Symbolic adoption
You donate in the name of one animal or one species and usually receive a certificate, photos, updates or a souvenir. "Adoption" is a figure of speech: you do not own the animal, cannot take it home and have no say in its care.
What it usually pays for: Usually the organisation's programme as a whole, such as animal care, habitat protection or research, not only the individual animal in your photo. Read the programme terms to see where the money goes and what the souvenir pack costs.
Protected wildlife may not be owned or kept by private individuals (Law 5/1990 Article 21(2)(a), as amended by Law 32/2024). An "adoption" offer that promises you can own, keep or take home a protected wild animal is a red flag, not a symbolic adoption.
Sources: Conservation of the Southern River Terrapin Batagur affinis in Malaysia: a case study involving local community participation (Journal of Threatened Taxa, 2017) ↗ · UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990, Pasal I angka 10 (Pasal 21 ayat (2) huruf a) ↗
Food and veterinary care funds for shelters
Appeals from shelters (for dogs, cats or other animals) for day-to-day running costs or for one named medical case. You do not own the animals you help. Unless the appeal names a medical case, donations usually go to the shared needs of all residents.
What it usually pays for: Food, veterinary drugs and procedures, vaccines, sterilisation, cleaning, power and water, rent and keepers' wages. The WOAH dog population management standard says housing facilities need sustainable finances to cover ongoing running costs (Article 7.7.26).
A shelter is not a complete answer to free-roaming animals: WOAH notes that adoption is limited by the number of adoptive homes (Article 7.7.20). For medical appeals it is fair to ask for the vet's estimate or invoice and for an update after the money is raised.
Sources: WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Chapter 7.7 Dog population management, Article 7.7.20 ↗
Sterilisation and vaccination drives (including rabies vaccination)
Campaigns that sterilise and/or vaccinate owned or free-roaming dogs and cats, sometimes by catching, neutering, vaccinating and returning them. Donors receive no animal; the output is the number of animals treated and the vaccination coverage achieved.
What it usually pays for: Vets' time, anaesthesia and other drugs, vaccines and the cold chain, marking treated animals, transport, post-operative care and education for owners.
This is long-term work. WHO calls mass dog vaccination the most cost-effective way to prevent human rabies and says culling free-roaming dogs is not effective in controlling rabies. WOAH notes that reproduction control needs veterinary input for each individual animal (Article 7.7.18). A one-off drive rarely changes a population quickly, so ask about coverage targets and follow-up plans.
Sources: World Health Organization: Rabies fact sheet ↗ · WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Chapter 7.7 Dog population management, Article 7.7.18 ↗
Emergency rescue appeals (disasters, cruelty cases)
Urgent requests after floods, fires, eruptions or a viral cruelty case: to evacuate animals, treat the injured, and provide temporary shelter and food. For wildlife, evacuation during disasters is part of the government-regulated species rescue framework (Regulation 17/2024 Article 1 point 8 and Article 2).
What it usually pays for: Evacuation and transport, triage and treatment, cages or temporary housing, food and field staff.
Emergencies attract fraudsters. For disaster collections, the PUB permit may be arranged while the disaster is happening or within 30 days after collection ends, whereas non-disaster collections need a permit before they start (Directorate General of Social Empowerment Decree 78/2026). The 10% operating-cost cap described by the Ministry of Social Affairs does not apply to disaster-victim donations. Animal cruelty is a crime (Criminal Code Article 337), so cases should be reported to the police; donating to a viral video is not a substitute for a report.
Sources: UK Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator: Donate with Confidence ↗ · Keputusan Dirjen Pemberdayaan Sosial No. 78/5/SK/HK.01/4/2026, Lampiran I Bab II huruf c ↗ · UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang KUHP (berlaku 2 Januari 2026), Pasal 337 ayat (1) huruf a ↗
Habitat protection and land purchase
Money to protect, restore or secure forest, wetland or coast: buying or leasing land, planting and tending trees, fire prevention and agreements with local communities. Donors do not become owners of the land.
What it usually pays for: Land price or lease, survey and legal costs, nurseries and planting, years of maintenance, patrols and fire prevention, community programmes and monitoring.
