The Animal Care Center will be the first of its kind healthcare facility in India
India CSR News Network
MUMBAI: Today, Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra; Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Founder, People For Animals and Shri Ratan N. Tata, Chairman, Tata Trusts will be announcing the collaboration between Tata Trusts and People for Animals, to build a state-of-the-art, multi-specialty veterinary hospital and emergency clinic that will serve the needs of all domestic and farm animals at accessible and affordable rates. The hospital will be located at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai and is expected to be ready to welcome animals in two years.
Estimates indicate that there are at least 50,000 registered pets, 70,000 unregistered pets, 200,000 stray dogs, and 300,000 stray cats in Mumbai, for which there are only two full‐time animal hospitals that caters to all their needs, treating hundreds of animals daily. One full‐time animal hospital in Central Mumbai simply cannot cater to the needs of all the animals in distress across Greater Mumbai in a timely manner.
With the next closest animal hospital located in the neighbouring district of Thane, many sick or injured animals, both pets and strays, perish solely because of the lack of access to adequate local veterinary care facilities. The aim is to plug the existing gap in animal welfare in Maharashtra by setting up a strategically placed animal hospital catering to animals from Mumbai City, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Khandala, Lonavala, and Alibaug. All of the world’s major cities from New York to Shanghai have several comprehensive animal care facilities within city limits and Mumbai should be no exception.
The Animal Care Center is expected to be a state-of-the-art animal hospital spread over 9,000 sq mts with a total holding capacity of 235, with emergency, in-patient and out-patient facilities for small and large animals. The Center will be equipped with operation theatres, an intensive care unit, recovery rooms, imaging and pathology services. It is conceived as a one-stop destination that provides high-quality medical care for animals, with specialised services in orthopaedics, dentistry, trauma surgery and other treatments lacking at present in the greater Mumbai region.
In addition to the medical facilities for animals, the proposed hospital will also impart continuing veterinary education and training and host workshops and programmes for the skill development of practicing veterinarians. The Center will, additionally, train veterinary support staff to enable the building of a cadre of well-trained professionals who can service the hospital as well as contribute to the greater human resource needs in animal healthcare in India.
Over the last few years, Tata Trusts have been supporting several animal welfare institutions, and the endeavour to establish a state-of-the-art animal hospital will fulfil the urgent need of providing care to animals.
Tata Trusts and People For Animals are committed to ensuring that the Animal Care Center becomes a top-quality institution for animal healthcare in India by fostering international collaborations with partners such as Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, world leaders in veterinary care. Cornell University will bring to the project their expertise and provide inputs on the design, planning and operations of the facility.
