A Liverpool vet is set to volunteer with a UK-based charity in Sri Lanka to help improve animal welfare in the country.
Kate Marriner, a 24-year-old vet, is joining the charity, Lucas Helps Dogs, to volunteer at a clinic in Yala.
The charity, which aims to change the lives of street animals in Sri Lanka, is holding a three-day pop-up spay and neuter clinic in January 2026 which will target the country’s most neglected regions.
Marriner said: “I’ve loved animals for as long as I can remember, and it breaks my heart to see so many strays struggling worldwide.
“Being part of this spay and neuter clinic gives me the chance to create real, lasting change by preventing more puppies and kittens being born into tough lives on the streets.”
She added: “I can’t wait to get involved.”
Marriner has previously volunteered at dog rescues both in the UK and abroad.
The pop up at Yala clinic follows the success of the charity’s monthly clinics in Hikkaduwa, from which they achieved more than 1,400 spay and neuter surgeries.
Alena Warburton, founder of Lucas Helps Dogs, said: “In Hikkaduwa, our work has already made a huge transformation – locals and tourists frequently tell us how much healthier the animals are and how different the area looks.
“But while we are delighted about this, we know there are still countless animals suffering in places no one else is helping. That’s why we’re taking our mission to Yala.”
The upcoming project is made possible through the charity’s network of volunteers, who fund their own travel costs to ensure donations are used directly for animal care – 99% of all money raised goes directly toward surgeries, vaccinations, treatments, and feeding programs.
However, delivering this pop-up clinic in addition to the charity’s regular monthly work comes at a significant extra cost.
Lucas Helps Dogs is urgently appealing for donations, as the charity is still around £2,000 short of the target needed to make the Yala clinic happen.
Alena said: “We are so grateful for our incredible volunteers like Kate, who give their time, skills, and passion.
“Their selflessness means that almost every pound donated goes straight to helping the animals. But we can’t do this clinic without extra help.”
She added: “Every donation, however small, will take us closer to changing the lives of hundreds of dogs and cats in Yala.”
For more information, visit the Lucas Helps Dogs website.
Featured image: Alena Warburton
