Help Animals India

Hi, my name is Tanisha Venkatapur, and I am passionate about raising awareness and funds for the welfare of animals in India. While I was born and raised in the United States, my family is from India, and I visit the country frequently. Each time I go, I am heartbroken by the sight of stray animals on the streets, struggling to survive. They face hunger, illness, and neglect, and it's painful to see their suffering.

This has motivated me to take action. I’m raising money to support animal rescue organizations in India, helping provide medical care, food, and shelter to these animals in need. My goal is to make a difference and raise awareness about the plight of these stray animals.

Through fundraising and spreading awareness, I hope to inspire others to join me in improving the lives of these animals. Every contribution makes a real impact, and together, we can work towards a future where animals in India are treated with care and compassion.

Help Dogs in India!

All donations in US are tax-deductible and will make an enormous difference for the PFA Agra veterinary shelter and the animals they save.

My personal connection: I recently visited India and witnessed the horrific abuse of a stray dog at a train station in Agra. The dog was severely injured, with one leg completely mutilated. I intervened and carried her outside of the platform area but had to leave her behind when I boarded my train heading to Delhi to catch my flight back home to Seattle. Needless to say, I was devastated by what I saw and heartbroken that I was leaving a severely injured dog on her own.

When I got home, I searched for local animal shelters, and contacted People For Animals Agra (PFA Agra). PFA Agra is the only veterinary shelter in Agra – and they work tirelessly to care for the stray and injured animals of Uttar Pradesh, India. They were kind enough to send a volunteer to the train station and were able to find “my” injured dog, along with several other dogs needing medical attention. Since returning home, I’ve been in daily contact with PFA Agra and have connected with volunteers who are willing to transport all the dogs at the train station to be spayed, neutered, and treated. I am personally funding their transportation, food, fuel, and any out-of-pocket expenses for the volunteers, but more support is needed!

PFA Agra is doing an amazing job, but they are struggling to survive. They receive no government or local support, and they’re overwhelmed by the number of stray dogs needing care.

How Your Donations Will Help: PFA Agra urgently needs funds to continue their life-saving work. For anyone who has a heart for animal rescue, this is an opportunity to help a small rescue making a big difference in the lives of hundreds of dogs, cats, donkeys, cows, and other stray animals. Every donation is impactful, no matter the size! And every animal saved from suffering matters. Your generosity will help PFA Agra pay for spaying and neutering procedures, staff and medicine, food, utilities, and to replace their broken 3-wheel (tuk-tuk) ambulance, a critical piece of equipment used to rescue animals in distress.

I have donated to many causes before, but this is the first time creating a fundraiser myself. I feel a personal connection to these dogs having seen some of their injuries first-hand, and I want to do everything I possibly can to help them. I’ve reached out to Help Animals India to guide me through this fundraiser and ensure the funds go directly to shelter needs: (see below for specifics about the structure of this campaign and the tax receipt for donations made in US).

All GoFundMe donations to this campaign are 100% tax deductible if made in the US, and you will receive an official tax receipt by email from PayPal Giving Fund upon donation. The tax receipt documents your donation to Help Animals India, a registered Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting efficient and effective animal protection organizations in India and Nepal (EIN: 263681514). Help Animals India is the sponsoring US non-profit that is collecting all funds from this campaign and distributing them to PFA Agra.

If you prefer, you can donate directly to Help Animals India through this link: HAI Donate - please specify “PFA Agra” when donating, and your donation to Help Animals India will be directed to PFA Agra just as any donations collected from this GoFundMe.

Please find below links to the PFA Agra shelter, a video of their work, their Facebook page, along with current fundraising goals.

PFA Agra Facebook

PFA Agra video

PFA Agra Fundraiser (India based)

Please join me in supporting this cause and share this campaign with your friends and family. Thank you for your generosity and compassion.

Leilani