National parks, nature reserves and similar conservation areas fall under the forestry minister's authority (Law 5/1990 Article 5A, as amended by Law 32/2024), so they cannot be "bought" with donations. Outside them, Law 32/2024 recognises Preservation Areas (Areal Preservasi), whose landholders must maintain their protective function (Article 1 point 16 and Article 9). Ask who holds the land title, what its legal status is and how long protection is guaranteed. Forest restoration needs a commitment of many years.
Sources: UU No. 32 Tahun 2024, Pasal I angka 1 (Pasal 1 angka 16) ↗ · IUCN (2019), Reforesting for the climate of tomorrow: Recommendations for strengthening orangutan conservation and climate change resilience in Kutai National Park, Indonesia ↗ · Luskin, Albert & Tobler (2017), Sumatran tiger survival threatened by deforestation despite increasing densities in parks, Nature Communications 8:1783 ↗
Anti-poaching patrols and wildlife-crime support
Funding for patrol teams that remove snares, gather information and support law enforcement (training, data analysis, legal support). In Indonesia, conservation crimes are investigated by police and civil-service investigators (PPNS) (Law 5/1990 Article 39, as amended by Law 32/2024); civil society supports them and does not replace them. Public reports can be used by PPNS as preliminary evidence (Article 39A).
What it usually pays for: Patrol team wages and rations, GPS units and cameras, snare removal, informant networks, training, data systems and legal aid.
Patrols can work: one study in Kerinci Seblat National Park recorded 4,433 snares removed in 642 patrols from 2000 to 2010. The same researchers note that whether anti-poaching enforcement works remains poorly understood, despite the millions spent on it every year. Ask for measurable results, such as snares removed or cases passed to investigators.
Sources: Linkie et al. (2015), Safeguarding Sumatran tigers: evaluating effectiveness of law enforcement patrols and local informant networks, Journal of Applied Ecology 52 ↗ · UU No. 32 Tahun 2024, Pasal I angka 19 (Pasal 39 ayat (1)) ↗
Wildlife rescue and release
Rescuing wild animals from conflict, trade, confiscation or disasters, caring for them and releasing them when suitable. For protected species, assessment involves a veterinarian (Regulation 17/2024 Article 8(1)), release needs the Director General's approval (Article 22(a)) and is carried out with the local conservation office and documented in an official release report (Article 26(1)).
What it usually pays for: Evacuation, veterinary care, quarantine, habituation near the release site (at least 3 days for rehabilitated animals, Article 25(3)), site assessments, transport and post-release monitoring.
Release is not always the best outcome. Hybrid animals must not be released (Article 19(3)), sites must be assessed, and IUCN guidance says a translocation should not proceed when risk is high. A video of someone "freeing" a protected animal without the conservation authority is not a release under the rules.
Sources: Permen LHK No. 17 Tahun 2024, Pasal 19 ayat (3) ↗ · IUCN/SSC (2013), Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations, Version 1.0 ↗
Research and monitoring
Money for population surveys, camera traps, wildlife health studies or tracking animals after release. The results are data, reports or publications, often months or years later, rather than an instant rescue story.
What it usually pays for: Field teams, equipment (camera traps, GPS collars), lab analysis, data processing, permits and publication.
Monitoring is a required part of an official release (Regulation 17/2024 Article 28) and of any sound translocation according to IUCN. Exceptions to the protected-wildlife prohibitions exist only for research, science or species rescue (Law 5/1990 Article 22(1)), so ask about research permits when a project handles protected animals.
Sources: IUCN/SSC (2013), Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations, Version 1.0 ↗ · Permen LHK No. 17 Tahun 2024, Pasal 28 ayat (1) ↗ · UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya, Pasal 22 ayat (1) (tidak diubah oleh UU 32/2024) ↗
Volunteering and voluntourism
Volunteering at shelters, sanctuaries, rehabilitation centres or field projects, sometimes sold as paid travel packages. The fee pays for lodging, food and coordination; part may go to the project. You are not guaranteed contact with animals, and good programmes deliberately limit it.
What it usually pays for: Volunteers' lodging and food, supervision, local transport and a contribution to the project. Ask for a breakdown of the fee before signing up.
Research shows many wildlife tourist attractions harm animal welfare and conservation without most tourists noticing. Using wild animals as photo props is a welfare problem; photos of people in contact with primates can suggest primates make suitable pets, and direct contact can spread disease. The word "sanctuary" is not regulated globally. In Indonesia, rehabilitation quarantine limits contact between animals and people (Regulation 17/2024 Article 31(3)). Offers to bathe, hold, bottle-feed or take selfies with wild animals are red flags.
