BarkingMad South Africa has announced a national initiative to develop the country’s first sector-led minimum standards for companion animal shelters.
The project addresses a long-standing gap in the sector: the absence of nationally recognised standards to guide shelter governance, operations, and animal care.
In partnership with the One Revolution Foundation, BarkingMad has spent the past 12 months visiting more than 200 animal shelters and organisations across all nine provinces.
The team engaged directly with frontline animal welfare workers, discussing operational realities, systemic pressures, support gaps and the urgent need for clear, achievable standards.
These visits produced detailed, data-driven insight into the state of animal shelters nationwide. The findings highlight where shelters face strain, where innovation is emerging and where targeted intervention is most needed.
A sector without formal guidelines
South Africa currently has no nationally recognised minimum standards governing companion animal shelters. This absence has contributed to fragmentation and uneven support across the sector, despite the commitment of those working within it.
The site visits confirmed strong sector-wide support for introducing standards as a foundation for change. Shelter teams expressed a clear appetite for accountability and shared understanding of best practice, spanning governance, leadership, animal care and people management.
Building a South African framework
In developing the initiative, BarkingMad and One Revolution Foundation reviewed international models, including the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes in the United Kingdom, which has unified organisations under shared minimum standards.
However, South Africa’s context differs significantly. Shelters operate under diverse models and face distinct challenges, including limited funding, long distances, high animal overpopulation, socio-economic pressures, and inconsistent municipal support.
The new framework will therefore reflect South African realities. The initiative is not about adopting a foreign template but about co-creating standards shaped by local conditions, expertise and solutions.
Funding and international support
The project receives support from UK animal charity Battersea, which has worked with dogs and cats for more than 160 years. Through its training programmes and grants, Battersea collaborates with animal welfare organisations globally.
“Battersea is proud that our commitment to animal welfare extends far beyond the work at our centres in the UK. By supporting BarkingMad in its groundbreaking initiative, Battersea hopes to drive positive, locally led change in the companion animal welfare rescue sector in South Africa, ensuring a lasting impact on the lives of dogs and cats, year after year,” says Beatriz Dal Poz, Grants and Programmes Manager: South Africa.
National workshops and sector collaboration
The next phase includes in-person workshops across the country. These sessions will bring shelters and rescue organisations together to collaboratively shape the Minimum Standards framework.
The aim is to build sector standards by the sector, ensuring the outcome is practical, credible, and broadly supported.
Strengthening the future of animal welfare
One Revolution Foundation says the time has come for the animal shelter sector to strengthen its professional foundation and expand its impact.
“It is time for one of the most under-resourced sectors in the country to have its moment. A chance to gear up and reach for more. Animal shelters have courage and heart, but professional standards are essential to elevating the impact of our collective efforts.”
BarkingMad adds, “This project is about uplifting the entire animal shelter sector. Our goal has always been to hear every voice, understand the challenges shelters face, and ensure real engagement so that we can co-create collective, achievable minimum standards that truly reflect the sector.”
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