All visits to the haven, whether adoption, volunteering, donating or simply popping in, must be done by appointment only! Please WhatsApp us to make an appointment.
Dead Animals Walking
072 298 9086
Closing the door (DAW) of death & Opening the door (DAW) of life to ALL animals!
148-719-NPO / PB0 - 930072326
Dead Animals Walking is a registered Non-Profit and Public Benefit, anti-speciest, animal rescue, rehabilitation and relief organization, that through advocacy, veterinary capacity and community outreach, education and social upliftment, work tirelessly against the plight of animals deemed hopeless and actually on death row due to the torturous overpopulation crisis, perpetuating the cycle of cruel, intentional abuse and neglect but also highlighting the lack of education on the humane care of all animals. This commitment includes the aid and rescue of farm (production) animals as well as the upliftment of destitute children and families in the communities we serve.
We pride ourselves in providing rescue, rehabilitation, relief, primary health care, mass sterilization and educational efforts, in impoverished communities and farms across the Western Cape by applying lifesaving interventions.
We rescue hopelessly abused, neglected and unwanted animals, to ensure they never have to suffer again, by first rehabilitating them and then re-homing them into loving homes. We also provide relief for animals who will have no quality of life or no positive prognosis for recovery, by humane euthanasia.
Our name might shock you, but our work will ast'hound you!
Luna Violet: Before, during and after rescue & rehab.
About us
Mission Statement
We actively work and live by our set of principles of rescuing, rehabilitating, relieving, sterilizing and re-homing one animal at a time, as well as educating and uplifting one destitute child or adult at a time. We are unfaltering, fearless, dependable and staunch animal rescue workers, who will stop at nothing to make a difference!
Our main motto is: "Don't confiscate and euthanize, educate and sterilize!"
Did you know? Statistically, 1 million healthy, loving dogs and cats get euthanized in South Africa every year and you as the tax-payer pays for this "mass murder". So, wouldn't you rather want your money going towards treating the cause and not the symptom? Solving the over-population crisis, where there just aren't enough homes for all the animals, not helping others monetize off of doing this. With our efforts, DAW is solving and treating the over-population crisis one sterilization at a time, minimizing the 67,000 dogs or 143,000 cats from being born into a life of disease, starvation, abuse, neglect, misery and suffering, every 7 years when one dog or one cat goes unsterilized these are the numbers, and then they only end up paying for it with their lives! They did not ask to be born!
Our Objectives
To reduce the number of unwanted, severely neglected and abused animals.
To minimize the incidence of animal cruelty and abuse.
To improve general standards of animal health and welfare, thereby improving the health and welfare of people too.
To encourage responsible pet care and farm animal care and ownership, through humane education.
Provide primary health care services such as vaccinations, deworming, sterilization, tick and flea control and micro-chipping.
Our Team
Richelle Graham, our Founder and Director started working in animal welfare 16 years ago, volunteering all her time at a local SPCA. One tragic day, a call came in about a pregnant dog tied to a railway line. Richelle rushed there as fast as she could but the train had already gone over the dog and had severed her leg. After cutting her loose and rushing her to the nearest vet, she had lost all her puppies. Richelle, ordered the vet to do everything to save the dog's life and promised to raise all the money herself by getting her story out in the public.
Richelle named her Lucky Lucy and she lived an exemplary and beautiful life up until early in 2025 she had passed away.
Inspired by Lucky Lucy's will to survive, Richelle quit her modelling and acting career to dedicate herself full time to work in animal welfare. After a few years in animal welfare, Richelle finally set up Dead Animals Walking in 2014. The name of the organisation represents exactly the sort of animals we rescue. DAW is now 12 years old!
Shirnol Willemse, our Kennel Manager and Kennel Hand, Peter, dedicates their lives beyond means to help run DAW successfully. They help Richelle ensure the haven is running smoothly and all the animals are cared for and the premises kept in the best condition, also doing the daily township runs, countless vet visits, mass sterilizations and 24/7 care of every sick animal in our haven. They keep the haven clean and organised. Shirnol and Peter's passion and commitment to DAW is very commendable.
We are very grateful for the few volunteers that volunteer their free time and skills whenever they can. The help we get from our volunteers is indispensable. We are always in need of "paws" on deck. If you have any spare time or skills to volunteer, then please apply here.
Our board members also play an integral role in the proper management of the organization, as they dedicate all their time and effort voluntarily too.
Our donors can also have comfort knowing that C2M are our Chartered Accountants, ensuring that every donation made to DAW is well managed and dispensed for the purpose it was donated.
Projects
We mission our way through poor communities by tackling flea and tick ridden, manged, sick, injured, suffering, unsterilized and on the verge of death domestic township animals, as well as misused and misunderstood farm animals by providing a safe haven as well as creating a concerted, cooperative effort between the veterinary profession, the welfare sector (including the SPCA), private and corporate donors and the beneficiary community.
We believe in developing trustworthy relationships with the people whose animals we care for or rehabilitate. We have the following ongoing projects in the surrounding Townships like Moorreesburg and Paarl East in our immediate area as well as farms in Klipheuwel, Welbeloond, Malmesbury, Abbottsdale, and Klapmuts.
Rescue, Relief, Rehabilitation and Re-homing Campaigns
We do this daily by working in the impoverished communities and townships where we will rescue the truly hopeless almost lifeless animals.
We perform daily rescue missions in the townships and surrounding areas. We provide rehabilitation of these rescued animals through the safe haven on our farm and then re-home them through our adoption's process into loving families.
Unfortunately, some of the animals we encounter cannot be rehabilitated as they have surpassed any return from the suffering they have endured. For these animals, we can only provide them with relief by humanely euthanizing them.
