Hendro Animal Rescue Centre

In the Beginning

Emasculated and starving animals with sore infested bodies, reports of hospitalization due to vicious dog attacks, and many rabies cases prompted the establishment of the Hendro Animal Rescue Centre (HARC) by a group of intrepid women from Animal Aid Abroad, an Australian based animal welfare charity.

Thanks to generous donors, Sylvia Bettis-Heijne and sister, Annemieke, 2 acres of land was donated to Bridging Lanka in 2019. The sisters wanted to build a place of refuge for injured and abandoned animals, as well as a sterilization and vaccination centre to manage the population of street dogs and cats. HARC is built in honour of their father, Hendro (aka Fritz), a businessman who visited Sri Lanka. His legacy lives through HARC and helps Mannar’s mutts, moggies, donkeys and other strays who find their way into this refuge.

HARC consists of a purpose-built animal clinic facility with two buildings consisting of 28 kennels, dog and puppy runs and 10 cat cages. Puppies and kittens are taken care of until they are healthy to be rehomed, while stray adult animals are treated and then released back to the area they were last seen. There are many mouths to feed, and we have staff cooking a daily risotto of rice, fish, beef, soya meat, dahl and vegetables mixed with turmeric.

Our Residents

The Rescued and Abandoned

We are sometimes placed in situations where we find kittens and puppies that have been dumped in public spaces like markets, on roads or in street alleys, simply left to fend for themselves. If left untended, many starve to death or are attacked by more aggressive dogs. We also find ourselves in situations where locals decide to bring stray animals to HARC that haven’t been weaned, and their chances of survival are challenging, especially if we get an entire litter.

HARC has had numbers up to twenty-nine puppies, rescued from outside the Mannar fish market. Many puppies have serious rashes over their bodies. First, they must be given the Parvo vaccine because this disease is rife and a real killer. We do our best to give them the humane care and attention they truly deserve.

Our Residents

Rehoming & Adoptions

A pariah dog, derived from the Sanskrit word ‘para’ meaning ‘outcast’ seems to have its fate decided before birth. Not many households want to adopt these stray mutts who sadly feed on garbage and scraps they can find.We would like to change this mindset and educate communities of the benefits of having a pet mutt or moggy who will be a loyal mate for life, a pet that provides unconditional love that no human can offer.

We encourage our supporters to adopt a mutt or moggy if you live in Sri Lanka or sponsor a donkey that is part of our Donkey Assisted Therapy program.Their lives are just as important as the pedigreed animals sought by many households in developed countries.

Community Outreach

Bridging Lanka’s Neuter & Rabies Vaxx Program

Bridging Lanka’s sterilisation and rabies vaccination program aims to reduce the excessive numbers of aggressive street dogs, reduce dog bites and safeguard against human-contracted rabies. The goal is a rabies-free Mannar District and a controlled dog population – starting on Mannar Island.

The project is in line with the Government of Sri Lanka’s National Strategic Plan for the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies (2022-2026) to prevent and control rabies, save lives, decrease the economic burden of rabies and ensure that the country is a safe tourist destination. Sri Lanka also plans to become one of the pioneer countries in South Asia in eliminating dog-mediated human rabies deaths ahead of the global goal of 2030.

At the end of December, 2024

Neuter/Vaxx
Rs 7,312,580 (AU$ 37,500)

HARC costs for abandoned puppies and kittens
Rs 1,247,080 (AU$ 6,395)

rabies vaccinations

sterilisations

skin allergy treatments

complex surgeries

cancer treatments

The Mutts & Moggies of Mannar

Public Health officials confirm 16,000 dogs live in Mannar, out of which 10,500 live on the streets, 4,500 on Mannar Island. In 2020, it is estimated that there were 1,679 dog bites; in 2021, 1064 bites and in 2022, 868 bites. The risk of contracting rabies, a life-threatening disease, is real. As of 4th April, 2025, over 2,000 dogs have been sterilized and given the rabies vaccination on Mannar island. The larger target is to reach 70% of the dog population in Mannar District and be a model for other jurisdictions to achieve the humane control of a stray dog population while safeguarding the health of the human population.

Bridging Lanka has partnered with the Public Veterinary Health Services (Ministry of Healthcare), Department of Animal Production & Health, Provincial Department of Health Services – Northern Province, the Regional Directorate of Health Services Mannar, the Mannar Urban Council, the Mannar Pradeshiya Sabha, the Sri Lanka Army and the Sri Lanka Police in the implementation of this important program.