In 2006, committee member Virginia Keys brought MAWS to the attention of Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS), a UK-based veterinary charity. WVS took an interest in MAWS' campaign and helped to recruit veterinary personnel who would pay their own way to Botswana, and bring donated medicines from WVS. The first of these recruiting drives resulted in a three-week neutering campaign, and by the end of the year MAWS had sterilised 392 dogs and 23 cats.
On 5th September 2007, MAWS was officially inaugurated as a non-profit organisation in Botswana. Formal charity status allows MAWS to actively fundraise within Botswana and overseas, and the charity now has a number of regular donors. This has resulted in a marked improvement in Maun's domestic animal population. Neutered dogs can't breed and are less likely to stray onto the roads in search of other dogs. Even the local authorities have noticed the reduction in car accidents due to dogs on the road. Furthermore the vaccination campaign means the dogs enjoy better health and longer lives, while the risk of disease transmission to the nearby wildlife is heavily reduced.
Most recently, in 2008, MAWS received the endorsement of the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust. Led by Dr. J. Weldon 'Tico' McNutt, the organisation encompasses a focus programme called Wild Entrust International, which shares MAWS' goal of controlling domestic animals so they do not encroach or infect wildlife populations.
