Anil Agarwal Foundation’s TACO marks its First Foundation Day with Animal Lovers at Delhi University

 by Priya Jadhav

• A Water Bowl Challenge was kicked off to encourage individuals to provide drinking water and food to stray animals & birds 
• TACO also deployed a veterinary ambulance on site to offer health check-ups to stray animals.

New Delhi, April 21, 2023: The Animal Care Organization (TACO), animal welfare project of Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF), the philanthropic arm of Vedanta Group, marked its first foundation day by hosting a walkathon at the Delhi University. The walkathon had animal lovers participate in large numbers who started the 3 km walk from the Department of Social Work and return to the same spot, passing by Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC).  

In addition to the walkathon, the animal welfare group deployed a veterinary ambulance and its vets on-site to offer health check-ups to stray animals. The highlight of the event was a ‘Water Bowl Challenge’ which aimed at encouraging participants to provide drinking water and food to stray animals and birds, during the scorching summer. As part of this initiative, participants received TACO water bowls and were invited to take part in a challenge on social media wherein they will post a selfie with the feeding bowl, tagging TACO, and nominate their acquaintances to take the challenge forward by posting similar pictures while feeding strays and /or with water bowls. The objective of this challenge is to inspire everyone to exhibit kindness and compassion towards animals and birds while creating awareness about the cause. 

Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Ltd. and Anchor, TACO, said, “With unwavering dedication, passion & compassion, we began the journey of building world class animal welfare facilities, through The Animal Care Organisation (TACO). The project has been established with the goal of improving the condition of strays and for raising awareness around animal care. From providing shelter to medical assistance, TACO has worked tirelessly to ensure that every animal receives the care they deserve. As we move forward, we will continue to remain steadfast in our commitment to make a difference on ground and transform the mindset of masses towards animal care.” 

With a vision to promote animal welfare and advance their care, Priya Agarwal Hebbar founded TACO in 2022. The project aims to provide world-class infrastructure, veterinary services, training facility, and shelters to heal and protect the stray animals. Its mission is to establish a sustainable and scalable ecosystem for the well-being of animals based on the principles of ‘One Health’. The program is already operational in Haryana & Rajasthan and would expand to other Indian states soon.  

About TACO  : The Animal Care Organization (TACO) is a unique animal welfare project aimed at providing world-class infrastructure, veterinary services, a training facility, and animal shelters to heal and protect animals. TACO’s six pillars of shelter, hospital, academy, wildlife conservation, disaster relief efforts and sectoral engagement aims to develop international standards for animal welfare. Advanced animal healthcare, preventive veterinary care, a spay and neuter programme, diagnostics, and mobile emergency care units will be the main priorities of the proposed multi-specialty veterinary hospital. A TACO run academy will offer short-term courses for a variety of target groups, including veterinarians and para-vets, the animal shelter will concentrate on rescue, rehabilitation, geriatric and palliative care, animal housing services, nutrition, and well-being. 

About Anil Agarwal Foundation  : The Anil Agarwal Foundation is the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s community and social initiatives. The focus areas of the Foundation are Healthcare, Women and Child development, Animal Welfare Projects and Sports Initiatives. Anil Agarwal Foundation aims to empower communities, transform lives, and facilitate nation building through sustainable and inclusive growth.