Educational Programmes
We tackle this project once a month in our townships and schools in the surrounding areas.
Our goals are on teaching justice, respect and compassion for all life. Our programmes focus on stubbing ignorance and promote accountability and responsibility.
The destitute people and children in these communities suffer from lack of knowledge and thus cause suffering due to their lack of education. This can cause a vicious cycle, where the children get raised with lack of empathy or compassion for animals.
Social Upliftment Initiative
On a monthly basis we provide food for the people and their animals in these disadvantaged communities. They can barely afford food for themselves, let alone for their pets.
Along with this, we believe in uplifting these communities by providing them with the tools and skills to sustain themselves. We teach them how to grow their own vegetable gardens and how to do woodwork, this contributes to their self-worth by not only learning something but having a way to create an income and sustain themselves and their families.
Sterilization Projects
Funds permitting, we do mass sterilizations for as many animals as we can. Whether it's an animal in the township, or on the street scavenging or an animal with an owner that can't afford private vet fees. We do everything to prevent the contribution to the over-population crisis of animals.
We focus on changing the numbers one by one to reduce over-population, abuse, neglect and homeless animals.
Providing a safe haven for unwanted domestic & farm animals
We have a haven on the farm for the animals we rescue and work daily to provide them with only the best primary health care, shelter and love that they need and deserve, until they get adopted.
Donate
As a non-profit organization, we are always in need of donations. We believe anyone can contribute to the fight for animal welfare. Whether it be financial donations, volunteering your time and love or just donating food and other items we can use or sell.
We are constantly in need of the following donations:
Dog food: 25kg bags of dog food like Montego, Jock, Trusty, Pedigree, Vitamin and for the severe cases Hills and Royal Canine or even chicken, rice and vegetables.
Collars and leads all sizes, water bowls, food bowls.
Deworming tablets, tick and flea control, supplements such as Mirra-Cote or Efazol, Protexin or MSM for joints, also shampoos and ointments, F10 disinfectants, vaccinations,
Dog kennels, dog blankets or beds, toys and balls, chewy treats and all.
All throw away veggies and fruit for the farm animals and chicken food for all our feathered rescues.
Cleaning items such as dishwashing liquid, bleach, pine gel, black dip, sponges and cloths.
A wheelbarrow, spades, gumboots and overalls/workwear for a farm. Any and all fencing, roof sheets, cement and building materials.
All donations can be dropped off at the farm Monday to Friday 7am - 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am - 4pm. Pawlease call before the time so we know you are coming.
Pawlease do make an appointment first because we could be out in the field or busy with a veterinary emergency, so always make an appointment first.
Without regular financial contributions we wouldn’t be able to continue what we do.
Your contribution will assist us to achieve our further objectives:
Larger mass-sterilizations drives in disadvantaged communities.
The building of more rehabilitation and quarantine enclosures for animals that are being cared for at the Haven.
The construction of a fully equipped animal hospital on the premises to provide 24-hour care for the animals at our Haven, as well as to provide a service to the surrounding poorer communities.
Further projects in the disadvantaged communities to provide people with skills to become self-sufficient, such as planting and growing of vegetables gardens and teaching of woodwork and sewing skills.
Please use any of the following methods to donate or sign up for a monthly debit order.
Debit Order Form
For EFT's, Direct Deposit or International Transfer :
Dead Animals Walking
FNB Cheque Account: 62558850634
Branch: 250655
Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ
Ref: Your Name
Pawlease email proof of payment to info@deadanimalswalking.co.za.
Include your contact details for a thanks for your suppawt.
Note! DAW is PBO approved meaning we can issue Section 18A Tax Certificates for all donations, no matter the amount, every cent counts when you count every cent. In return you benefit from Tax Deductions and Exemptions just for opening your heart. Pawlease email dawtaxcertificates@gmail.com if you require one.
Thank you! We truly appreciate any and all donations and any help and suppawt we can get to continue our lifesaving work.
Volunteer
As we have an open-door policy, there is no strict criteria to become a volunteer, just the sheer will to help love, care for and run the haven successfully. However you do need to email info@deadanimalswalking.co.za or whatsapp 072 298 9086 to apply and make a booking. There is loads to do when volunteering at DAW, from walking an enthusiastic dog, to cleaning the dog or farm, animal runs, to just sitting and talking to the broke, badly abused, neglected or shy ones. When you become a DAW rescue volunteer, you're giving the animals what they want and need most: personal attention, hands-on care and love. Whether you volunteer for a day, a week or longer, the animals at the haven truly appreciate the time you spend with them.
Although we are a working haven, your volunteer experience doesn't matter as we will train you in all areas. Volunteer activities include tasks such as assisting with the cleaning of the animal areas, feeding, walking, spending quiet time socializing with our animals and grooming. Taking some of our animals on outings to town or other nearby locations is another way our volunteers help give them new and valuable experiences. Volunteers can also take some of our animals on sleepovers which help prepare them for their forever home. All these activities are very important for our animals and we appreciate you coming to the haven and pitching in!
If you can volunteer, then please call us on 072 298 9086 or email info@deadanimalswalking.co.za.
We also allow visits to the Haven by appointment, Monday to Friday 7am - 6pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am - 4pm.
Adopt
Re-homing the rehabilitated animals is an integral part of our mission. If you are interested in adopting any of our animals, pawlease make an appointment to visit our haven (Monday to Friday 7am - 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am - 4pm) to see what animals are ready for adoption.
You can find more information and application forms below. When we have reviewed your application, we will do a home visit and if all goes well, we will assist in the introduction of your new family member.
The adoption fee is R600 and this is necessary to cover the cost of the initial vaccinations, deworming, mandatory sterilisation at 6 months, microchip, and tick and flea control.
