AKI supports Twala Trust (Zimbabwe) community dogs & senior dogs
- Animal-Kind International
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
It's been a busy time at the Twala Trust Zimbabwe Sanctuary, especially for the Goromonzi community dogs. The hospital has been almost constantly full. Just in July, Twala saw 3 dogs with complex leg fractures that needed pinning, 2 eye enucleations, a snake bite, 3 TVTs, an old dog who needed an extensive dental, a poisoning, 2 head injuries from blunt force trauma, lots of abandoned puppies all of whom had skin conditions, and the usual dog bites, biliary, parvo, and mange, and all the while, sterilizations continue.
With inflation, many vet cases, and several dogs surrendered, it's time to replenish Twala's budget!
Twala uses the majority of our funding for food for the animals-Doggy Tuesday community dogs and for the sanctuary animals (including the farm animals, horses, and donkeys).
Over the past 6 months, a big chunk of AKI funds were used for construction and repairs at the sanctuary (borehole pump, solar invertors, panels, wiring, installation, kennels).
Medicine, vet supplies, and shelter supplies are also a big expense that AKI covers.
But the bottomline, the story behind the finances is that your support to AKI for Twala Trust helps the Doggy Tuesday dogs (we fund their weekly food) and the Waggley Tail Club of senior dogs (meds, kennels, food, and more) and helps the Twala staff manage it all!
Doggy Tuesday starts with Tawanda at the registration table. All dogs who arrive for Doggy Tuesday are checked in there:
Many of the dogs walk a long way to the sanctuary and arrive hot and thirsty. There's always big bowls of fresh water waiting for them at Doggy Tuesday:
The best part of Doggy Tuesday is when the food arrives! This Doggy Tuesday dog is is watching anxiously as the Doggy Wagon brings the buffet of food.
This is beautiful Jet at the registration table. He has attended every single Tuesday of 2026!
Doggy Tuesday is a true lifesaver for Goromonzi dogs. This is Dragon, when he first came to Doggy Tuesday in 2024:
Look at Dragon now! He's now a member of the Waggley Tail Club, being initiated into the Club with his own pair of pajamas. Being a member of the Waggley Tail Club means that all Dragon's needs will be catered for, and as a senior dog, he will have no worries.
Here's another Waggley Tail Club member, a 'tripod', Cheetah. He was the devoted companion to a young boy and they had many adventures together. Cheetah was hit by a car and had his leg amputated but his owner was happy to take him home and they had several more years together.
Sadly, Cheetah developed arthritis in his shoulder which then affected his mobility and he was surrendered to Twala Trust.
It was heartbreaking for both him and his owner but it was what was best for Cheetah. Because his young owner was so caring and so obviously loves dogs, Twala place a rescued puppy with him.
Red is another Waggley Tail Club member who was surrendered to Twala after she was caught in a snare and had to have a back leg amputated. She's a gentle old girl who waits patiently for her morning treat, unlike others who have NO manners.
The newest member of the Waggley Tail Club is Old Rex. He has a kidney issue, which Twala Trust can manage much better than if he stayed with his family. .
Zimbabwe's winters are hard for the old dogs. At Twala, 27 dogs are on arthritis meds (purchased with AKI funds).
When the day is over, be it Doggy Tuesday or any other day at the sanctuary, the dogs are always tired from all the activity. The Waggley Tail Club members get ready for bed with their winter jackets to keep them warm during the cold months in Zimbabwe. They get a treat before bedtime, and dream about all the fun they had and will have again tomorrow.
