Karuna Society for Animals & Nature

Karuna Society for Animals and Nature works for animal welfare and the environment in and around Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh. It grew out of the Animal Rescue Project Puttaparthi, started on 23 August 1998 with help from CUPA in Bangalore, and was registered as Karuna Society on 18 September 2000. Its president, Clementien Koenegras, began caring for sick street animals in Puttaparthi after arriving in 1995.

Karuna provides free medical care and shelter for sick, injured, abandoned and abused animals. Its work includes a first aid centre for street animals in distress, an Animal Birth Control and anti-rabies programme for street dogs, a cattle rescue project and cattle hospital for animals taken from illegal transport, organic cruelty-free farming, a wildlife rescue centre, and humane education. It has rescued more than 700 head of cattle since 2002.

The society says it currently gives permanent care to nearly 250 rescued animals, including dogs, cats, cattle, horses, donkeys, peacocks, sloth bears, deer and monkeys, with a permanent staff of 32. It holds 12A, 80G and FCRA registration and NGO Darpan listing, and is recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Central Zoo Authority. It has received the Nari Shakti Puraskar and the Venu Menon Award, and FMSF has rated its governance, financial management and legal compliance at Gold standard.

Donations are made by bank transfer, with separate accounts for Indian and foreign passport holders, as set out on its donate page. Indian donors can claim tax exemption under section 80G. The hospitals and shelter are in Enumulapalli village, about 2.5 km from Prasanthi Nilayam ashram. Karuna asks to be contacted by email only, including about volunteering.