At 22, this animal rights activist gives all kinds of furry friends a safe space to live

A couple of weeks ago, animal rights activist Sai Vignesh received an Instagram DM from Kathir with an urgent plea for help. His family in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu owned a six-year-old Jallikattu bull, Vellayan, whose leg had fractured and he was being sold to slaughter.

"My family was struggling to make ends meet and the pressure to sell our bull for meat was mounting," says Kathir, who wanted Vellayan to live a life of care and safety post-Jallikattu, a traditional bull-taming sport celebrated in the state during Pongal.

He found Vignesh and his work with rescue and treatment of large animals on social media snd decided he was his best bet. "I thought if our beloved animal had a way to live then putting him under Vignesh's care would be his best shot," Kathir tells SocialStory.

At 22, Vignesh has created a haven for 300 animals—many of whom are rescued from illegal slaughterhouses and saved after accidents—at Almighty Animal Care Trust located near the Poondi reservoir in Tiruvallur on the outskirts of Chennai. The picturesque eight-acre open sanctuary houses cattle, disabled dogs, goats, pigs, and a pony.

The sanctuary is Vignesh's labour of love, built painstakingly over the last four years with the money he got after selling his ancestral home. He also invests in the sanctuary what he earns as a freelance web designer and donations from animal lovers. 

The land itself was donated by a retired Coal India employee, Sivamani Adimoolam. It has a dog house, medical treatment room, large animal ICU, a bovine house, and a 'harmony house' for small animals like pigs and goats.

Vignesh began documenting the stories of rescued animals housed in his NGO sanctuary on social media in June 2020.

"Since the beginning of this year, I have been putting out video stories on the rescues. Many of these animals are disabled and therefore abandoned by their owners. We rescue them from going to slaughter," says Vignesh. 

In his videos, he highlights each animal’s unique personality as they demand belly rubs, move their heads when excited, and curl up on his lap to sleep.

"Often, these animals are looked at just as meat. Through my video appeals, I try to remind people that these animals have the will to live, nurture themselves, and play. When they see them on screen expressing their own unique characteristics in a safe place, people's hearts change," Vignesh explains. 

Almighty Animal Care Trust is home to 26 disabled animals, including those with spinal cord injuries, and Vignesh and his staff of 15 ensure they get ample medical care, nutritious food, vitamins, and supplements. Some have chronic illnesses and don't get adopted, and find a permanent home at the sanctuary. Many end up living way longer and better than other animals with disabilities like them, he notes.

"You wouldn't give up on a family member just knowing that they are dying. For me, it's the same with my animals. If they can live and die while in good hands, I believe I have made a difference," he says.

Rescuing animals

Over the last three years, Vignesh has joined the local police in raiding makeshift illegal slaughter sheds set up on the roads. Many of them violate rules on various counts under Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, IPC 429, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), says Vignesh.

“These slaughterhouses often kill pregnant cows and male calves in front of each other—all the which is criminalised under the Slaughterhouse Rules of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960,” says Vignesh. Some of these animals are also trafficked across states.

Police officials who lead these operations with Vignesh tell SocialStory animals are sometimes slaughtered without medical checkups before and after they are butchered—which can be dangerous for consumption and violate rules under FSSA. 

Working with the police

Vignesh, who is studying for civil services exams, says officials need to be sensitised to not just ensure animal safety but also identify crimes on animals that can indirectly put people at risk. 

In 2021, Vignesh, along with advocates Paranthaman and Meenakshi Murugan, conducted comprehensive training programmes on animal laws for DSP trainees at the Tamil Nadu Police Academy. DGP of Police and director of the Academy, Prateep V Philip, says this was the first time a dedicated programme on animal laws was conducted and calls it an important step towards making the force proactive towards the cause. 

"We have always sensed a need for higher awareness of animal cruelty laws among police officers. A strong command over the legal mechanisms keeping animal cruelty at check will lead to effective detection, deterrence and prevention of these crimes," says Vignesh.

He has three major goals now to meet.

"The first is to make the sanctuary as big as possible so that no animal has to be turned away. The second is to make the biggest, 24-hour free veterinary hospital in the sanctuary equipped with trauma care and quarantine facility for small and big animals with state-of-the-art infrastructure. And finally, I want to raise awareness about the goodness of plant-based diets and animal welfare," Vignesh notes.

"My videos are already doing this, and I'm confident I can use this as a means to make the world a safer and more compassionate place for all beings,” he adds. 

At the present, Vignesh is looking for donations to expand his sanctuary. Donations can be sent to Almighty Animal Care Trust.