Sources: Moorhouse et al. (2015), The Customer Isn't Always Right: Conservation and Animal Welfare Implications of the Increasing Demand for Wildlife Tourism, PLOS ONE ↗ · Carder et al. (2018), The Impact of ‘Selfie’ Tourism on the Behaviour and Welfare of Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloths, Animals 8(11):216 ↗ · IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, Section on Human-Primate Interactions: Responsible Primate-Watching for Primate Tourism Professionals (2023) ↗ · Speiran (2025), The ‘Sanctuary Gap’: Reviewing the Research on Captive Wildlife Sanctuary Tourism, Animals 15(4):496 ↗
In-kind donations (goods and food)
Giving food, medicine, blankets, cages, cleaning supplies or equipment instead of money. In Indonesia, the PUB rules cover both money and goods (Law 9/1961 Article 1; Social Affairs Regulation 8/2021 Article 12(2)).
What it usually pays for: Goods are used directly. A licensed organiser is responsible for their condition, must distribute consumables within 1 month and durable goods within 3 months after collection ends, and bears the distribution costs (Regulation 8/2021 Articles 16 to 18).
Ask for the current needs list first; unsuitable items can become a storage burden. The US Federal Trade Commission warns that dishonest charities may inflate the value of donated goods to look bigger, so also look at how they spend cash.
Sources: UU No. 9 Tahun 1961 tentang Pengumpulan Uang atau Barang, Pasal 1 ↗ · Permensos No. 8 Tahun 2021, Pasal 16 ↗ · U.S. Federal Trade Commission: Before Giving to a Charity (Donating Things Instead of Money) ↗
Crowdfunding by individuals
A person asks for donations through social media, bank transfer, e-wallets or a crowdfunding platform for one animal or one cause. The money goes to the organiser, who controls how it is spent.
What it usually pays for: Whatever the organiser says, for example vet bills for one animal. There is no automatic guarantee the money is used as promised.
Under the PUB rules, permits are held by incorporated civil-society organisations (Regulation 8/2021 Article 3). Social media, apps and crowdfunding are recognised collection methods (Decree 78/2026), while collections within limited circles such as a school, office, neighbourhood or a spontaneous gathering need no permit (Regulation 8/2024 Article 4). For an appeal open to the public, check whether the platform or organisation behind it shows a PUB permit. Ask for vet invoices and follow-up news; it is safest to give to organisers you know.
Sources: U.S. Federal Trade Commission: Donating Through Crowdfunding, Social Media, and Fundraising Platforms ↗ · Keputusan Dirjen Pemberdayaan Sosial No. 78/5/SK/HK.01/4/2026, Lampiran I Bab II huruf e angka 1 ↗
Check the fundraising permit (PUB)
In Indonesia, any collection of money or goods from the public needs a permit in advance (Law 9/1961 Article 2(1)). Permits are given to the public through incorporated civil-society organisations, meaning associations (perkumpulan) or foundations (yayasan) (Social Affairs Regulation 8/2021 Article 3). Animal protection and environmental conservation are recognised purposes (Article 12(1)(g) and (h)).
No permit is needed for zakat, collections inside places of worship, emergencies within a limited circle, mutual help within a school, office, neighbourhood or village, and limited spontaneous gatherings (Regulation 8/2021 Article 4 as amended by Regulation 8/2024).
Who issues the permit depends on scope (Regulation 8/2021 Article 9): the Minister of Social Affairs for more than one province, one province when the applicant is based in another province, or aid sent abroad; the governor for more than one regency/city within one province; the regent or mayor for a single regency/city. A permit lasts at most 3 months and can be extended once by up to 1 month (Article 11).
How to check: the Ministry of Social Affairs runs a Cek Program page at simugbpub.kemensos.go.id to look up PUB programmes registered with the ministry (enter the organisation name and programme name, then a captcha). Digital permits are e-signed and carry a QR code so the public can verify them. Permits issued by a governor or regent/mayor may not appear there; ask the local social affairs office (dinas sosial) or one-stop licensing office (DPMPTSP).
