We have some very special birthdays in the early part of the year with our dogs being born in March, April and June. To celebrate we are seeking support for operational costs related to the search for cheetah scat. 100% of all donations made in the Just Giving platform are sent directly to our Carnivores. Livelihoods and Landscapes Charity account.

What is Scat?

Scat is the term for feces – usually referring to carnivores. With the help of modern biochemical methods, scat is a perfect source to know the species, the gender and even the individual itself. Finding scats from wide ranting species, like the cheetah, is tricky but the use of detection dogs is a very effective tool. The ACK Scat Dog project uses detection dogs to locate cheetah scat after our reconnaissance team confirms cheetah presence in an area. If there is a cheetah in the area, there is a high probability that they will defecate and our dogs will not miss finding the fresh scat. As part of the Kenyan National Cheetah Survey, as the use of dogs is a non-invasive method complimenting all other methods. the scat found by the dogs is collected and stored for studies on cheetah distribution, health and population relatedness. DNA from the scat enables us to confirm relationships of the cheetahs across their range.

Meet the Team

Action for Cheetahs implemented canine detection training in its program in 2015 after bringing Madoadoa (Madi) into our team as a 4-month-old puppy. 2026 will likely be Madi’s last year of field work. Madi will turn 11 years old in March - his eyesight and energy levels are beginning to show his age. When it is time, he will retire at our office/home in Nairobi, together with his former colleague Warrior, and enjoy life there.

In 2020, Persephone (Persi) and her sister, Artemis (Arti) joined the team. Unfortunately, in 2022, Arti fell ill from a tick born disease and passed away. Persi will turn 6 in April and she is in the peak of her performance.

In 2025, Apollo came to Kenya as rescue-dog from Austria. In June, Apollo will turn 2 years and he is quickly perfecting his performance. Apollo and Persi will carry on the team work into 2028 for the National Cheetah Survey and then the team will focus on areas where other activities can provide additional information on key populations through repeat surveys.

All three dogs undergo rigorous training under a Kenya based team of Evans Odundo, Kelvin Mwambilo, Karimba Lekitasharan and Dominic Loltianya – with consultation from Dr Leopold Slotta-Bachmayr. The dogs are focused on finding cheetah scat without being distracted by people, livestock, other animals or scents. Intense training and endurance exercises assure that the dogs and the handlers can work for several hours in rugged conditions. To ensure their performance they are fed a high energy diet. During the search each dog is kitted with harnesses, collars, tracking equipment, boots, goggles and leashes to assure they are protected from the harsh environment and safe from wildlife attacks. The human team is also kitted with uniforms including shoes, walkie talkies, tracking receivers and phones to assure their safety.

You can support our birthday team by contributing to this cause. Please include your email when making your donation so we can write to request your mailing address.

* Donations under $50 will receive bi-annual updates from our team – including health and accomplishments.

* Donations over $50 will also receive the updates and may also request a 2026 cheetah calendar.

* Donations over $150 may additionally request Scat Dog or ACK T-shirt (we will ask you to select the shirt from our online shirt selection).

* Donations over $250 will also be mentioned in social media and acknowledged on our web site.

Your donations will cover:

* $10 – Training toys (balls, tugs, scat canisters, feeding puzzles)

* $25 - Harnesses and leashes

* $50 - Dog Tactical gear, Handler shoes, or Handler coverall

* $100 – One month of dog food

* $150 – One day of field work

* $250 – Field Equipment and maintenance (tracking and GPS, walkie talkies and batteries, computer, phone, and internet)