Fiji is home to a large population of dogs, many of whom face challenges such as overpopulation, neglect, and lack of access to proper veterinary care. The good news? You can be part of the solution! Whether you are a local resident, an expat, or a visitor, there are several ways you can make a difference in improving the welfare of dogs across Fiji.
1. Be a Responsible Dog Owner: Desex, Vaccinate & Provide Proper Care
One of the most effective ways to address the dog overpopulation issue in Fiji is through responsible pet ownership. If you need help getting this done, reach out to Animals Fiji. As well vaccinating your pets, providing food, clean water, shelter, regular veterinary care, and socialization.
Desexing (spaying and neutering) prevents unwanted litters, reducing the number of stray and abandoned dogs. It also helps prevent Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor (TVT), a highly contagious cancer that spreads through mating and affects the external genitalia of dogs. TVT is essentially a dog STD, and without treatment, it can be fatal.
Vaccination protects pets from deadly diseases like parvovirus, distemper, and the zoonotic disease leptospirosis. Keeping your dog safely contained within your property also prevents them from roaming, getting into fights, or contributing to overpopulation.
Animals Fiji offers subsidized, affordable, and welfare veterinary services, including desexing and parasite treatments—taking these steps ensures a healthier, happier life for your pet and helps create a more humane community for all animals.
2. Feeding Comes with Responsibility
If you are feeding a stray or community dog, you must also take responsibility for getting it desexed. Otherwise, you will soon find yourself responsible for dozens of new mouths to feed. Desexing is the most effective and humane way to prevent overpopulation and ensure the well-being of animals under your care. It you need help to get this done reach out to Animals Fiji.
Photo Credit: Animals Fiji
Description: Dog photographed in Nadi Town outside of a gate that he most likely was getting fed from, but the residence in the area didn’t care enough to get him the medical help he needed nor get him desexed.
3. Adopt from a Shelter, Don’t Shop
Instead of purchasing a dog from ‘breeders,’ online sellers, or social media posts, consider adopting a rescue dog from shelters like Animals Fiji, SPCA Fiji or PASH. Many loving, friendly dogs and puppies are looking for forever homes.
Adopting from a shelter not only gives a deserving animal a second chance but also helps reduce the number of stray and neglected dogs in Fiji. Additionally, adopting from a shelter ensures that your new pet is already desexed, vaccinated, and healthy. This, in turn, makes room for other animals in need to enter the shelter, creating a cycle of long-term positive change.
By adopting from a breeder, pet shop, or even a well-meaning rescuer on social media, you delay the adoption of a shelter dog. This, in turn, prevents shelters from taking in more animals who desperately need care. Every adoption from a shelter directly supports their lifesaving work and ensures that more animals receive the help they need. By adopting, you not only help one dog but also create a domino effect of positive change.
Photo credit: Animals Fiji
Description: Box of puppies dumped outside of Animals Fiji Nadi Clinic.
4. Foster a Dog
Not ready for a lifelong commitment? Fostering is a great way to help. Temporary homes provide socialization and care for rescued dogs until they find permanent homes. If you have space, time, and love to give, fostering can be a rewarding experience.
5. Support Existing Animal Welfare Organizations
There are already organizations in Fiji working tirelessly to improve animal welfare, including Animals Fiji, SPCA Fiji, PASH, Greater Good Fiji, and more. They need your help. By providing your talents, resources, time, or donations, you make it possible for these organizations to expand their efforts and do more for Fiji’s animals.
Volunteer Your Time
Whether you’re a vet, an animal lover, or someone with organizational skills, volunteering is an impactful way to help. From assisting at clinics to fundraising and community outreach, there are many ways to get involved. Find out more about volunteering opportunities at www.animalsfiji.org/get-involved.
Donate or Sponsor a Dog
Financial contributions help provide medical care, food and shelter for rescue dogs. You can make a one-time donation, sponsor a dog, or even help cover the cost of desexing a community dog. Every little bit helps and goes a long way in ensuring better lives for Fiji’s dogs.
Support Community Outreach Programs
Animals Fiji runs outreach programs in villages and settlements to provide veterinary care, education, and desexing services. Supporting these programs helps make essential services accessible to those who might not otherwise afford them.
Photo Credit: Animals Fiji
Description: Dr. Ashmita Datt cuddling one of her patients before surgery at the Rakiraki outreach this past week.
6. Spread the Word
Spread awareness about resources available through Animals Fiji and other existing animal welfare organizations in Fiji. Talk to friends, family, and neighbors about the benefits of responsible pet care and how it has positively affected you and your family.
7. Report Cases of Neglect or Cruelty
If you see a dog in distress, report it to Animals Fiji or your local animal welfare organization. While Fiji does have animal welfare laws, enforcement can be challenging, and community vigilance is essential to protecting animals.
We Don’t Need More Shelters — We Need Change
Building more shelters is not the solution to the dog issue in Fiji. Shelters only hide the problem temporarily, while the cycle of overpopulation and neglect continues. What we truly need is for human behavior to change—more responsible pet ownership, widespread desexing, and a cultural shift toward animal welfare. Without responsible pet ownership and widespread desexing, shelters only provide a temporary fix while overpopulation and neglect persist.
Photo credit: Animals Fiji
Description: Neha Singh, Sr. Vet Assistant, having a loving moment with a shelter puppy.
Be the Change
By embracing responsible pet ownership, supporting local animal welfare organizations, and advocating for community-wide change, we can significantly improve the lives of dogs in Fiji–therefore improving our humans lives. Desexing, vaccination, fostering, and volunteering all play a vital role in creating a more humane environment for both animals and people.
Even small actions—like feeding a stray, getting that stray desexed, or educating others about how to help make positive change in their village or neighborhood — contribute to long-term change. When we work together, we create a safer, healthier Fiji for both dogs and humans.
To learn more about how you can make a difference, visit www.animalsfiji.org/get-involved or come and visit our shelter. Every action, no matter how small, helps make Fiji a more compassionate place for our canine companions.