Animal shelters and rescue helplines in Delhi: who to call

Note for Akash: placeholder illustration, swap whenever convenient.

Delhi has one of India's older and denser networks of animal welfare organisations. Below is a working list of who does what — every entry links to the organisation's own site or official page, so you can verify it yourself rather than take our word for it.

Friendicoes SECA

Friendicoes started in 1975 as a small kindness club run by a group of school students, and has grown into one of Delhi's largest animal welfare operations — a city shelter and hospital in Defence Colony/Jangpura handling roughly 150–200 animals in residence at any time, plus a larger lifetime-care sanctuary and adoption centre in Gurugram. They run 24-hour ambulance service, an outpatient department seeing dozens of cases daily, sterilisation programs, and a mobile equine clinic.

Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre (SGACC)

One of Delhi's oldest animal hospitals, running since 1980 out of a legacy bequeathed by the late Mrs. Ruth Cowell of New South Wales, Australia. SGACC describes itself as India's oldest and Delhi's largest all-animal shelter, with a 24-hour IPD housing over 3,000 animals at any given time, a round-the-clock OPD with a night ambulance, ICU facilities for both large and small animals, and one of Delhi's only dedicated animal burial grounds.

People For Animals (PFA)

India's largest animal welfare network by scale — a nationwide chain with dozens of hospitals and units across the country, founded by Maneka Gandhi in 1992. PFA runs shelters, ambulance services, sterilisation programs, and rescue operations from its Delhi head office.

Jeevashram Foundation

Started in 1990 as a small shed for rescued animals in Rajokri Village, Jeevashram now runs a full veterinary hospital for both large and small animals, an Animal Birth Control programme, vaccination and awareness drives, and both permanent and temporary boarding. It also hosts a dedicated pet burial section, the Garden of Eternal Peace.

Charity Birds Hospital

A specific, unusual resource: a bird-only hospital operating inside the Digambar Jain Mandir in Chandni Chowk, treating dozens of birds a day — parrots, crows, pigeons, koels — entirely free and funded purely through donations, with no commercial arm at all. Worth knowing specifically for an injured bird, since general shelters aren't always set up for avian care.

PAWS (Pet Animal Welfare Society)

Based in Vasant Kunj and associated with RSPCA International, PAWS feeds, treats, fosters, and sterilises homeless dogs and cats before releasing them back into their territories, alongside an active adoption and volunteer programme. Notably, they run a toll-free helpline alongside their standard lines.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if I find an injured stray dog in Delhi?
If it's safe, get the animal to the nearest vet or call the nearest shelter's helpline directly. Note the exact location and the animal's condition.

Which Delhi shelter has the fastest ambulance response?
Friendicoes and SGACC both run dedicated 24-hour ambulance services and are generally the two fastest options depending on which part of the city you're in.

Where can I adopt a dog or cat in Delhi?
Friendicoes runs a dedicated adoption WhatsApp line separate from their general number; SGACC and PAWS also run active adoption programs. Contact them directly rather than going through unrelated third-party sellers.

What if I find an injured bird specifically?
Charity Birds Hospital in Chandni Chowk specialises in avian care and is a better first call than a general dog/cat shelter for birds.

How do I know these contacts are current?
Every organisation above except Charity Birds Hospital links to its own official website and social channels, verified directly. Charity Birds Hospital's old website domain has been lost to an unrelated third party — visit in person at the Digambar Jain Mandir, Chandni Chowk, or ask locally for their current number.