Vandana Anchalia
You can connect with Vandana on Instagram or LinkedIn, find out more about her work via kannananimalwelfare.org or Facebook or Instagram, or show your support via kannananimalwelfare.org/donate (India only) or Paypal (to vanchalia@me.com).
"To be a girl or woman today is..." to recognize that all of us need to empower each other, because as a group, we can only rise by lifting others. Believing you can succeed is the first step towards overcoming the limitations in your path, and women should be unapologetic in their journey towards independence in every sphere of society - especially at home and at work.
Tell us about yourself. How did you become involved in your cause? What inspired you to begin #LivingForChange?
Growing up, I always wondered about the purpose of my existence, and how I could have a positive impact on the world. Seven years ago, I witnessed a neighbour brutally beating a helpless stray dog in broad daylight. Nobody else came forward to protect the animal. I became deeply affected by their apathy and the level of human cruelty. I wanted to help, so I did everything I could to rescue animals in my community. My experiences with overburdened, underfunded shelters made it clear that we need to fight for quality, accessible care for all beings, and inspired me to start #LivingForChange.
In 2015, I founded Kannan Animal Welfare (KAW), and in 2018, I took a leap of faith and quit my stable corporate job to do this work full time. Throughout the years, I have realized that my soul is only at peace when I make a change in someone’s life - today, I care for my rescues like they are my kids, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tell us more about KAW. What exactly do you do?
KAW is a rescue organization with the primary goal of providing the best medical treatment possible to community animals that require critical and intensive care. We rescue those cases that have been turned away by other shelters and rescuers due to the level of care and funds required. Most of these cases are pushed for euthanasia, but we do not believe in giving up on them. I created KAW to ensure that the quality healthcare available to human beings can become available to animals as well. We work to provide a safe, secure, and humane environment for these animals, and we aspire to provide loving homes for each rescue, since every animal, like every human being, deserves the love and security of a family.
What have you been doing to spread the word and/or to help your cause so far?
Our organization’s work has three central pillars: rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming. Since we started in 2015, KAW has now helped over 1000 dogs in the most pitiable conditions imaginable and has found forever homes for 150 dogs overseas. We coordinate several community-based initiatives in the Delhi-NCR area, including our spay/neuter drive, feeder support program, and feeding program (which provided food for over 350 stray dogs and cows outside the KAW roster throughout the COVID-19 pandemic). We’ve also been fortunate enough to receive media coverage on our work, including a video with Animal Planet filmed at our shelter with our KAW babies.
How and when will you judge success? What’s your end point?
For me, the pinnacle of achievement lies in creating a positive change through the work in your life. Personally, I believe that my journey of success began with KAW. When I was younger, I often thought about what my life could be like - what impact I could make on the world. I think it’s important as well to understand that our definitions of success can change depending on our life circumstances.
For KAW, I feel strongly that our true purpose will not be fulfilled until organizations like ours are no longer needed. Our hope is that the work we do will eventually not be required because animals will be universally well cared for and respected. My team and I know that we have a long way to go, and we are constantly trying to improve ourselves, streamline our efforts, and collaborate with like-minded people to achieve our goals.
What are some of your future plans? Are you working on anything else right now?
My next goal is to open an animal sanctuary - a multi-species, eco-friendly space that allows us to devote quality and individualized care to our beloved animals. We have many aims for our sanctuary - environmental sustainability for our animals and local ecosystem, economic sustainability for our shelter staff and adjacent communities, as well as various means by which we can strengthen and revitalize the links between people, animals, and the planet. I want to transform the way animal welfare is approached in India, so that animal rights are no longer disregarded as a secondary social issue and are instead recognized as essential for our society to truly flourish.
Complete this sentence: "I am #LivingForChange because..." we cannot progress without people who are determined to create a better world for everyone. Animal rights as a social issue requires human advocacy, since someone needs to speak for the ones who can’t speak for themselves. Ultimately, I am #LivingForChange because of the love I hold in my heart for animals everywhere and because it is our responsibility to build a future we can be proud of.
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