Cupped hands gently holding a paw print, with a simple kennel silhouette

Note for Akash: placeholder illustration, swap whenever convenient.

If you've found an injured or distressed animal right now

Don't wait for a callback. If it's safe to do so, get the animal to the nearest vet, or call one of the helplines below. Note the exact location, whether the animal can stand or move, and stay nearby until help arrives if it's safe to.

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.

Delhi shelter: 271 & 273 Defence Colony Flyover Market, Jangpura side, New Delhi 110024
Phone: +91 11 3571 2913 / +91 11 3571 2939 / +91 888 2931 057
Gurugram sanctuary: +91 702 7777 951 / +91 702 7777 946
Adoption enquiries (WhatsApp): 98216 84093 / 85271 92716
Official source: friendicoes.org · Facebook · Instagram

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.

Address: Raja Garden, New Delhi 110027, near Shivaji College & Delhi Home Guards Head Office
Phone: +91 95608 02425 / +91 88823 25407
Official source: sanjaygandhianimalcarecentre.org · Facebook · Instagram

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.

Address: 14, Ashoka Road, New Delhi 110001
Phone: 011-2335 7088 / 011-2371 9293 / 011-2371 9294
Official source: peopleforanimalsindia.org · Facebook · LinkedIn

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.

Address: Village Rajokri (near the Rajokri temple), New Delhi 110038
Phone: +91 11 2412 4114 / +91 11 2412 4118
Vet Hospital direct line: +91 84480 83884
Official source: jeevashram.org · Facebook · Instagram

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.

Address: Next to Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
No verified current phone number or website - their previous domain has been lost to an unrelated third party. Best located by visiting the Digambar Jain Mandir in Chandni Chowk directly or asking locally.

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.

Address: C-9/7, Masudpur Market, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070
Phone: 011-2689 5737 / 011-2613 6435 / +91 98100 36255
Toll-free: 1800-11-5737
Official source: pawsindia.org · Facebook

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.

Guides tagged “adopt a dog Delhi”

Animal shelters and rescue helplines in Delhi: who to call

Guides tagged “adopt a dog Delhi”

Animal shelters and rescue helplines in Delhi: who to call