Animal Welfare Trust Under Investigation After Rescue of Starved and Abused Pets in Pune
Reported by Siddhi Dharmadhikari
Pune, 26th October 2024: Disturbing reports have surfaced regarding an animal welfare center where animals were allegedly starved and burned alive, with little to no care provided.
The Pune Animal Welfare Trust, which claims to foster and rescue animals, is under scrutiny after a pet owner was informed that his dog had gone missing from the shelter. The situation was brought to light when the pet owner, Anupran Trivedi, discovered a dog that had been burned alive near the facility.
After receiving vague responses from the shelter’s management about his missing dog, Trivedi filed a formal complaint with SAS India, a local animal welfare organization. Nitesh Khare, Founder and President of SAS India, was contacted for assistance and reached out to the trust’s owner, Rohit Chaudhary, requesting a meeting.
Speaking to Punekar News, Khare said, “We received Trivedi’s official complaint on 15th October. My team and I visited the shelter on 19th October at 7 PM, as there had been no progress in locating his dog. We had previously contacted Rohit Chaudhary to arrange a personal meeting.”
Khare described the scene at the shelter as dire, with animals receiving no proper care. Despite efforts to meet with Chaudhary, he did not show up. After waiting until 9:30 PM, the team decided to break the lock to gain access to the premises.
“I regret waiting those two hours. Once inside, we were met with a chaotic and horrifying sight. The animals were in severe distress—dogs were tied up so tightly they couldn’t move and were starving. In one cage, we found dead cats left as ‘food’ for others, who were also at risk of dying from starvation,” Khare recounted.
The team discovered the burned dog and transported it to Aundh Veterinary Hospital for medical treatment and investigation. No caretakers were present, and the animals were left to fend for themselves amidst unsanitary conditions. Injured animals were left to die and decompose without any medical assistance.
Alongside Khare, Ravi Awade from Paws Foundation, Suvarna Pansare from Make New Life, and volunteers including Akshay, Harsh Kanitkar, Reema Pawar, Pushkar Bangde, Shraddha Mridha, Sweedle D’Cunha, Shrinidhi Shetty, Anamica C. Ravi, and Anupran Trivedi rescued around 15 dogs and 40 cats until 4 AM.
An FIR has been filed against Rohit Chaudhary and the organization under BNS 325 and Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act at the Hinjawadi police station. Investigations revealed that the organization was not officially registered, and a search for Chaudhary is currently underway.
The team also seized a donation book showing registrations for approximately 300 animals, along with receipts amounting to ₹8.22 lakh. However, only 50-60 animals were rescued, leaving the fate of the others unknown.
Khare shared, “While trying to locate Chaudhary, we learned about his brother, Rohan Chaudhary, who allegedly operated a hospital without proper qualifications. We also found messages from Rohan requesting medical supplies, despite claims from Dr. Kale that he had no ties to the Chaudhary brothers.”
The case is currently under investigation. Khare and his team urge the public to exercise caution when choosing organizations to care for their pets. “We request everyone to do their due diligence before leaving their pets with any organization or NGO. If anyone sees Rohit Chaudhary, please inform the police or contact the SAS team.”
