Last Updated on 9 December 2025 by Vanessa
Community cats have plenty of friends in Venice.
A dedicated volunteer group called Dingo Venezia takes care of them. The organization makes sure Venice’s feline residents are fed, healthy, neutered, and—whenever possible—placed in loving forever homes.
Once you learn more about Dingo Venezia, you start to see Venice’s community cats in a whole new light.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Dingo Venezia’s mission, the difference it makes in the cats’ everyday lives, and how you can support both Dingo Venezia and the cats that call this magical city home.
Dingo Venezia’s community cat mission in Venice: changing lives one meow at a time
Community cats of Venice: a short history
Venetians have loved and respected cats for centuries.
Cats kept rats away from ships, warehouses, and homes. Their presence and scent protected goods and helped the city thrive.
Many cats came from the East, while others were native. People saw them as essential to public life, so they fed them and cared for them.
In the late 1200s, sailors even brought cats on board and listed them in the ship’s logs. A designated sailor looked after them while the cats acted as insurance against rodents during long sea journeys.
When the Serenissima Republic fell, Venice entered a long period of hardship. Without the government’s protection, cats lost the support they once had.
Citizens tried to help, but the need was too great.
By the late 1950s, Venice’s once-proud cats had become a struggling population, weakened by disease and lack of care.
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How Dingo Venezia came about
In 1964, British animal lover Helena Sanders visited Venice for the first time. She saw the cats’ suffering and decided to help.
She launched an international campaign, and by 1969, the first founding group took shape: the Anglo-Venetian Group for the Defense of Stray Animals, known as Dingo.
The name came from the first dog they rescued from abandonment.
As the work grew, the group divided into two: Dingo, which focused on cats, and the League for the Defense of Dogs.
In those early years, Dingo Venezia relied on kind residents who fed thousands of stray cats and sheltered them in private homes and warehouses.
A cat refuge on the island of San Clemente
In 1989, the Municipal Administration recognized Dingo’s dedication.
It opened a cat refuge on the island of San Clemente and asked Dingo Venezia to manage it.
The space could house around 150 cats who needed safety and care.
Dingo Venezia also continued monitoring colonies on the lagoon islands to control overpopulation and prevent disease.
Moving to Malamocco
In 1999, the island of San Clemente was sold, and the refuge moved to Lido di Venezia, in Malamocco.
The city built a new shelter on a 2,500-square-meter property near the Malamocco cemetery and entrusted Dingo Venezia once again with its management.
The Municipality still provides annual support for food and cleaning. However, this contribution doesn’t cover everything, especially veterinary costs.
Treating sick, injured, and abandoned cats
Some cats are sick, injured, or abandoned.
Others are kittens needing homes or cats whose owners can no longer care for them.
The community, Dingo members, and sponsors help cover the full cost of their medical treatment.
However, Dingo Venezia works to make the shelter a safe stopover, not a permanent home.
Cats receive the care they need and then return to their colonies or move on to loving families.
The goal is simple: give the stray cats of Venice a healthier and more dignified life—now and in the years to come.
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Dingo Venezia today
Nowadays, Dingo Venezia still goes above and beyond to ensure the well-being of Venice’s community cats.
Feeding and healthcare
Volunteers feed the cats every day, and they make sure they get the medical care they need.
They arrange check-ups, treat illnesses, and step in whenever a cat needs extra help.
Cats with tipped ears
Dingo Venezia also provides neutering services. This helps control the population and creates a healthier environment for both cats and residents.
A woman who cares for several colonies told me that many cats have a small tip of their ear snipped off. This mark shows that the cat has already been sterilized.
She also mentioned that a British animal protection group once supported Dingo Venezia financially.
Today, Venetians themselves donate to keep the work going and to prevent more unwanted litters.
Cat houses
Volunteers have built cat houses throughout Venice. Some are simple piles of boxes with small openings. Others are sturdy wooden shelters. Each one, however, has a small metal plate at the entrance, a quiet sign of appreciation from the people who look after these cats.
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How to help Dingo Venezia and the community cats of Venice
If you’re passionate about making a difference for Dingo Venezia and the community cats of Venice, there are numerous ways you can lend your support:
Donate to support Venice’s community cats
Your donation makes a real difference in the lives of Venice’s cats. Your support helps pay for medicine, neutering, and daily food.
You can even team up with friends and create a small support group where everyone donates just €1 a month. Together, you can make a big impact.
You can also reach out to Dingo Venezia to ask what they need most—cat food, medical supplies, or other essentials. Every contribution, whether money or materials, strengthens their ability to care for these much-loved cats.
Help care for feline colonies
If you live in Venice, you can also support Dingo Venezia by helping monitor the city’s cat colonies. This means checking on their well-being and giving help when needed.
You can also volunteer at the Malamocco Cat Shelter. Tasks include giving food and water, changing litter, caring for kittens, helping cats that need medical support, playing with them, cleaning indoor and outdoor areas, doing small maintenance or gardening jobs, and welcoming visitors.
Offer temporary foster care
Some cats need a safe place to stay before or after surgery or while waiting for adoption. You can provide short-term care and give them comfort and stability during this important time.
Help with cat transfers
You can coordinate relay transports to move cats safely to the Malamocco Cat Shelter or to a veterinary clinic.
Support with administrative work
Dingo Venezia also needs help behind the scenes. You can assist with record keeping, data entry, or organizing events. These tasks keep the organization running smoothly.
Assist with fundraising
You can create or support fundraising events such as charity drives, bake sales, or online campaigns. These efforts bring in essential resources for the cats.
Host a sale for charity
You can organize a sale or auction with items you no longer need and donate the proceeds to Dingo Venezia or the Malamocco Cat Shelter. You declutter your home while helping cats at the same time.
Spread the word
Share this article and tell others about the work Dingo Venezia does. When you raise awareness, you help bring in more support and resources. Your voice can help keep their mission alive.
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Conclusion
Venetians treat their community cats with deep respect.
They don’t just tolerate them—they protect them and recognize their right to live safely in the city.
This attitude makes Venice feel like a place where coexistence truly works.
In the winding alleys and along the quiet canals, Venice shows that people and cats can share a city in harmony.
Dingo Venezia’s dedication, combined with the compassion of local residents, ensures that both cats and humans can continue to thrive side by side.
Please consider sharing this story to help spread the word about Dingo Venezia’s mission.
Photos courtesy of Shin Otani, author of The Cats of Venice
One Response
Hi, my husband lives in Cabella ligure, (AL) and there are guite many cats who needs help, i am from Finland and it is really strange to me, that no one is really helping these cats, they are giving food and loving, but then going from home some were ,and then no one takin care of them. I had allways cat in home from childhood, and i really love cats, and hope good home for them all. So i want to first ask for you, how much is sterilisation for female cats? I am not rich, and i am in Italy only few times a year, i could bring meaby some cats to Finland but they need first rabies vaccination. Can you ever think to come to help this beautiful Cabella these cats, wich is groing too much, and suffering in cold weather, there is even snow in winter time. I really need your help , please let me know what i can do, and how much is rabies vaccination? What i can do? Greetings from Finland now, i go to Cabella to be in July this year, and then x-mas time for some weeks.
Love, Mervi