- Anant M. Ambani launches Vantara’s ‘Champions of Care’ to strengthen community animal welfare across India
- More than 50 animal welfare organisations unite to build a collaborative national care network
- Initiative could reach around two million animals every year through rescue, veterinary care, shelter and lifelong support
- Infrastructure, ambulances, rescue equipment, training, diagnostics and sustainable facilities to receive targeted support
- From ‘Every Life Matters’ to community action, Vantara seeks to take animal welfare beyond its own gates
NE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENT BUREAU
JAMNAGAR (GUJARAT), OCT 8
What if the real measure of a compassionate society is not how it treats the animals within its protected spaces, but how it responds to the countless creatures living unseen, injured, abandoned or struggling for survival on its streets?
Seeking to turn that question into a nationwide movement, Anant M. Ambani, Executive Director, Reliance Industries Limited and philanthropist dedicated to animal welfare, has launched ‘Champions of Care’, a new Vantara initiative designed to strengthen community animal welfare through practical, sustainable and collaborative solutions.
Announced on the occasion of World Animal Day, the initiative brings together more than 50 animal welfare organisations from across India, working with community dogs and cats, cattle, donkeys, horses and other animals requiring rescue, veterinary intervention, shelter, nourishment and long-term care.
The initiative is estimated to have the potential to reach around two million animals every year through a combination of veterinary care, rescue, shelter, feeding and lifelong support.
At its core is a deceptively simple proposition: every community animal deserves care, protection and dignity.
That philosophy extends from animals living on the streets to those abandoned, injured, neglected or rescued from difficult circumstances. It also recognises that meaningful community animal welfare requires more than emergency intervention — it demands responsible population management, veterinary care, disease control, shelter and sustained support.
‘Every Life Matters’ — Beyond the Vantara Gates
“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,” said Anant M. Ambani.
“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,” he added.
The initiative seeks to address a crucial gap in the animal-welfare ecosystem — organisations that are deeply committed to their work often operate with limited infrastructure, resources and institutional support.
By bringing them together, Vantara aims to convert individual efforts into a stronger collective response.
AWBI Members Witness Vantara’s Model of Care
Eight members of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the statutory advisory body mandated to promote animal welfare in the country, participated in the gathering.
Former Chairman and current AWBI Member S. P. Gupta praised the initiative and Anant Ambani’s personal engagement with participating organisations.
“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,” Gupta said.
“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,” he added, describing the initiative as a meaningful step towards a more compassionate future for community animals across India.
From Seeing Care to Sharing Care
The two-day gathering at Vantara was structured not merely as a formal meeting but as an immersive experience and collaborative exercise.
On the first day, delegates toured Vantara’s specialised facilities for rescued elephants and big cats, including lions, tigers and leopards, besides naturalistic environments where free-roaming herbivores such as bison, zebras and antelope are cared for.
The visit demonstrated how nutrition, veterinary medicine, housing, enrichment and lifelong care can come together as an integrated animal-welfare model — principles that can also inform community-animal care.
The second day moved the conversation from observation to collaboration, with participating organisations sharing their experiences, identifying common challenges and discussing areas where practical support could make the greatest difference.
A significant milestone was the signing of a Letter of Understanding between Vantara and all participating animal welfare organisations, establishing a framework for collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity building and practical support.
Each participating organisation was also presented with a Certificate of Appreciation signed by Anant Ambani, recognising its dedication to animal welfare.
Where the Need Is Greatest
The support under Champions of Care is intended to respond directly to needs identified by participating organisations.
These include infrastructure, animal housing, ambulances and mobile services, rescue equipment, diagnostic and treatment equipment, training and capacity building, and facilities for lifelong care.
The initiative also takes a sustainability-oriented approach. Proposed infrastructure interventions include solar power systems, rainwater harvesting and improved drainage, helping organisations build facilities that are more efficient and resilient.
Other identified needs include education and awareness programmes for children and young people, as well as quarantine and disease-management infrastructure amid concerns over infectious diseases.
The emphasis, therefore, is not simply on short-term assistance, but on strengthening the organisations themselves so that they can continue delivering care with greater capacity and reduced dependence on temporary support.
A National Network Takes Shape
Vantara envisions Champions of Care as a growing national network, with more animal welfare organisations expected to join in the years ahead.
The ambition is to create a connected ecosystem in which organisations can share knowledge, expertise, resources and capabilities while developing solutions shaped by realities on the ground.
The participating organisations currently span numerous States and Union Territories, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand and others.
From One Sanctuary to a Shared National Responsibility
Champions of Care represents an extension of Vantara’s ‘Every Life Matters’ philosophy — taking the principle beyond animals under Vantara’s direct care and into communities where countless animals depend on local organisations, volunteers and caregivers every day.
The larger message is unmistakable: animal welfare cannot remain the responsibility of isolated shelters, rescuers or individual compassionate citizens. It requires networks, knowledge, infrastructure, sustainable funding and collective action.
And if Champions of Care succeeds in turning those scattered acts of kindness into a coordinated national movement, the initiative could redefine what it means for a country to care for the animals with whom it shares its streets, villages and cities.