Unlicensed organisers can receive written warnings and be publicly named in the media, besides criminal sanctions under the law (Regulation 8/2021 Articles 29 and 30; Law 9/1961 Article 8).
Basis: UU No. 9 Tahun 1961 tentang Pengumpulan Uang atau Barang, Pasal 2 ayat (1) ↗ · Permensos No. 8 Tahun 2021, Pasal 12 ayat (1) ↗ · Keputusan Dirjen Pemberdayaan Sosial No. 78/5/SK/HK.01/4/2026 tentang Pedoman Teknis Penyelenggaraan PUB, Lampiran I Bab II huruf d angka 7 huruf e ↗ · Permensos No. 8 Tahun 2024 (perubahan Permensos 8/2021), Pasal I angka 1 (Pasal 4) ↗ · Kementerian Sosial, SIMUGB-PUB: Cek Program ↗ · Kementerian Sosial: Kemensos Luncurkan Aplikasi Permudah Izin Sumbangan dan Undian Berhadiah (27 Desember 2024) ↗
What a licensed fundraiser must do
Licensed fundraisers must report on the collection with supporting evidence: what was collected, how it was distributed, a statement of full responsibility, documentation of distribution, and a public accountant's audit when more than Rp500 million is collected. The report goes to the permit issuer within 30 days after distribution ends (Social Affairs Regulation 8/2021 Article 25).
Money for non-construction purposes must be distributed within 3 months after collection ends, and for physical construction or rebuilding within 1 year (Regulation 8/2021 Article 14).
Fundraising costs are capped at 10% of the amount collected (Government Regulation 29/1980 Article 6(1)); the Ministry of Social Affairs explains that this cap does not apply to donations for disaster victims.
Since 2024, applicants also commit to publishing an organisational profile with at least its history, board, activities, address and phone number (Regulation 8/2024, Article 5(1)(k)). A licensed collection may not take the form of crypto-assets, foreign payment systems or foreign bank accounts (Decree 78/2026).
You may ask the fundraiser about all of this. The public can also monitor PUB collections and report findings through the ministry's online system (Decree 78/2026, Chapter III).
Basis: Permensos No. 8 Tahun 2021, Pasal 25 ayat (2) huruf d ↗ · PP No. 29 Tahun 1980 tentang Pelaksanaan Pengumpulan Sumbangan, Pasal 6 ayat (1) ↗ · Kementerian Sosial, SIMUGB-PUB: Perizinan Pengumpulan Uang/Barang ↗ · Permensos No. 8 Tahun 2024, Pasal I angka 2 (Pasal 5 ayat (1) huruf k) ↗ · Keputusan Dirjen Pemberdayaan Sosial No. 78/5/SK/HK.01/4/2026, Lampiran I Bab III ↗
Protected wildlife: who may care for it
No one may hunt, catch, keep, own, raise, transport or trade live protected animals (Law 5/1990 Article 21(2)(a) as amended by Law 32/2024). Exceptions exist only for research, science and/or species rescue (Law 5/1990 Article 22(1)).
Rescues follow Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation 17/2024 on species rescue: the assessment team is appointed by the head of the BKSDA or national park office (Article 5(1)), a veterinarian must be involved (Article 8(1)), and releases are carried out with the local office and an official release report (Article 26(1)). People already keeping a protected animal can hand it over voluntarily (Article 7(6)).
Wildlife rescue centres and rehabilitation centres are special-purpose conservation institutions (Regulation P.22/2019 Article 1 point 10 and Article 7(2)). They are managed through cooperation with incorporated partners, such as foundations or NGOs (Articles 20 and 21).
Red flag: an appeal showing someone keeping a protected wild animal at home, asking for money for its "care", or offering it for "adoption". Displaying protected animals in electronic media for commercial purposes without a permit is also prohibited (Law 5/1990 Article 21(2)(f) as amended by Law 32/2024).
Basis: UU No. 32 Tahun 2024, Pasal I angka 10 (Pasal 21 ayat (2) huruf f) ↗ · UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya, Pasal 22 ayat (1) (tidak diubah oleh UU 32/2024) ↗ · Permen LHK No. 17 Tahun 2024, Pasal 7 ayat (6) ↗ · Permen LHK No. P.22 Tahun 2019 tentang Lembaga Konservasi, Pasal 20 dan Pasal 21 ayat (2) ↗