South Pacific Animal Welfare

05/10/2026

We are incredibly proud of our August Tongatapu team, who delivered an outstanding level of care to more than 600 animals in just one week. 🐾

These clinics require an enormous amount of planning, coordination, and administration time to bring together - all by volunteers.

A huge congratulations and thank you to Kyleah, Angelina, Holly, Gamze, Sheridan, Wendy, and Margaret, along with JICA / MAFF veterinarian Shin, for providing veterinary care to 608 animals during our August clinic. This is an exceptional achievement and a testament to the commitment, compassion, and teamwork of everyone involved.

608 animals cared for in one week. Simply outstanding.
Read our full Impact Report here: 👇

https://spaw.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Impact-Report-Tongatapu-August-2026.pdf

Tonga Animal Welfare Society Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forest- Tonga

28/09/2026

Dr Angelina Piccoli recently volunteered with SPAW on her fourth trip undertaking a 17 hour journey to Tonga, all the way from the USA.

"I have been a veterinarian for 40 years and I have loved joining SPAW and their volunteers to do my small part to help relieve suffering. SPAW is a tremendous organisation, all of whom are volunteers taking time out of their busy lives to organise and support these trips. Together, we are a force for good in the South Pacific".

Read Angelina's full story here

This was my fourth trip with SPAW, I arrived on a Friday morning and it was great to be back in Tonga. I am from the US and had travelled nearly 17 hours to join an amazing group of veterinarians and technicians from New Zealand, to provide spey/neuter and wellness to the cats, dogs and even pigs an...

11/09/2026

And just like that another successful SPAW clinic comes to an end!

Tired but happy, our amazing volunteers will be returning to New Zealand this weekend with weary bodies, new friendships and lasting memories.

Thank you SPAW team Lauren, Laura, Yael, Akiko, Nicole, Karen and APS team Leisha and Tino.

Our next clinics will be in Tongatapu and Vava’u in October!

This SPAW clinic was in partnership with APS Samoa and made possible with the support of our Impact Partner The Van Den Brink Family. Thank you from us and the animals of Savai’i!

.samoa

10/09/2026

DAY 4 - Salelologa, Savai’i

A new location and another great day for our volunteers.

Surgeries included male and female cat and dog desexing, a complex hernia repair and treating open wounds and minor procedures, plus consultations for health checks and parasite treatment kept our team busy in between surgeries.

One more day to go at the same location, MAF premises, Salelologa.

This SPAW clinic is in partnership with APS Samoa.

Thank you to our Impact Partner The Van Den Brink Family for supporting this clinic.

aps.samoa
APS Samoa

09/09/2026

THANK YOU!
Long, hot, busy days at the SPAW clinic wouldn’t be possible without a constant supply of snacks, hydration and a good lunch.

On behalf of the team, thank you Savai’i Lagoon Resort for the surprise yummy lunch yesterday 🙏

And it wouldn’t be an island clinic without fresh coconuts, which our volunteers absolutely love, thank you Savai’i!

Generosity like this is so very much appreciated! Your contribution helps us help animals ❤️

www.savaiilagoon.co.nz

Savaii Lagoon Resort
APS Samoa

09/09/2026

DAY 3 - Lano, Savai’i

We just love how the community of Savai’i prioritises the health of their animals!
The steady stream of dogs and cats at the SPAW clinic is evidence that people care, and understand how important desexing pets is, not only for the animals but also for the community.

Less unwanted litters means less strays, fighting, suffering and also less burden on the families who have to feed and provide medical care for too many pets.

Thank you for caring and giving your pets a chance at a better life!

The last two days of clinic are Thu and Fri at MAF premises, Salelologa, from 830am. We close at 430pm so be there early afternoon if you want surgery done before we leave for the day.

This SPAW clinic is in partnership with APS Samoa.

Thank you to our Impact Partner The Van Den Brink family for supporting the SPAW Savai’i outreach.

APS Samoa

08/09/2026

DAY 2 - Lano, Savai’i
Often the island clinics are predominantly booked up by dogs but yesterday 11 of 24 surgeries were cats!

Life can be very tough for a cat, a single female cat can have multiple litters a year and the cat population quickly escalates out of control if there’s no focus on desexing cats.

It’s so wonderful to see communities taking care of their kitties and giving them a better chance of a life without pregnancies, vulnerable kittens to feed or unwanted litters roaming the streets and fighting for territory and survival.

Keep the cats coming, as well as dogs of all ages!

Tomorrow and Friday the clinic will be at MAF premises in Salelologa. See you there!

This SPAW clinic is in partnership with APS Samoa.

Thanks to the support our Impact Partner The Van Den Brink Family, clinics like these are possible 🙏

07/09/2026

DAY 1 - Foailuga, Savai’i

We are grateful to have a team experienced in island clinics and able to adjust quickly to the heat and makeshift conditions and hit the ground running, completing 23 surgeries with ease.

With a one hour drive to and from the clinic location, our volunteers had a long first day, but are well rested and ready for the new location today.

The next two days are at
Maota Tupai Falaniko Naniseni - Lano

🐈‍⬛🐶 Surgery space is limited so please arrive early.

Thank you to our IMPACT PARTNER the Van Den Brink Family for supporting this clinic.

Our Samoa SPAW clinics are in partnership with APS Samoa.

APS Samoa

06/09/2026

Our vet team has arrived safely in Savai’i, excited and ready for the first clinic which is open from 830am on Monday at the Assembly of God Church in Foailuga.

APS Samoa
aps.samoa

03/09/2026

As our volunteer team heads to Samoa today, we want to extend our deepest appreciation to our Impact Partner for this Savai’i clinic — the Van den Brink family of New Zealand. Louise, a founding board member and long‑time supporter of SPAW, has been part of our story from the very beginning, and her family’s continued generosity means a great deal to us.

Their gift has enabled SPAW to fully fund the medical provisions required for this week‑long outreach in partnership with APS Samoa. These projects are significant undertakings — complex, costly, and only possible through the support of our sponsors who stand beside us year after year.

Thank you, Louise and Karl. Your generosity is felt, valued, and truly impactful.