Does your heart skip a beat when you are pampered with unconditional TLC from a dog/cat/turtle? We know the feeling. If you, like us, believe in celebrating pet birthdays, go ‘Aww’ at the sight of a dog walking by or watch at least three cat videos a day – how about lending a helping hand at these Mumbai shelters?
Spend Time With Four-Legged Pals At These Mumbai Animal Shelters
Save Our Strays {SOS}
SOS’s agenda is focussed primarily on adoptions, sterilisation and providing first aid to stray cats and dogs. Founded in 2003 by Shirley Menon in Andheri, their our area of operation has expanded from Bandra to Goregaon in the western surburbs.
You can be a part of their first aid team, join their Bathe A Dog project, help with adoptions and collecting funds. You can even sponsor an animal {for the duration of a month, minimum} if you’re stretched for time.
YODA
If you know Mahim beach {opposite St. Michael’s church} and you enquire about a dog shelter, the friendly people there will direct you to YODA, the Youth Organisation in Defence of Animals, within minutes. It’s a small establishment in the dingy lanes of the slum area on the beach. But the way this shelter is reaching out to strays is mind boggling. You can volunteer with them to feed and groom the resident dogs, help with adoptions, take them to vets and spreading the word.
World For All
World For All has the largest network of animal lovers working in tandem through Facebook and WhatsApp groups in order to take care of stray puppies, dogs, kittens and cats. They assign jobs to volunteers only when there’s a requirement. You can help with adoptions, fund-raising, marketing and upkeep of the pets.
Cat Cafe Studio
Located in Versova, this place is a cat lover’s dream. Volunteer with them to take care of the cats and kittens at their studio. You’ll have to feed, groom, do vet visits and be subjected to happy purring from the feline friends. Their volunteering program is shift-based and flexible. One can lend a healing hand whenever feasible. Check out this video they made and channelise your inner cat lady/lad.
BSPCA
Volunteers are an essential part of the hospital team at The Bombay Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They have more than 50 volunteers from all over Mumbai who care for animals’ basic needs and provide support to enhance their overall quality of life.
They don’t accept temporary volunteers and require 12 hours of your time in a month. You can be a foster mom or dad for litters of puppies / kittens / birds, sign up for dog walking {weekdays and weekend}, groom dogs and horses, be a pet photographer, manage a dog kennel and help them raise funds. They have something for every animal lover.
In Defense Of Animals {IDA}
IDA has segregated volunteers into several groups. From volunteer coordination to marketing to operations and adoptions, you can help them recruitments, rescues, creative campaigns and content and daily needs off the animals at their shelter. They also have a specialised group calling out to legal, accounting, architects, vets and even automotive experts. All you have to do is decide which group you would fit in as per your liking and ability. They enroll volunteers for a period of one year, which can be renewed at the end of the year if desired.