In Uganda, stray dogs are poisoned by the government and exploited by fraudsters. Ellie Lukenge does what no one else dares: he fights back. At the risk of his own life.
More than ten years on the front line for animals
Ellie Lukenge is the manager of Animal Lifeline Uganda (ALU), a genuine animal shelter in a country where the government typically has stray dogs and cats poisoned to combat rabies and overpopulation. For more than ten years, Ellie has chosen a different path: sterilising, neutering and vaccinating. His organisation has saved hundreds of animals from certain death and established free sterilisation clinics. Recently, thanks to donor support, more than 530 dogs and cats were sterilised and vaccinated, and no fewer than 9,000 animals benefited from free rabies vaccinations.
Ellie: “We mainly use the little money we earn from our salaries and the occasional donations from international supporters who sometimes help us.”
The fight against fake shelters
The only way to advocate for them is to protect their welfare, veterinary care and rights.— Ellie Lukenge, manager of Animal Lifeline Uganda
But Uganda is also known worldwide for a deeply troubling problem: the country has more fake animal shelters than anywhere else in the world. Organised criminal networks set up fraudulent shelters on a large scale, complete with stolen photos from real rescue centres, fake certificates and heart-rending stories. The money that generous donors transfer disappears into the pockets of the fraudsters. In some cases, animals are deliberately injured to create even more distressing images.
Ellie openly reports these networks to the authorities — and that is dangerous. He has already filed more than twenty complaints with the police. Members of criminal organisations have shown up at his shelter to threaten him in person. Still, he continues.
Recently, his efforts led to a concrete breakthrough. A 23-year-old man was arrested for animal abuse and a judge ordered the closure of his fake shelter. Thanks to a donation from Animal Heroes, Ellie was able to rescue the 33 dogs and transfer them to ALU — along with the associated costs for kennels, veterinary care and daily upkeep. Three of them did not survive.
Ellie: We have been threatened by fake shelter operators, but because we are determined to put an end to this practice, we have carried on.
Why intervention is so difficult
The scale and violent nature of the fraud make intervention extremely difficult. Legal organisations have no authority to seize animals, and attempts to track down fraudsters regularly result in threats. International organisations such as Animal-Kind International warn explicitly: this is a matter for the police, not for individual volunteers. Yet there are cautious signs of hope — at the end of 2024, an anonymous source indicated that the Ugandan government is considering taking action against fake animal shelters. Ellie Lukenge is not waiting to find out.
How to spot a fake shelter — and how to support a real one
The difference is often hard to see, but there are clear warning signs. Fake shelters always ask for money via personal accounts or anonymous PayPal accounts. They have no official registration with the Ugandan government (URSB) and no licence from the Ministry of Agriculture (MAAIF). Their social media followers are almost exclusively foreign animal lovers — no Ugandans. And if you look closely, you will see the same dogs appearing on multiple pages belonging to different ‘shelters’.
Animal Lifeline Uganda is verified and transparent. Through Animal Heroes, you can be certain that your donation reaches real animals — and the man who risks his life to stand up for them.
