Editorial Note: This is part of a series that profiles the recipients of Lady Freethinker’s Urgent Need Fund 2025 grant program. The program was created to support nonprofit organizations involved in animal rescue and care, as well as those that promote better animal treatment. If you’re interested in learning more about the program, click here.
Through our Urgent Need Fund grants program, Lady Freethinker is helping provide critical veterinary care, rescue support, and sterilizations for dogs and cats in Sri Lanka with a $10,000 grant to Baw Baw Animal Welfare. This fantastic organization feeds stray animals, rescues farmed and domestic animals, operates a sanctuary for many disabled residents, and runs ongoing spay/neuter campaigns.
Dogs at Baw Baw’s Sanctuary (Lady Freethinker)
The award supports a project serving the Hakmana District, where access to affordable vet care is limited and the homeless animal population is significant.
With LFT’s support, Baw Baw Animal Welfare will conduct 10 mobile spay/neuter campaigns, sterilize 300 community and stray dogs and cats, and provide emergency medical treatment and rescue services to more than 80 sick, injured, and neglected homeless animals. The project combines long-term prevention with urgent intervention — reducing future suffering while saving animals currently in crisis.
Kangaroo, who was hit by a car and lost both front legs before being rescued (Lady Freethinker)
“Free-roaming dogs and cats frequently suffer from untreated injuries, starvation, infections, road accidents, and preventable diseases like rabies,” Baw Baw Animal Welfare President Iresha Anderson said. “Because affordable veterinary care is nearly nonexistent in these underserved communities, injured animals often die slowly on the streets. This project is critical because it tackles both sides of the crisis.”
Tippy, born without front legs and found crawling on the road before being rescued (Lady Freethinker)
Baw Baw’s ongoing rescue work in Kurunegala shows exactly why this support matters.
Take Lana, a dog suffering from a severe facial wound and tissue loss — with maggots burrowing into her skin. The veterinary team cleaned her wound, administered ivermectin and antibiotics, and bandaged the injury. Without emergency care, she likely would have endured a slow and painful death.
Another dog, Lilly, arrived after rescuers noticed her facial wounds and complications from a road accident and eye surgery. The team checked her sutures, verified she had no infection, and performed bloodwork to ensure she was healthy. Today, she is stable and recovering with regular rescue support that might otherwise be out of reach.
Tippy the Junior, who was hit by a train before being rescued (Lady Freethinker)
By the end of the project, Baw Baw Animal Welfare seeks to achieve:
- 300 spay/neuter surgeries
- 200+ rabies vaccinations (supplied by the government)
- 10 mobile clinic days
- 60–80 emergency rescues
- Hundreds of residents educated on responsible animal companion guardianship
Another goal of the project is to strengthen partnerships with local authorities to support long-term animal welfare initiatives.
Jimmy, who was hit by a car before being rescued (Lady Freethinker)
“Lady Freethinker supporters are not just funding a project, they are saving lives and building a more humane Sri Lanka,” Anderson said.
Lady Freethinker is grateful to the team at Baw Baw Animal Welfare — and to our supporters — for making this compassionate, impactful work possible for animals who need it most.
