Kasturi Needs Your Support To Build A Safe Home For Hundreds Of Strays In Need

“On a normal day, we get at least 40-50 calls, sometimes it’s more than that. We try to attend to all of them but we can’t. Just a few months ago, we got the call about a stray dog who was hit by a train and while he wasn’t dead, he had a dislocated shoulder and his limbs were broken. We responded as fast as we could and gave him all the care that he needed. Today, he is walking around in our compound, wagging his tail and nothing makes us happier. They’re the reason we continue to do our work,” - Kasturi Ballal, Co-founder, Vatika Animal Sanctuary.  

Home to over 120 old and paralysed dogs, Vatika is the brainchild of an animal-loving engineer duo

Based out of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, this NGO has been working for more than 4 years for the betterment of stray and abandoned animals. Sankalp Gaidhani & Kasturi Ballal were both Electronics Engineers who left their cushy jobs so that they could take care of these innocent, voiceless souls. 8 years back, they had witnessed the Municipality workers in their area brutally killing street dogs. The kind-hearted couple refused to be just silent spectators and started their own NGO.  

“While our NGO got registered in 2015, we have been vocal about the cause of the strays in Raipur. In a place like this, there is not much awareness and every other day, we hear cases of animal cruelty. Even 6 years ago, there weren’t any proper sterilisation programs for the strays - they used to be either beaten up or poisoned to death. Kasturi and I have worked very hard to spread awareness and give a safe home to these animals,” - Sankalp Gaidhani, Co-founder, Vatika Animal Sanctuary.  

Over the years, they have rescued more than 5000 animals and are now home to around 120 dogs who are old, visually challenged and paralysed. These animals are in no condition to live outside and fend for themselves. Vatika sanctuary provides them with medical care, nutritious food and the much-needed love to give them a comfortable life. They also take in dogs with canine distemper, Parvo and even rare condition. Sankalp and Kasturi work round the clock for these helpless animals and have used up most of their savings without even a single doubt. 

It is sad how people think that animals don’t deserve as much love - we want to change that mindset 

When you speak to Kasturi and Sankalp, you will sense their deep love and concern for these innocent beings. These 30-year-olds say that they are so engrossed in their work that they hardly get time to visit their families.

“We almost got beaten up by an angry crowd while we were feeding the strays during the COVID lockdowns”, Sankalp quips. 

But they have no regrets or second thoughts. They want to establish sheds for sick animals, a small OPD and a dog sterilization unit. They have land of their own given by the government and they want to make the most out of it. 

“We request you all to please come forward and help us with the construction materials and surgical equipment so that we can save many more animals in need. The monsoons are here and the need is more than ever now. The rescue cases increase manifold in this season. Your support will make a huge difference.” 

Join hands with Sankalp and Kasturi and help them Vatika Animal Sanctuary a safe and comfortable home for countless stray animals who would otherwise die a painful death on the road. 

About the NGO: Founded by an animal-loving, engineer duo, Vatika Animal Sanctuary is an NGO based out of Raipur, Chhattisgarh. They’re home to around 120 sick and old dogs and have rescued more than 5000 dogs in the past few years. With the help of a dedicated team, they work tirelessly to save animals in need.