Protection & Shelter
A safe place for dogs in need, including abandoned, injured and vulnerable animals.
An animal welfare project in the making
Together, we can create a better future for animals in need in Belize.
We are starting from scratch. With an idea, a clear plan and the goal of making a lasting difference in the lives of animals in need in Belize.
Welcome to Tierhilfe Belize
We're glad you're here.
I'm delighted that you've found your way to our website.
To me, that means more than simply having another visitor to our website. It shows me that Silvia and I are not alone in our desire to help animals.
Our goal is clear: We want to help stray dogs in Belize. We want to create a safe place for them, provide reliable access to food and veterinary care, and use spaying and neutering programmes to help reduce the number of dogs that face this hardship in the future.
But I want to go one step further. I hope that the way dogs are treated in Belize can change fundamentally. A shelter alone will not solve the problem. Education, prevention and responsible animal care are every bit as important.
Why Belize? Because Belize is more than just a place on a map to me. I lived there for six years and know the situation we will be facing.
Silvia and I really are starting from scratch. We do not yet have an animal shelter in Belize. We do not yet own a property. And we cannot yet show you rescued dogs living at our facility.
What we can show you is our plan and every step we take along the way.
Take a look around. Ask us if anything is unclear. Share your ideas with us. Tell others about what we are trying to achieve. We don't want this idea to remain our project alone. We want it to become a community that gives animals in need in Belize a genuine chance.
Our Goal
What we want to achieve
Food & Water
Reliable access to food and water for the animals in our care.
Veterinary Care
Medical treatment for sick and injured animals.
Spaying, Neutering & Prevention
Not just dealing with the consequences, but addressing the underlying causes for the long term.
Rehoming
Where appropriate, helping suitable animals find responsible and caring homes.
Education
Promoting awareness of responsible animal care and a better approach to dogs.
Our aim is not to take as many dogs as possible into a shelter. Our long-term goal must be to reach a point where fewer and fewer dogs need a shelter in the first place.
An honest look at where we are
Where we stand today
We are at the beginning, and we have no intention of hiding that.
We are currently establishing the organisational and legal foundations of Tierhilfe Belize. Our Austrian association is in preparation, this website is being developed, and at the same time we are planning the steps required for our future work in Belize.
We do not yet own a property there. There is no shelter yet. We are not yet in a position to take animals into our care.
Before we do, we want to put everything necessary in place: a sound legal structure, sufficient funding, a suitable and securely fenced property, essential infrastructure, veterinary contacts and reliable long-term care.
We will not take an animal into our care until we can be sure that we are able to provide for it properly.
Building these foundations is already the first part of the project.
Step by step
Our Journey
- The IdeaOur experience in Belize led to the decision to build something ourselves.
- The ConceptThe organisational, financial and legal foundations are taking shape.
- The WebsiteYou are currently seeing one of the first visible steps.
- Establishing the Association in AustriaTierhilfe Belize receives its official Austrian association structure.
- First Project Mission to BelizeEstablish contacts and clarify legal questions, potential properties and actual costs on the ground.
- Legal Structure in BelizeCreate a sustainable legal foundation for our long-term work.
- PropertyAcquire a suitable location under the project's legal structure.
- Fencing & InfrastructureFirst, create a safe and secure environment.
- Operational ReadinessOnly begin taking in animals once their care can be guaranteed.
- 🐕 The First AnimalsThen our hands-on animal welfare work in Belize begins.
Our Principle
Building trust through transparency
At Tierhilfe Belize, trust should never simply be expected. It should be earned through transparency.
From the very beginning, we want to show openly which steps we are taking, which goals lie ahead, what resources are available, how funds are used and what has been achieved with them.
In the future, this will include clear information about income and expenditure, project costs, the use of funds and progress in Belize. We also intend to be open about the compensation of people who work for the project on a permanent basis.
And when we make mistakes, we don't want to hide them. We want to learn from them.
The people behind the idea
Martin & Silvia
Tierhilfe Belize grew out of a shared idea that we want to turn into reality, one step at a time.
Martin lived in Belize for six years. Our long-term goal is to live there ourselves and work on the ground for Tierhilfe Belize every day.
Tierhilfe Belize is not intended to become our personal property. We want to build a transparent and sustainable organisation focused on the animals of Belize, one that can continue even when other people eventually take on responsibility.
Our Community
Tierhilfe Belize – Supporters & Friends
We don't want to make this journey alone. Our future Facebook group is intended to become a place for supporters, friends and anyone interested in the project. We want to share our progress there, answer questions, gather ideas and engage in conversation.
Support does not mean money alone. Experience, contacts, knowledge, ideas and simply telling others about our project can be just as valuable.
Perhaps something begins right here that will one day help many animals in Belize.
Contact
Would you like to get to know us?
Do you have questions, ideas or experience that we could learn from? Then get in touch. We don't just want to find supporters. We want to listen, too.