Welcome to Goa Animal Welfare Trust

GAWT (Goa Animal Welfare Trust) is a registered non-profit non-government animal welfare organisation based in Goa, India.

It was founded in 1999 in response to the barbaric method of randomly shooting stray dogs in the streets. A group of concerned animal lovers got together who wanted to alleviate the suffering of injured and sick animals in South Goa, and to help reduce the number of stray dogs in the state. Thus was born Goa Animal Welfare Trust.

We answer animal emergency calls for rabid dogs, accident victims and abandoned dogs as well as running a very successful Pet Adoption scheme which re-homes healthy pups and adult dogs.

We also collect and sterilise up to 2000 stray dogs annually under the Central Government’s ABC (Animal Birth Control) programme.  If you calculate that each of these dogs would have either fathered or given birth to a litter, and that they in turn would father or give birth to their own litters within 12 months, then you can understand why we are proud of our work in this area, which ensures a stable population of happy and healthy dogs.

The very successful Anti-Rabies Vaccination Programme started by us five years ago continues to be part of our dedication to social work in South Goa. This mobile unit organises visits between September and June to nearly 40 villages, with the cooperation of the local Church, to offer subsidized anti-rabies vaccinations to owners of pet dogs. We are always deeply grateful to the Priests, Panchayats and J.C.’s who help us by publicising these Camps as we strive to achieve a rabies-free Goa.

If you are in South Goa, you may have seen many of the dogs on the beaches have a ‘V’ cut in one of their ears, which indicates that they have been sterilised and vaccinated by GAWT. Most of them are tourist friendly and appreciate biscuits etc. and especially water.

As a registered charity, GAWT receives some financial help from government agencies; however, we do depend very heavily on voluntary donations.  We organise a number of fund-raising events throughout the holiday season, starting in November, and ending in March. 

Goa Charity Registration No: 1067 DT.13-5-1999

Indian Charity Registration No: 10-229/99 – AWO