Our Initiatives
Support a Woman, Transform a Family
The women we support are looking for ways to raise themselves and their families out of poverty, so by empowering them to hand make our animal-themed items for sale, we solve two issues going on in our communities: unemployment; and protecting the environment we live in by taking care of our underserved, stray animal population. We currently source these high-quality products from 4 women’s collectives at better-than-fair-trade rates, and then we offer these unique products for sale to animal lovers worldwide, using the profits to fund free community clinics for both household pets and homeless animals in the area we serve. With your support, we aim to expand our impact across Uganda and beyond.
Preventing Rabies Spread
Rabies prevention is paramount to the public health of a community. Uniquely Paws educates communities about the dangers of rabies and the importance of vaccination. By sponsoring free vaccination clinics, our efforts have led to a significant decline in rabies cases. By preventing its spread, we work towards a healthier, safer future for all. Kampala Uganda had seen a 15% increase in suspected rabies cases 2022, now since we started our clinics, cases are on a steady decline with the 2,132 rabies vaccinations that were have offered to our communities in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, we have already added another 237 vaccinated animals to that total.
Free Community Spay and Neuter Clinics
Spaying and neutering are crucial for responsible pet ownership, and more importantly for our underserved stray dog and cat populations in our neighborhoods. Uniquely Paws sponsors free community clinics for these essential medical procedures. We encourage our villages to join us to ensure the health and well-being of their community pets while contributing to a more balanced and compassionate society. We have been thanked by all of our local authorities for the care we have shown to their villages and their citizens and their pets. They are also spreading the word to other villages so that we can all benefit from a safe environment for us all to live in.
Educating our Children for Change
Through school outreach programs prior to every free, community clinic led by the USPCA, we offer the children who bring their pets to our clinics our engaging pet care coloring books, aiming to empower community children with the knowledge and skills needed to become influential drivers of positive change in responsible pet care for their cats and dogs.
Yellow Collar Initiative
Starting in 2023, Uniquely Paws spearheaded the Yellow Ribbon, which turned into the Yellow Collar Initiative, an inspiring symbol of protection and awareness. Pets who attend our free rabies vaccination clinics proudly wear our distinctive yellow collar indicating they are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations as they return to their homes. We lead the charge in promoting responsible pet ownership and increasing awareness through our initiative. The local government was looking for a program just like this, so by this simple change, we can keep our communities we serve safer and educated.