A dog resting on a hillside path near Pune at dusk

Note for Akash: placeholder illustration, low priority.

If you've found an injured street dog or cat right now

Call Karma Foundation, not RESQ - RESQ's helplines are specifically for wildlife emergencies and large domestic animals, not routine street dog or cat cases. Alongside calling, send a WhatsApp with your live location and a short video of the injury; multiple sources note Pune's NGOs are capacity-strained and a call alone doesn't always get through quickly.

RESQ is excellent - for a specific kind of case

RESQ Charitable Trust's own helpline page states plainly that all four of its numbers "respond 24 hours for wildlife emergencies and large domestic animal cases only." RESQ is genuinely exceptional at this - government-authorised for state-wide wildlife rescue in Maharashtra, having treated over 230 species since 2007, and the right call for an injured wild animal, a stuck gaur, or a distressed large animal. It's just not the first call for an ordinary street dog or cat.

🦡 230+ wildlife species treated by RESQ since 2007

🐾 7,000+ stray animals rescued and treated by Karma Foundation every year

📍 4 RESQ helpline locations across Maharashtra - Pune, Baramati, Roha, Nashik

Karma Foundation

Founded in January 2018 and based in Aundh, Karma Foundation built a purpose-designed facility specifically for stray animal medical care - an in-house pathology lab, recovery units, an ICU, an operation theatre, and a free OPD clinic - rescuing, treating, and rehabilitating over 7,000 animals a year. Their daily sterilisation program follows international sedation and surgical standards, and their veterinary training program has hosted vet students and registered veterinarians for hands-on experience. For an injured street dog or cat in Pune, this is the more appropriate first call.

Address: Bungalow No. 1, Jacinta Villa, Ward No. 8, Aundh, Pune 411007 (opposite Sandalwood Society, near Ambedkar Chowk and Medipoint Hospital)
Phone: +91 83909 44337 (cross-referenced across independent listings; not confirmed via direct site fetch - verify before publishing if possible)
Official source: karmafoundation.ngo · LinkedIn

RESQ Charitable Trust

Founded in 2007, RESQ was Pune's original hands-on animal emergency responder at a time when no other organisation was doing that work in the city, and has since grown into a government-authorised state-wide wildlife rescue operation with an 85-plus-member team, working alongside the Maharashtra Forest Department on a dedicated Wildlife Transit Treatment Centre. As above, their helplines are specifically for wildlife and large domestic animal cases.

Address: Plot No. 3906, Paud Mulshi Road, Near 115 Hilltown, Near Chandani Chowk, Bavdhan, Pune 411021
Pune helpline: +91 91725 11100 (24 hrs, wildlife and large domestic animals only)
Baramati: +91 73877 71050 · Roha: +91 99223 30286 · Nashik: +91 86981 12211
Official source: resqct.org · Instagram · Facebook · LinkedIn

Other resources in Pune

Animal Rescue Trust (ART), founded by Farokh Irani and Vineeta Tandon, offers free lifelong refuge for rescued animals plus affordable medical care for strays, based near Manjari on the city's outskirts. Mission Possible Foundation, run out of a converted bungalow near Kumar Pacific Mall, focuses specifically on vaccination, neutering, and adoption placement. Neither had a phone number independently verified against a primary source for this piece.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if I find an injured stray dog in Pune?
Call Karma Foundation, not RESQ - RESQ's helplines are specifically scoped to wildlife and large domestic animal cases. Send a WhatsApp with live location and a short video alongside any call, since Pune's NGOs are commonly capacity-strained.

Why doesn't RESQ handle ordinary street dog cases?
Their own helpline page states their 24-hour lines are specifically for wildlife emergencies and large domestic animals. It's not that they refuse to help broadly - their organisational focus and government authorisation is specifically wildlife-oriented.

What if I find an injured wild animal or a large animal like a cow or gaur in distress?
RESQ is the right call - they're government-authorised for state-wide wildlife rescue in Maharashtra and have handled cases from leopard cubs to a stuck Indian gaur.

Does Pune have helplines outside the main city?
Yes - RESQ operates additional dedicated helplines for Baramati, Roha, and Nashik beyond the main Pune line.

Where can I adopt a dog or cat in Pune?
Karma Foundation, ART, and Mission Possible Foundation all run active adoption placements alongside their rescue and medical work.

Guides tagged “animal shelters Pune”

Animal shelters and rescue helplines in Pune: who to call