Every day, across India, countless animals including strays and abandoned livestock depend on people who quietly rescue, feed and care for them. Now, these unsung animal caregivers are getting a powerful new support network.

On World Animal Day, Anant Ambani, Executive Director at Reliance Industries Limited, announced ‘Champions of Care’, a new national initiative focused on improving the lives of community animals across India.

Launched at Vantara in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the initiative brings together more than 50 animal welfare organisations from across the country. The gathering also included key statutory advisory members, creating a collaborative platform to address some of the most pressing challenges in community animal welfare.

The initiative will focus on street dogs and cats, abandoned livestock and working animals such as horses and donkeys. Through support for veterinary care, rescue operations, shelters and responsible population management, the network is estimated to reach around two million animals every year.

Supporting Those Who Care

At the heart of Champions of Care is a simple idea: every community animal deserves protection, care and dignity. The initiative also recognises the people working quietly on the front lines. Grassroots animal caregivers and welfare organisations often operate with limited resources while responding to rescues, illnesses, emergencies and shelter needs every day.

The new network aims to strengthen their ability to do this work by providing practical support based on needs identified on the ground. According to a report in The Times of India, the two-day gathering gave participating organisations an opportunity to experience Vantara’s approach to animal care. Delegates visited specialised facilities for rescued elephants and big cats.

The experience offered insights into veterinary medicine, nutrition, housing and lifelong care, while encouraging participants to explore how such practices could help improve community animal welfare. The gathering also became a space for dialogue and collaboration. Vantara and the participating organisations signed a Letter of Understanding, establishing a framework for knowledge sharing, capacity building and practical assistance.

Rather than focusing only on immediate assistance, Champions of Care aims to help organisations become more sustainable. Support could include mobile veterinary units, ambulances, rescue equipment, diagnostic and treatment tools, as well as infrastructure upgrades. Solar power systems, rainwater harvesting and improved drainage are among the measures planned to make shelters more efficient and resilient. Partners will also work on youth education programmes and strengthen quarantine and disease-management facilities to address infectious diseases.

A Network That Can Grow

Conceived as an extension of Vantara’s ‘Every Life Matters’ philosophy, Champions of Care is designed to expand in the years ahead.

By connecting organisations, sharing knowledge and strengthening resources, the initiative hopes to create a more coordinated approach to animal welfare—one that reaches animals not just in moments of crisis, but throughout their lives.