Our Story

It started with stray and sick cats, and then with Otis, a local Kenyan Shepherd teenage dog chained to a chair on a tiny balcony, left without shelter, water, or food frequently, as the family no longer wanted him. We could not walk past him. That instinct to step in has been part of our lives since childhood, and as our eyes opened to what was around us, we saw more than we ever expected: malnourishment and starvation, litters of puppies struggling to survive as mother dogs were injured or abused while searching for food, and cases of neglect rooted less in cruelty than in families who simply did not know better, or who were too stretched to feed themselves, let alone an animal.

It was in 2013, when we began volunteering with TNR Trust and KSPCA as foster carers and adoption coordinators, that this passion grew into something more structured, combining rescue with prevention. That experience shaped a core belief: lasting change requires both. As the need for rescue grew across our community, it became clear that a more dedicated space was needed, and Tumaini Tails Foundation was founded as a sanctuary in July 2026, looking at offering sustainable care alongside solutions that reduce suffering at its source.

Rescue remains at the heart of everything we do, through direct care, sanctuary support, fostering, and adoption, alongside our humane CSVR program: catching, sterilizing, vaccinating, and releasing free roaming animals.

We could not do this work alone. KSPCA and TNR Trust have generously supported many of our dogs through vaccinations and sterilizations, support we simply could not have done this work without. We also work very closely with Pawmoja, placing animals whose needs are better matched to what each of us can offer, giving them a better chance of finding a foster or forever home. As our work grew beyond what one home could hold, Forever Home and Nairobi Sanctuary for Stray Animals kindly stepped in to help, a kindness we are deeply grateful for.

We currently operate from a rented family home, funding this work ourselves and supported by the kindness of a small circle of volunteers, foster carers, adopters, and well-wishers. We are actively seeking land to lease long term, along with donors and sponsors, to help us build a permanent sanctuary complete with a dedicated clinic for our CSVR work. If you would like to be part of that next chapter, as a volunteer, foster carer, or supporter, we would love to hear from you.