Today we’d like to introduce you to Ujwala Chintala.
Hi Ujwala, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I m Ujwala Chintala, an IT professional, entrepreneur, and animal welfare activist with a passion for saving stray dogs and cats in my native country and around the world.
Born and raised in India through the age of 23, I grew up immune to the suffering of stray dogs. It was only after moving to the US in 2000, starting a family, and bringing my daughter to my home country that things began to change.
The younger Chintala began a friendship with a pregnant stray dog, only to watch her and her puppies removed from the area by local citizens. Despite my best efforts at a rescue, four of the nine puppies would not survive alone in the streets where daytime temperatures topped 100F frequently and locals denied them even scraps.
Haunted by the incident upon my return home, I was compelled to open my home to foster dogs. Ujwala became a 59 – time canine foster mom and the Secretary of Poochies Pet Rescue upon her return to the US, and soon returned my attention to the plight of stray animals in India. In the process, I began forging relationships with other animal rescuers, building a network to help Indian dogs. She also began fundraising by catering, Diwali sweets then launched www.theladduhouse.com. Money raised would go to animal rescue causes.
This was the beginning of SAFI. Initially, a one-woman army, my vision is to build Hyderabad’s stray animal shelter that will feature a shelter, a place for the disabled, paralyzed, and an isolated place for medical dogs to recover. We rescue about 40 dogs per month that no one is willing to. We help our shelter, volunteers with First-aid, on spot treatments, vaccinations, and resources.
Our proud 2021 achievements are:
- Built a 50-bed dog shelter in Hyderabad, India.
- Over 250 critically injured street dogs were rescued
- Over 350 dogs sterilized
- Adopted 39 dogs.
Helped many shelters, independent rescuers financially to complete the rescue mission.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were many challenges. How to generate funds? How to make sure funds are used strictly for animal welfare. How do I continually support animals in India while I live in the US?
Five years back, I sold Indian desserts for the Diwali festival for fundraising. I got raving reviews and I was able to donate $600 to a shelter in Hyderabad, India. Then I thought of actually making it a business. I started LLC, launched a website. It was just a lot of work making desserts after my full-time job. but for my passion, I managed to make it for 4 years and still making it.
Meanwhile, I managed to find a network of animal rescuers in Hyderabad and other cities in India. I worked with them for months and built trust. In 2020, I officially opened a non-profit. As an IT engineer, I have no idea how to raise funds. I started posting on social media for funds. but it was very slow. So, I funded myself for many months. Very slowly it started picking up. but I was not getting funds steadily.
I had to constantly post injured animals and their updates. Started using crowdfunding platforms. Getting funds is still a constant struggle. I have to work on it every day, 365 days.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an IT engineer, have been working for 18 years now. In 2018, I opened my LLC The Laddu House to raise funds to help animals in India.
In 2020, the nonprofit is officially opened. Today I have a 50-bed dog shelter in Hyderabad city. We rescue up to 40 animals per month. sterilize up to 50 dogs a month. We plan to expand to a 100-bed shelter, with a clinic and cattery.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was born and raised in India for the first 23 years of my life.
I completed my master’s in India. Moved to the US in 2000. I m a very outgoing person who loves to meet people, party. Like many Indians, I grew up immune to the suffering of stray dogs. In a country where suffering smacks you in the face daily, sometimes it is easier to look the other way.
After moving to the USA and having kids, it turned out her daughter was a big dog lover – a funny twist of fate. My daughter was always begging for a dog but I kept shrugging it off. But then, during a trip back to India with my family, my daughter befriended a stray dog and everything changed.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@strayanimalfoundationindia.org
- Website: www.strayanimalfoundationindia.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strayanimalfoundationindia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strayanimalfoundationofindia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTiZ_AbchoVE5QmGRgJMyA
