Anant Ambani launches national initiative to transform community animal welfare in India

The initiative brings together more than 50 animal welfare organisations from across India that care for community dogs, cats and large animals, while also providing veterinary hospital services, mobile rescue and veterinary services, and long-term care for animals.

At the heart of Champions of Care is a simple recognition: every community animal deserves care, protection and dignity. This includes dogs and cats living on the streets; abandoned and working animals such as cattle, donkeys and horses; and animals rescued following injury, abandonment or neglect.

Many require veterinary care, shelter, nourishment and long-term support, while community dogs and cats also require responsible population management, including animal birth control programmes.

Eight members of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the statutory advisory body mandated to promote animal welfare in the country, also participated in the gathering.

Through this initiative, it is estimated that around 2 million animals nationwide could be reached and supported every year through veterinary care, rescue, shelter, feeding and long-term care.

Every day, there are countless people who quietly care for animals in need, often with limited resources and little recognition, but with immense compassion. Their work reminds us that kindness has no boundaries and that every life deserves care, protection and dignity. Through Champions of Care, we hope to stand alongside this work, strengthen the care available to community animals and help build a more compassionate India. For us, this is what Every Life Matters truly means, Anant Ambani stated in a press note.

SP Gupta, Former Chairman and Current Member, AWBI, said, "I deeply appreciate Shri Anant Ambani Jis vision and leadership in bringing Champions of Care to life. I have travelled across the world, but have rarely seen an animal care centre where such advanced facilities and technology have been made available for animals, with a level of care comparable to what we aspire to provide for people. What touched me most was his personal effort to listen to the organisations, understand their challenges on the ground and respond with practical and sustainable solutions. By bringing these organisations together, he is not only recognising their dedication but also strengthening their collective ability to care for animals. This is a meaningful step towards a more compassionate future for community animals across India.

The two-day gathering at Vantara was designed to go beyond a formal meeting. On the first day, delegates experienced Vantara firsthand, witnessing how compassion is translated into care through specialised facilities, systems and practices.

They visited facilities dedicated to the care of rescued elephants and big cats, including lions, tigers and leopards, as well as naturalistic environments where free-roaming herbivores such as bison, zebras and various antelope species are cared for.

The experience offered delegates an opportunity to see how excellence in nutrition, veterinary care, housing, enrichment and lifelong care come together to support animal wellbeing, with many of these principles being equally relevant to the care of community animals.

The second day focused on connection, dialogue and collaboration, with participating organisations sharing their experiences, discussing common challenges and identifying areas where support is needed.

Together, they explored solutions through the sharing of knowledge, expertise, capabilities and resources, recognising that collaboration can help address many of the challenges involved in caring for animals.

A key milestone of the gathering was the signing of a Letter of Understanding between Vantara and all participating animal welfare organisations, formalising their shared commitment to work together to strengthen community animal welfare.

The understanding provides a framework for collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity building and practical support, enabling organisations to work together on solutions shaped by the needs they face on the ground.

Towards the close of the gathering, each participating organisation was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation signed by Anant Ambani, recognising their dedication and tireless efforts towards the care and welfare of animals.

The initiative will support the diverse needs identified by participating animal welfare organisations, including infrastructure, animal housing, ambulances and mobile services, rescue equipment and tools, diagnostic and treatment equipment, training and capacity building, and facilities for lifelong care.

Infrastructure support will include solar power systems, rainwater harvesting systems and improved drainage systems to help organisations develop more efficient, resilient and sustainable facilities.

Some organisations have also proposed education and awareness programmes for children and young people, as well as quarantine and disease-management infrastructure in response to the growing prevalence of infectious diseases.

The initiative is designed to provide sustainable solutions that strengthen organisational capacity and reduce dependence on short-term support.

Champions of Care is envisioned as a growing national initiative, with more animal welfare organisations expected to join the network in the years ahead.

As it expands, the initiative will create opportunities for organisations to share knowledge and expertise, build capacity and develop stronger approaches to animal welfare, creating a more connected collective response to the needs of community animals across India.

Champions of Care is an extension of Vantaras commitment to Every Life Matters, taking this belief beyond the animals in Vantaras care to the many animals supported every day by organisations working in community animal welfare across India.

By standing alongside these organisations, the initiative seeks to strengthen community animal welfare and ensure that more animals receive the care, compassion and dignity they deserve.

Eight members of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) attended the Champions of Care gathering: Girish J. Shah, Rajeev Gupta, IAS (Retd.), Prof. R. S. Chauhan, Ram Krishan Raghuvanshi, R. Raghu Ram Sharma, Anjali Gopalan, S. P. Gupta, IAS (Retd.), and Ajit Sharad Kelkar.

The animal welfare organisations participating in the Champions of Care initiative are:All About Them (Mumbai, Maharashtra); Animal Care Charitable Trust (Khambhaliya, Gujarat); Animal Care Trust (Mangaluru, Karnataka); Animal Welfare and Care Services Charitable Trust (Loharka Kalan, Amritsar, Punjab); Arham Always Care (Kalyan, Maharashtra); Asha Foundation (Ahmedabad, Gujarat); ASHRAY (Angels Shelter Home for Rescue Animals) (Haldwani, Uttarakhand); Blue Cross of India (Chennai, Tamil Nadu); CAPE Foundation (Kolkata, West Bengal); Careastray Foundation (Anklav, Gujarat); Chamba Animal Welfare Society (Leh, Ladakh); Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) (Bengaluru, Karnataka); Craeswel Foundation (Baramulla, Jammu & Kashmir); Dulari Animal Care Center / Vashundra Animal Welfare Trust (Noida, Uttar Pradesh); Happy Paws Foundation (Mumbai, Maharashtra); Help in Suffering (Jaipur, Rajasthan); Humane Animal Society (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu); In Defence of Animals (Mumbai, Maharashtra); JBF India Trust (Guwahati, Assam); Jivdaya Charitable Trust (Ahmedabad, Gujarat); K-Nine An Animal Welfare Society (Agartala, Tripura); Kashmir Animal Welfare Foundation (Budgam, Jammu & Kashmir); Mypalclub Foundation (Mumbai, Maharashtra); One Roof Animal Care (Jamnagar, Gujarat); Parevda Charitable Trust (Ahmedabad, Gujarat); PAW Kannur (Kannur, Kerala); Pashudhara Jeevrakshak Animal Care Foundation (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh); PAWS Thrissur (Thrissur, Kerala); People for Animals (Bhilai, Chhattisgarh); People for Animals (Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh); People for Animals (Gurugram, Haryana); People for Animals (Guwahati, Assam); People for Animals (Khamgaon, Maharashtra); People for Animals (Kollam, Kerala); People for Animals (Kolkata, West Bengal); People for Animals (Raipur, Chhattisgarh); People for Animals (Sikkim); People for Animals (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala); Petanity and Animal Rehabilitators Foundation (Chandrapur, Maharashtra); Purposeful Planet Foundation (Bankura, West Bengal); Rescue Foundation (Gujarat) (Ahmedabad, Gujarat); Sanghamitra Animal Foundation (Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh); Save Animals Value Environment (Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir); Straycare (Kullu, Himachal Pradesh); The Feline Foundation (Mumbai, Maharashtra); The Stray Army Charitable Trust (Chakulia/Jamshedpur, Jharkhand); Tree of Life for Animals (Ajmer, Rajasthan); Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (Ballari, Karnataka); WEFAA (Thrissur, Kerala); Welfare for Animals in Goa (WAG) (Goa); and World for All Animal Care and Adoptions (Mumbai, Maharashtra). (ANI)