Animal Rescue Organisation (ARO)

About us

Animal Rescue Organisation (ARO), originally known as the Voluntary Animal Rescue Organisation (VAR) was established in 1986 to combat the neglect and abuse of animals in the Old Crossroads area. At that time, when riots kept many people out of the indigent and informal settlements, VAR opted to go into these areas in need to reach the suffering animals.

There were no animal welfare organisation’s going into the very indigent areas providing a veterinary service to the informal settlements, so many animals were left destitute.

Given the economic status, the majority of pet owners had no transport of their own to take sick or injured animals for medical assistance.  The need for mobile welfare veterinary assistance was identified and this became the focus of the organisation’s mandate “TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING OF TOWNSHIP ANIMALS”.

VAR operated from the home of founding members Betty Hobbs and Ulrich Schafer in Kenilworth, and was registered as a formal NPO with the Department of Social Development in 2001 when ARO was given an NPO number. A Constitution was drawn up, a document which to this day, remains the foundation of the Organisation.