
Janey Lowes, Founder
UK vet Dr Janey Lowes was backpacking around Sri Lanka in May 2014 when she noticed the plight of the local street dogs. Realising the need for high-standard veterinary care, she moved her life to the island five months later, setting up WECare. She now lives with five ex-street dogs in a sleepy seaside village on the south coast, spending her free time surfing, stuffing her face and dancing the nights away (when she gets the chance…!).
Meet Our Patron, Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle needs no introduction, but we’ll give him one anyway — he’s a TV presenter, writer, adventurer, dog lover, and now, WECare’s first ever patron!
We are extremely excited to welcome Ben as our patron having first met him in 2018 when he filmed an episode of New Lives in the Wild with our founder, Janey. He’s had our backs ever since, and his unwavering support through the years has undoubtedly shaped WECare into what it is today. We couldn’t be happier to officially welcome Ben into the pack as top dawg!
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
We’re a solid, tight-knit crew who laugh at each other’s naff jokes on the good days, and hold each other up on the bad ones. Between us, we also manage to keep the Sri Lankan snack industry afloat…
We rely on hard-working volunteers to work alongside our dedicated full-timers, helping us to keep the hospital, CNVR programme, and everything behind the scenes running. What we’re trying to achieve against the odds is no mean feat, so we strive to have the most passionate, forward-thinking and driven individuals on board!
Come And Join The Party
We are always on the lookout for incredible people to come and join the charge here at WECare. Whether you can only spare a few months to volunteer, or you are looking for a full-time job, we want to hear from you!
Get InvolvedOur Amazing Sponsors
We are beyond grateful for support from the following legends.
