What should I do if I see an injured, a diseased, or an otherwise suffering animal or witness an animal being abused?
To report a situation involving an animal in immediate danger in one of the areas of Maharashtra listed below, please contact Animal Rahat. These numbers are for emergencies only in the following areas.
• Pandharpur: 9552552049
• Sangli: 9850958484
• Satara: 9552553980
• Solapur: 9552552048
If you are calling after hours (between 6 p.m. and 9:30 a.m.), please call (0) 98201 22602.
If you have an animal emergency elsewhere in India, please call (0) 98201 22602.
Please stay with the animal until help arrives in order to make sure that he or she is properly tended to.
Are donations to Animal Rahat tax-deductible?
For U.S. taxpayers:
In order to be tax-deductible, donations to Animal Rahat must be made to PETA and noted as restricted for Animal Rahat. PETA will issue a written acknowledgment for all donations. Donations of more than $250 must have a written acknowledgement in order to be deductible for income tax purposes.
For Indian taxpayers:
Indian taxpayers who donate directly to Animal Rahat can claim a 50% tax deduction under section 80G of the Income Tax Act. Donations may be made by check or demand draft in the name of Animal Rahat or in cash. For donations sent via postal mail or given in person directly to Animal Rahat, a donation receipt is issued, which can be used to claim the deduction. Please note that donors may not claim a deduction under section 80G if a cash donation is more than Rs 10,000. Please email [email protected] to arrange for banking information.
Online donations to Animal Rahat cannot be used for a tax deduction under section 80G because the donations go through a third party before coming to Animal Rahat.
This information does not constitute tax, investment, or financial-planning advice. This information is not intended as specific advice for any individual since every person’s situation is unique. Please consult with your financial planner, attorney, or tax adviser as needed.
Where is Animal Rahat located, and what areas does it serve?
Animal Rahat is located and works in Maharashtra, India. The group operates four offices in Pandharpur, Sangli, Satara, and Solapur as well as two sanctuaries—one in Sangli and another outside Delhi. Teams respond to animal emergencies throughout Maharashtra and sometimes even in neighboring states and can often be found helping animals at brick kilns and sugar factories as well as at fairs and festivals in the region.
Can I visit the sanctuaries?
Animal Rahat’s sanctuaries are not open to the public in order to provide its many residents with the safest and most peaceful life possible. Special exceptions are sometimes made to accommodate visits from local schoolchildren as part of the Compassionate Citizen humane education program. Teachers who would like more information about arranging a class visit to the sanctuary in Sangli should contact [email protected]. All visit requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will depend on staff availability.
Can I volunteer with Animal Rahat?
Animal Rahat doesn’t have the resources to accept nonveterinary volunteers. Veterinary professionals who’d like more information about assisting Animal Rahat should contact [email protected]. All volunteer requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and the group’s ability to accommodate requests will depend on timing and staff availability.
What are the objectives of Animal Rahat?
Animal Rahat’s objectives include the following:
• Providing working animals—such as bullocks, donkeys, horses, and ponies—with free, crucial veterinary care
• Alleviating the suffering of other imperiled animals, including street dogs and injured wildlife
• Maintaining two sanctuaries for retired, orphaned, or abandoned animals
• Replacing working animals with motorized vehicles (such as replacing donkeys with mini-tractors)
• Providing owners who can’t afford to feed their aging bullocks with an alternative to slaughter
• Teaching owners techniques in preventive health care for their animals
• Conducting humane education outreach in local schools
• Working to improve the living conditions of “temple elephants” and to get them moved to sanctuaries when possible
Does Animal Rahat only help working animals?
Animal Rahat helps any animal who needs relief from pain and suffering. Along with working animals, the group is committed to aiding dogs, cats, wildlife, and other animals.
Aren’t government veterinarians already doing this?
As a result of the large number of working animals in the area, it’s common to find many who are overworked, injured, or suffering from afflictions that require immediate veterinary care that is rarely available to them. Many are unable to walk to a veterinarian—if there is one—for treatment, and a home, factory, or roadside visit is often the only way that they’ll receive medical attention. Animal Rahat works closely with government veterinary officials whenever possible.
What is Animal Rahat’s long-term vision?
Ultimately, it’s hoped that all working animals will be replaced with mini-tractors and other appropriate mechanized transport so that their suffering can be ended forever.
How will my donation be used?
When you make a gift to Animal Rahat, those funds are immediately put to use helping animals in desperate need. Your gift might fund a rescue of an animal in dire circumstances or the purchase of lifesaving medication, or it might help with the cost of food and grooming for a resident of one of Animal Rahat’s two sanctuaries. One thing is for certain: Your generous donation will provide essential resources so that the organization can purchase vital supplies and respond quickly to any animal in need.
If you’d like more details about the ways gifts to Animal Rahat directly benefited animals last year, please read its latest Annual Review.