Animal Rescue Services in Nairobi – 10 Providers
When a dog is hit by a car, a cat is trapped in a storm drain, or an elephant calf is found orphaned near a national park boundary, someone has to respond. Nairobi is home to a mix of animal welfare societies, wildlife trusts, rehabilitation centres and specialist rescue groups that do exactly this work, often around the clock and often on donations alone. This guide brings together 10 of them so that residents, visitors and anyone who needs help can find the right organisation quickly.
If you are looking for animal rescue services in Nairobi, this article explains who does what, where they are based, how to reach them and what each is best known for. Every provider gets a numbered section with a short introduction and a table showing the organisation’s name, a summary of its services, its contacts and its address. A short guide on what to do if you find an animal in distress closes the article.
How the Providers Were Found and Listed
Google Maps was the primary source for this list. The research followed this process:
- Searching Google Maps with a range of terms, including “animal rescue Nairobi”, “animal welfare society Nairobi”, “wildlife rescue Kenya”, “SPCA Nairobi”, “stray dog rescue Nairobi” and “wildlife orphanage sanctuary Nairobi”, repeated across different parts of the city, from Karen and Langata to Kilimani, Lavington and the northern suburbs.
- Reading each listing for its category, address, phone number, opening hours, star rating and number of reviews.
- Reading recent reviews to confirm the organisation actually rescues, treats or rehabilitates animals, rather than only running a pet shop, a zoo-style attraction or an unrelated business under a similar name.
- Balancing the final 10 across companion-animal welfare societies, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation trusts, a bird-specific rescue centre, a feline sanctuary, and broader conservation and welfare organisations that support rescue work.
A few notes before you use the list. The order is not a ranking. Ratings, review counts and opening hours were taken from Google Maps at the time of research (late September 2026) and can change. Some organisations focus on domestic animals such as dogs and cats, others focus on wildlife such as elephants, rhinos and birds of prey, and a few work across both areas through advocacy and funding rather than direct, on-site rescue. Read each entry’s introduction carefully so you contact the right one for your situation.
The 10 Providers
Below are the 10 organisations offering animal rescue services in Nairobi that made the list, each with a short introduction and a summary table.
1. Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA)
KSPCA is one of the most established names in animal rescue services in Nairobi, holding a 4.6 rating from over 700 reviews. Reviewers describe an organisation genuinely dedicated to rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming, with more rescued dogs and cats on site than it can comfortably house. It also runs a low-cost clinic, a pet shop, and community events such as a Saturday farmers market. Its head office on Langata Road handles cruelty complaints, cases of neglect, and general animal welfare enquiries for the city.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Kenya Society for the Protection & Care of Animals (KSPCA) |
| Services summary | Animal rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming and adoption, low-cost veterinary clinic, cruelty and neglect reporting, pet shop |
| Contacts | Phone: +254 709 007500 (head office: +254 20 2430318) |
| Address | Langata Road, Nairobi |
2. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is internationally known for rescuing and hand-raising orphaned elephants and rhinos, alongside broader anti-poaching and habitat protection work. It holds a 4.8 rating from 484 reviews, with visitors consistently praising the dedication of the keepers and the scale of the rescue and rehabilitation programme, which follows animals from orphaning through to release back into the wild. It operates from its own site near Nairobi National Park and from the well-known nursery within the park itself.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Sheldrick Wildlife Trust |
| Services summary | Rescue, hand-rearing and rehabilitation of orphaned elephants and rhinos, veterinary support for injured wildlife, anti-poaching support |
| Contacts | Contact via the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery line: +254 111 044200 |
| Address | Kibiku Road, off Magadi Road, Nairobi (with a visitor nursery inside Nairobi National Park, KWS Central Workshop Gate, Magadi Road) |
3. Nairobi Animal Orphanage
Run within Nairobi National Park, the Nairobi Animal Orphanage cares for injured, orphaned or confiscated wild animals, including big cats, primates and various antelope species, some of which are rehabilitated for release while others remain on site for long-term care. With over 6,500 reviews and a 4.4 rating, it is one of the most visited wildlife rescue sites in the city, though a few reviewers note that it can feel more like a viewing attraction than a working rescue centre, so it is best suited to general wildlife rescue enquiries rather than urgent, on-the-spot animal collection.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Nairobi Animal Orphanage |
| Services summary | Care, rehabilitation and housing of injured, orphaned or confiscated wildlife; public education and viewing |
| Contacts | Phone: +254 20 2379407 |
| Address | Karen, Nairobi National Park, Langata Road, Nairobi |
4. Raptor Rehabilitation Trust Kenya
Raptor Rehabilitation Trust Kenya specialises in treating and rehabilitating birds of prey, from owls and eagles to kites and vultures, many of which arrive injured after collisions, poisoning or habitat loss. It holds a 4.6 rating from 39 reviews, with visitors describing it as a dedicated, hardworking team operating what amounts to a hospital for birds. It is the go-to contact in Nairobi if you find an injured raptor or other bird of prey.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Raptor Rehabilitation Trust Kenya |
| Services summary | Rescue, veterinary treatment and rehabilitation of birds of prey and other raptors, release back into the wild where possible |
| Contacts | Phone: +254 721 969640 |
| Address | 159 Ushirika Road, Nairobi |
5. Nairobi Feline Sanctuary Tigoni
