A leafy Bengaluru tree-lined avenue with a dog resting under shade

Note for Akash: placeholder illustration, low priority.

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

If it's safe to do so, get the animal to the nearest vet or call CUPA's Trauma & Rescue Centre or Karuna's shelter - both run 24-hour ambulance pickups. Note the exact location and whether the animal can stand or move.

Bengaluru's animal welfare network is older and more layered than most Indian cities' - one organisation here traces its roots back to 1888. What follows is a working map of who does what, since the organisations genuinely specialise: some run 24-hour rescue ambulances, one runs a fundamentally different lifelong-care model with no rescue line at all, and one works exclusively with birds and reptiles. Getting this right before you call matters - especially at 2am with an injured dog on the road.

🏛️ 1888 the year Bengaluru's oldest active animal welfare body was founded

🐾 1,49,606 animals treated by CUPA's Trauma & Rescue Centre alone, to date

🏥 8,000+ dogs given lifelong sanctuary care by VOSD since 2013

CUPA - Compassion Unlimited Plus Action

Founded in 1991 by Crystal Rogers, an Englishwoman who made Bengaluru her home, CUPA grew into a network of dedicated centres, each handling a different part of the work:

Trauma & Rescue Centre - Hebbal, the core emergency operation with IPD/OPD care and ambulance pickups for sick or injured street animals
Second Chance Adoption Centre - Dommasandra, Sarjapura Road, CUPA's dedicated adoption program
Large Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre - Kengeri New Town, caring for working animals like cows, bulls, donkeys, and horses
Mylappanahalli Geriatric Centre - long-term care for senior dogs
Small Animal Specialty Hospital - RT Nagar, a working veterinary hospital for pet owners' sterilisation, grooming, and medical needs

Trauma & Rescue: KVAFSU, Veterinary College Campus, Bellary Road, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024
Phone: +91 98454 25678 / 080-2294 7301
Timings: 10am–5pm daily
Official source: cupabangalore.org · Facebook · Instagram

Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka

The oldest organisation on this list by a wide margin. What's now Karuna began in 1888 as the Bangalore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, formally re-registered under its current name in 2001. Their shelter at the Veterinary College campus in Hebbal houses roughly 400 animals of various species at any time and runs ambulance pickups around the clock. Karuna also operates a network of 11 branches across Karnataka state.

Animal Shelter: Veterinary College Campus, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024
Admin office: Kasturba Road, opposite Queens Statue, Bangalore 560001
Phone: 080-2341 1181
Official source: karunaanimalwelfare.org · Facebook · Instagram

VOSD - Voice of Stray Dogs

Important - VOSD does not run an emergency rescue helpline

VOSD's own site states this directly: no helpline, no emergency rescue service for dogs. For an injured stray, call CUPA or Karuna instead. VOSD's actual services are a lifelong no-kill sanctuary (dogs are never put up for adoption - they stay permanently), free remote veterinary assistance for existing owners and rescuers, a dog-surrender program for owners who can no longer keep a dog, and free legal assistance for dog-related cases. Contact is via WhatsApp only.

Founded in 2013, VOSD has taken in over 8,000 dogs from more than 30 Indian cities, providing lifelong sanctuary care rather than rehoming - dogs stay permanently, each given a name, none ever euthanised for lack of space or resources. VOSD also built India's first canine blood bank as part of its broader hospital operation, and offers free remote veterinary and legal assistance to dog owners and rescuers across the country.

Corporate office: A 506, Tower A, Carlton Towers, 1 HAL Airport Road, Indiranagar II Stage, Bangalore 560008
WhatsApp only: +91 97597 50660
Official source: vosd.in · Facebook · Instagram · LinkedIn

CARE - Charlie's Animal Rescue Centre

Based in Yelahanka in north Bengaluru, CARE focuses on rescue, treatment, and adoption of cats and dogs.

Address: Survey No. 124, Mitteganahalli Cross, Kogilu Village, Yelahanka Hobli, Bangalore North 560064
Phone: +91 81230 38270 / +91 90359 99372
Visiting hours: 11am–4pm
Official source: charlies-care.com · Instagram · Facebook

People For Animals, Bangalore

The Bangalore branch of India's PFA network runs three genuinely separate contact lines for three separate purposes - worth knowing which applies rather than guessing. They also run a pet cemetery service, unusual among shelters on this list.

Rescues: +91 99000 25370 / +91 99803 39880
Report animal cruelty: +91 70224 57222
Pet cemetery: +91 81971 55004
Official source: peopleforanimalsbangalore.org

ARRC - Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Centre

Worth including specifically because it's a common point of confusion: ARRC does not rescue or treat dogs or cats - their focus is exclusively birds and reptiles. If you've found an injured bird rather than a dog, this is the more appropriate specialist call.

Official source: wildarrc.org

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if I find an injured stray dog in Bengaluru?
Call CUPA's Trauma & Rescue Centre (+91 98454 25678) or Karuna's shelter (080-2341 1181) - both run 24-hour ambulance pickups. Do not call VOSD for this; they don't offer emergency rescue.

Can I adopt a dog from VOSD?
No. VOSD's sanctuary dogs live there permanently and are never put up for adoption. For adoption, contact CUPA's Second Chance Adoption Centre or CARE instead.

Which Bengaluru shelter is the oldest?
Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka, tracing back to 1888.

What other emergency numbers are useful in Bengaluru?
Karuna's own contact page maintains a broader emergency directory worth knowing: BBMP's rabies helpline (6364 89 3322), a general animal helpline (8277 100 200), ARRC for birds specifically (9449 642 222), and the police control room for reported cruelty cases (112).

What if I find an injured bird or reptile?
Contact ARRC directly - they specialise in avian and reptile care and don't handle dogs or cats.

What about an injured cow or other large animal?
CUPA's Large Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre in Kengeri is the right call; for a large animal that's a road hazard rather than injured, BBMP's cattle and monkey catching line applies instead.

Guides tagged “animal rescue helpline Bengaluru”

Animal shelters and rescue helplines in Bengaluru: who to call