Women’s Day special: Ambassadors of selfless love, these exemplary women have dedicated their lives to animal welfare

Tireless and relentless, Roxanne calls her dedication to animal welfare “a way of life”. At her Probably Paradise Shelter (World For All) at Takve near Karjat, Maharashtra, she takes care of 435 animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, cows, calves, dogs and cats.

She tells us, “We rescue animals injured in accidents. We also neuter street animals and make medical help available to them. My goal is to give them a last forever home, where they can die with dignity.”

While she calls her journey “rewarding”, it is not without challenges: “Money is always lacking. Animal rescue support is mostly an afterthought, especially when it comes to CSR funding. Running a shelter is not cheap and these animals are totally dependent on us. Tolerance is also lacking. Women, children and animals are still considered a commodity by many.”

Ask Roxanne what her biggest strength is, and she replies, “My ability to stand up to bullying, multitasking, common sense, and working with knowledge not emotion.” And of course, unconditional love.

Sudipta Maity

At her shelters in Sector 63-A and Sector 59, Gurgaon, Sudipta is a doting mom to over 500 animals, including over 450 dogs, 25 plus cats, 20 rabbits, a few guinea pigs, parrots, goats, and bulls. She is the founder of Ednas Welfare Foundation and a partner and core member of IndieLove Welfare Foundation, which operates in Delhi and Gurgaon.

Sudipta tells us, “I work in two aspects. Firstly, we focus on the sterilisation, vaccination, feeding, and on-spot care of animals that live on the streets in an urban village in Delhi without any facilities or care. The second part is to focus on treatment and rehabilitation. Most of the animals at the shelter either have special needs or critical illness or, are recovering from it.”

Ask her about her motivation and she replies, “The fact that if I don’t, no one else will. On many days, I come across animals who have nowhere to go, and no one to depend on. I know that I can’t back down, as there are 100 others in the world who are already ignoring them.”

As an animal welfare activist, Sudipta’s biggest challenge “is people”. “People lack humanity and make animal lives extremely difficult. There are others who believe that helping any animal, even if it’s giving water or caring for their own pet, is an NGO’s responsibility and NGOs get paid for it. Though I am a veterinary science student, some people who undermine my work or knowledge solely because I am a woman.”

Genevieve Adil Dubash

For Genevieve, love for animals is in her genes, with even her grandparents and parents being rescuers and care givers. “My ashram at Tansa forest in Ganeshpuri (Maharashtra) is home to over 150 dogs and cats, all rescues who have endured the worst experiences on the streets,” says Genevieve, who is the founder, president and managing trustee of Animal Welfare and Rescue Efforts (AWARE) Foundation.

The organisation works in multiple areas, including neutering, vaccinations, recuperation of severely disabled animals, intensive care for animals with rare genetic disorders, cancer treatment, geriatric and infant care, daily feeding programmes and rescue operations.

Given the scope of her work, ask Genevive about her challenges and she replies, “I do not see myself as an activist or rescuer. I am a person with immense love and respect for animals and Nature. When your dedication knows no bounds, there is no challenge which cannot be overcome. I view challenges as stepping stones.”

Cela Bose

Cela’s NGO, Paradise, in Malad (Mumbai) “is dedicated solely to the rescue, treatment, and shelter of animals.”

Her shelter at Uttan Gorai Road is home to 42 dogs and 21 cats. “They are all a mix of rescues with different conditions — some are tripods, some partially or fully blind, some severely malnourished or previously injured. We also have about five cows, each with their own rescue story,” she tells us, adding, “Our focus is on rescuing, treating, and fostering animals. Once they recover, we release them into designated safe zones. However, if they are too weak or unfit to survive on their own, we provide them a permanent home.”

An admin employee at an MNC, Cela’s tryst with animals began about five years ago, when she rescued four malnourished cats from a person who was too poor to care for them. “Watching an animal recover, a rescued soul finding relief…their transformation from suffering to happiness, is what drives me to keep going,” she says.

Avni Ajmera

An independent rescuer and volunteer, Avni juggles her passion for animal welfare along with a busy job as a content strategist and visual storyteller. Today, she and her husband, filmmaker Mohit Kundu, have four rescued dogs at their Delhi home, including a blind canine with trauma, and they also take care of 12 strays in their neighbourhood. That apart, on the 21st of every month (her birth date), they sponsor food for more than 400 dogs across Delhi/NCR.

“We also sponsor shelters on important dates like anniversaries, birthdays in family, death anniversary of grandparents, etc. Everytime we get a project or good news or a payment is cleared, we sponsor a few animals straight away,” she says.

She adds, “Many people love animals and want to do something, but they don’t know where to start. You can start with creating a cycle within your immediate surroundings — seek support from your roommates, friends and family to look after the animals, plants and birds in your locality. I too juggle between personal responsibilities and financial constraints. All I want to say is, one step collectively taken by a few individuals echoes into lasting, sustainable changes in our neighborhood, without being a burden on one person.”