Nairobi Feline Sanctuary is a dedicated cat rescue and adoption centre in Tigoni, just outside the city, with a perfect 5.0 rating from 9 reviews. Reviewers describe a genuine safe haven where abandoned and injured cats, including one rescued with serious facial injuries after a patient two-day capture effort, are treated with real care before being made available for adoption. It is a strong option for anyone in or near Nairobi dealing with an injured, stray or abandoned cat.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Nairobi Feline Sanctuary Tigoni |
| Services summary | Rescue, treatment, fostering and adoption of stray, injured and abandoned cats and kittens |
| Contacts | Contact via the sanctuary’s Google Maps listing (no public phone number) |
| Address | Riara Ridge, Tigoni, Kenya |
6. TNR Trust Nairobi
TNR Trust focuses on trap-neuter-return work for community and stray dogs and cats, alongside general animal welfare support in the neighbourhoods it serves. It has a 4.3 rating from 6 reviews. Reviewers praise the dedication of the team, particularly a named vet, and its focus on both animal welfare and the surrounding community, although one recent review notes that the physical premises had been closed for a period, so it is worth calling ahead to confirm current operating status before visiting.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | TNR Trust Nairobi |
| Services summary | Trap-neuter-return for stray dogs and cats, community animal welfare support |
| Contacts | Phone: +254 743 618892 |
| Address | Nairobi, Kenya (exact premises status should be confirmed by phone) |
7. Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW)
ANAW is a Nairobi-based animal welfare organisation working across both companion animals and wildlife, with programmes covering rescue support, veterinary outreach, policy advocacy and community education on humane animal treatment. It holds a 4.7 rating from 25 reviews. As a policy and outreach-focused organisation, ANAW is a useful contact for welfare advocacy, partnerships and larger-scale animal welfare concerns rather than a single-site walk-in shelter.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) |
| Services summary | Animal welfare advocacy, veterinary outreach programmes, community education, support for rescue and rehabilitation initiatives |
| Contacts | Phone: +254 798 452625 |
| Address | Kifaru House, 137 Milima Road, Nairobi |
8. International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
IFAW’s Nairobi office coordinates regional animal welfare and wildlife protection work, including rescue-related programmes, disaster response for animals, and anti-trafficking efforts across East Africa. It has a 5.0 rating, though based on only 2 reviews, and one recent enquiry on its listing concerns adopting a rescued cat with kittens, suggesting the office does handle rescue and rehoming referrals alongside its broader advocacy work.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) |
| Services summary | Regional animal welfare and wildlife protection coordination, disaster response for animals, rescue and rehoming referrals |
| Contacts | Phone: +254 20 3870540 |
| Address | ACS Plaza, Lenana Road, Nairobi |
9. African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
African Wildlife Foundation is a major conservation organisation headquartered in Nairobi, working across Africa on habitat protection, anti-poaching and species conservation. It holds a 4.6 rating from 307 reviews, most describing its offices as a pleasant, professional working environment rather than a walk-in rescue site. AWF is best understood as a conservation and funding partner that supports rescue and rehabilitation efforts indirectly, rather than an organisation that itself collects injured animals, so direct rescue enquiries are better directed to a site-based rescue centre first.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | African Wildlife Foundation |
| Services summary | Wildlife conservation programming, anti-poaching support, habitat protection, partnerships supporting rescue and rehabilitation work |
| Contacts | Phone: +254 711 063000 |
| Address | AWF Conservation Centre, Ngong Road, Nairobi |
10. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery
Distinct from the main Sheldrick Wildlife Trust site, the Nursery inside Nairobi National Park is the public-facing rescue and hand-rearing centre where newly orphaned elephant and rhino calves are first brought for round-the-clock care. It has an outstanding 4.6 rating from 5,817 reviews, among the highest review volumes of any organisation on this list, with visitors consistently describing the keepers’ dedication and the emotional impact of seeing rescued calves being fed and cared for. It is the most direct public access point to Sheldrick’s elephant and rhino rescue work.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery |
| Services summary | Hand-rearing and round-the-clock care of newly rescued orphaned elephants and rhinos, public visiting hour for supporters |
| Contacts | Phone: +254 111 044200 |
| Address | KWS Central Workshop Gate, Magadi Road, Nairobi |
What to Do If You Find an Animal in Distress
If you come across an injured, orphaned or distressed animal in Nairobi, a few simple steps will help:
- Identify the type of animal first. A stray dog or cat is best directed to KSPCA or a feline-specific rescue, while an injured wild bird is best directed to Raptor Rehabilitation Trust Kenya, and an orphaned wild mammal to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust or the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.
- Call before you move the animal. Rescue teams can often advise you on safe handling over the phone, and moving an injured wild animal incorrectly can cause further harm.
- Note the exact location. A clear location, ideally with a pin or nearby landmark, helps a rescue team respond faster.
- Keep your distance from wildlife. Even a small or apparently harmless wild animal can be dangerous or highly stressed when approached; wait for guidance from a rescue organisation.
- Report cruelty or neglect to KSPCA, which is the primary body for investigating animal cruelty cases in the city.
Nairobi’s animal rescue landscape ranges from long-established welfare societies and specialist cat and bird sanctuaries to internationally recognised wildlife trusts and advocacy organisations. The 10 providers above were selected from Google Maps listings, checked against recent reviews, and chosen to cover both companion animals and wildlife across the city. Whichever situation you are facing, call the most relevant organisation first, describe what you have found clearly, and follow their guidance. That is the fastest way to get the right help from animal rescue services in Nairobi.