New Delhi, April 22, 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 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.