Animal Helpline Numbers and Shelters Near You in India

Looking for dog shelters near me, dog rescue near me, or an animal helpline number? Below is a city-by-city list of verified NGOs, animal welfare organisations, charitable trusts, dog shelters and 24×7 animal helplines across India. Pick your city to find shelters to adopt a dog from, or emergency numbers to report an injured or stray animal. Adopt, don’t shop. Please note, if the injury to the animal is grave and serious, kindly consider arranging for the nearest vet. It may cost a little extra, but you may save an innocent life. 

Most of the dogs waiting in these shelters are indies, India’s own native breed. If you are still deciding, here is the honest case to adopt an indie dog.

Lost your own pet? See our step-by-step guide on what to do if your dog goes missing in India — who to call, where to search, and how to report it.

Looking specifically to adopt? Browse our directory of dogs and cats up for adoption across India, updated regularly with pets who need homes now.

Find an Animal Helpline or Shelter in Your City

Last updated: 05 September 2026

North India

• Emergency Animal Helplines in Delhi NCR
• Dog Adoption in Lucknow
• Dog adoption in Jaipur

West India

• Dog Adoption in Ahmedabad
• Animal Helplines in Mumbai
• Pune Animal Shelters & Emergency Helplines
• Surat Animal & Dog Helpline Numbers

South India

• Bangalore Animal Helpline Numbers
• Dog Adoption in Chennai
• Dog Adoption in Coimbatore
• Dog Adoption in Hyderabad – Shelters & NGOs

East India

• Dog Adoption in Kolkata

Central India

• Dog Adoption in Indore

Is there a street dog helpline number in India?

There is no single street dog helpline number that works across all of India. Animal rescue here runs city by city, handled by NGOs and municipal veterinary hospitals, so the fastest way to find a dog helpline near you is to open your city above and call a verified 24×7 number. If your city is not listed yet, your nearest municipal veterinary hospital is usually the quickest first call, and PETA India can point you to a local rescue group.

1962 and the other government animal helpline numbers

Dial 1962 and, in a growing list of states, a veterinary ambulance answers. It is a toll-free line Tamil Nadu started in 2016 and Uttar Pradesh scaled in March 2023 with 520 mobile veterinary units; Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Gujarat, Assam and Himachal Pradesh run their own versions on the same four digits, and Karnataka’s line alone reported treating five lakh animals in its first nineteen months. Two things to know before you rely on it. The service was built for livestock, so a cow on a highway is its core job and a street dog with a broken leg depends on the unit that turns up; a Threads reader in Uttar Pradesh told us nobody picked up when he tried. And it is state by state, not national. In a state that has not joined, the number does not connect at all. If 1962 does not answer where you are, that is your answer, and the municipal veterinary hospital is the next call.

The municipal hospital is the legal front door. Under the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, your local body, whether a Municipal Corporation, a council or a panchayat, is the authority legally responsible for street dogs, which is why a civic line such as Mumbai’s 1916 or Bangalore’s 1533 often beats a private number for a pickup. The Animal Welfare Board of India does not run an ambulance; it keeps the register of recognised welfare organisations, and its office can tell you which of them operate in your district.

What a “dog catcher number” actually gets you

Every city has one, and it does not do what the phrase suggests. Since the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, no municipal body in India can pick up a healthy street dog and drop it somewhere else. The team that answers a dog-catcher complaint is the sterilisation squad: it takes the dog to an ABC centre, sterilises it, vaccinates it against rabies, and returns it to the same street once it has recovered. That is what the rules require, and it is the approach that tracks the roughly 75% fall in India’s rabies cases over two decades, because a sterilised dog holds its territory and there is no next litter. The Supreme Court’s orders of November 2025 and 19 May 2026 kept that rule for ordinary streets and carved out one exception: dogs picked up from hospitals, schools, bus stands and railway stations go to a shelter and are not returned, and every state has to report on compliance by 17 November 2026.

So if the dog on your lane is unsterilised, the municipal number is the right call, and the outcome is a vaccinated, sterilised dog back on your lane. If it is injured, a rescue from your city page will move faster than the corporation. If it has bitten someone, wash the wound with soap and running water for fifteen minutes and get to a hospital before you make any call. And if the squad takes longer to arrive than the rules promise, here is where the sterilisation budget goes.

Finding a dog shelter or rescue near you

“Dog shelters near me” is one of India’s most-searched rescue terms, and often the most disappointing, because a map pin rarely leads to a real shelter. Here is how to actually find one, wherever you live.

Where dog shelters actually are

Many Indian shelters sit on the edge of the city rather than the centre, where land and kennel space are affordable. That is why a plain map search often misses the real ones. The city directory above is built the other way round: by city, listing the shelters that genuinely take in and rehome dogs, so you reach a real place with a real number instead of a dead pin.

Who to call for a street-dog rescue

A rescue is not quite the same as a shelter. Rescues focus on picking up and treating street dogs, and the best ones run their own ambulance and clinic, while shelters house and rehome them. Many groups do both. For an injured street dog, open your city above and call a rescue that offers pickup. For a healthy dog you want to adopt or rehome, a shelter or foster network is the better first call.

How to tell a real animal NGO from a bad one

A genuine dog NGO will let you visit, show you its animals and its paperwork, and will never sell a pedigree “for adoption” at a breeder’s price. Before you donate or adopt, ask how many animals they rehome a year, whether they sterilise and vaccinate before rehoming, and whether they run home checks. The shelters and NGOs linked on this page rescue, treat and rehome thousands of dogs between them every year, and most also run sterilisation (ABC) drives, vaccination camps and street-feeding programmes. Whether you want to adopt, foster, volunteer or donate, open your city page for the organisations near you and their details.

Adopting a dog near you

Adopting a dog near you is simpler than most people expect: 1. Choose your city from the list above and contact a listed shelter, NGO or rescue group. 2. Tell them what you’re looking for — an Indian street dog (indie), a puppy, or a specific temperament for your home and family. 3. Visit the shelter or a foster home to meet the dogs in person. 4. Complete the shelter’s adoption process, which usually includes a short form and sometimes a home check. 5. Bring your new companion home — and ask the shelter about vaccination, sterilisation and diet for the first few weeks. If your city isn’t listed yet, a nearby veterinary clinic or local animal welfare group is often the quickest way to find dogs available for adoption near you. You can also try checking AdoptDontShop subreddit. 

Reporting an injured or stray dog

If you’ve found an injured, sick or distressed dog, act quickly: 1. Open your city page above and call a verified 24×7 animal helpline or rescue number. 2. Share the exact location and a clear description of the dog’s condition. 3. If it’s safe, stay nearby until help arrives so rescuers can locate the animal. For non-emergencies — adoption, sterilisation or feeding queries — the same organisations can usually guide you. It also helps to know your rights: see Animal laws in India that protect strays and pets.

What dog adoption costs & what to expect

Most shelters in India let you adopt an Indian street dog free of charge or for a small donation that supports their rescue work. You may be asked to cover or reimburse costs such as vaccination, sterilisation and deworming. Pedigree dogs given up for rehoming can carry a higher adoption fee. Expect a simple screening process — shelters want to make sure each dog goes to a safe, committed home. Always confirm the exact details directly with the shelter you choose.

Stay updated on new adoptions

Pick your city above to reach verified shelters, NGOs and 24×7 helplines. For fresh dogs and cats as they come in, follow Dog with Blog on Instagram or sign up for our adoption newsletter below.