Founder & Chairperson

Mrs. Irani Mukherjee

Mrs. Irani Mukherjee's passion for animals has become a blessing for them. She is a born animal lover. It all started in Calcutta. Six dogs brought her up after Mrs. Irani Mukherjee was orphaned at the tender age of 10 years. Alone, forlorn and unprotected she had to fend for herself, with no one by her side, except the faithful loyal animals, and some property, which her late father had left for her. They escorted her everywhere - to the market, to school and in later years even to college. In Irani Mukherjee's words the animals were like constant companions and guardians, concerned and watchful. Her love for her four-legged friends was such that she decided to marry a man who did not want children and shared her passion for animals. She refused motherhood to look after her beloved animals. Her father used to pick up dogs from the roadside and she also does the same. Her sympathy remains for the stray dogs because she feels that the pedigree dogs can always find a home, as people are willing to pay for them. Till today she has kept alive the sentiment of looking after stray dogs. She has soft corner for all big or small animals.

Initially for the post-sterilization care she used to keep the dogs in her verandah and sometimes even in the rooms of her house. Thus, to start with she felt that more could be done and larger areas could be covered through her students or members. At her individual capacity she could not force anyone for any required degree of help. She used to appeal to everybody to either adopt a dog or donate food, etc. sometimes to donate medicines. However, Smt. Irani Mukherjee felt it is difficult to manage single-handed, as she had to take care of everything.

Mrs. Mukherjee began tending animals at her home, and later started moving them to a make-shift clinic, but that wasn't enough and hence the society was formed. She and her husband started with their own money and no outside help. She started it all by herself with her own resources. Gradually she was successful in gathering few more people and got the society registered and recognized. Although she was a school teacher, but, she used to donate all her salary to the society. Her as well as her husband's income was spent in looking after the stray animals at the three shelters. She inherited some property and that was her capital to buy plots to start hospital. She started pick up of stray animals in her own Maruti car. She had to sell off her property to buy the land in Neb Sarai for a shelter. It was her extreme love and devotion for animals that has enabled the society to establish three shelters. Most of the dogs when brought here were acutely sick and now are recuperating and healthy.