TACO: Transforming Animal Welfare in India

There is only one Earth to call home, and to ensure its sustainability, humans and animals need to coexist in their shared environment. The COVID-19 pandemic underlined the fragility of our ecosystem and the interdependence of human health, animal welfare, and the environment. The deep linkages between human and animal health and the wider environment are constantly evolving, necessitating increased efforts to build a more lasting future for all. That’s what the Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF), the social impact arm of Vedanta, aims to do through The Animal Care Organization (TACO). It is focused on creating a sustainable and scalable ecosystem for the well-being of animals based on the ‘One Health’ approach.

What is One Health?

In early 2003, the SARS outbreak made people realise the impact of animals on human lives, and the effect of animal-borne diseases on economies. The ‘One Health’ approach was put in place to build a unified system that aims to optimise the health of people, animals, and their environment. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the One Health Commission, “One Health is defined as a collaborative, multisectoral, and a transdisciplinary approach—working at the local, regional, national, and global levels with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes while recognising the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.”

This approach works towards identifying risks and protecting global health security. This strategy also addresses the full spectrum of disease control, and earlier this year, leaders called for scaling up this approach to prepare for unprecedented challenges. TACO recognises the positive changes that the One Health approach brings at a local as well as global level and has adopted the same to build a more scalable and sustainable future.

TACO restoring balance

TACO, launched in 2022, is a unique animal welfare project that aims to transform animal well-being. Through a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach, it aims to create a holistic future for all animals in India. The organisation has identified six key pillars—hospital, shelter, wildlife conservation, disaster relief, academy, and sector development and works with various like-minded partners like Youth in Defense of Animals (YODA), National Veterinary Foundation, KPMG and others.

One of the key focus areas of the organisation is fostering humane handling of India’s street and domesticated animals while ensuring high-quality veterinary care. India is home to thousands of stray animals like cats, dogs, and even cows, that are often malnourished and in need of medical attention. For instance, a cow was brought to the TACO shelter with a fractured limb in July 2022. Unfortunately, conventional treatments like plaster casts didn’t work and the development of gangrene led to amputation of the limb. The animal was saved and was thriving on three legs, but TACO went a step further to procure a prosthetic limb to ensure quality life for the animal. Over 59,500+ animals have been treated through TACO’s health camps in collaboration with Vedanta’s Business Units and AAF’s flagship social impact project, Nand Ghar.