ACF (AYESHA CHUNDRIGAR FOUNDATION)
The Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF) is a non-profit organisation registered in 2013 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. ACF popularly known as ACF Animal Rescue is home to the first-of-its-kind animal shelter and rescue service in Pakistan, based in Karachi for abandoned, abused & homeless stray animals such as dogs, cats and kites and injured & abandoned working animals such as donkeys & horses.
It is also home to abandoned & abused sheep, goats & cows & abused, tortured wild animals like monkeys.
ACF Animal Rescue is a rescue organisation and not an activist organisation. ACF uses education to create awareness at the grass root level to change mindsets that would essentially create empathy and compassion for all living beings. ACF only works within the outlines of the goals that have been laid out in the ACF mandate.
**Please note that Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation is NOT animal clinic or animal hospital
Our History
Founded in 2013, ACF started with a dream to give abused, abandoned and homeless animals a voice in our society. Over the years, this idea has taken shape that now consists of a sanctuary to house homeless and abused stray dogs, cats, donkeys, kites, and monkeys that are rescued via the ACF rescue service from all over Karachi.
Animals are provided shelter, medical treatment and food and emotional rehabilitation. ACF advocates kindness to animals and creates outreach programmes that aim at enabling a harmonious coexistence of animals and humans.
Our Work
❖ Animal Shelter: ACF provides a sanctuary for about 1000 animals at any given time, with dogs enjoying freedom within the shelter premises rather than confinement in cages. With a team of in-house veterinarians, animal care managers, and a dedicated rescue unit, we maintain a seamless and efficient operation to ensure the well-being of our animals.
Because animals come to us in such terrible conditions, traumatised & injured from the violence they have endured, we try our best to give them a second chance at a good life.
❖ Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release/Relocate (TNVR) Programme: ACF gets requests from all over Karachi and go out to vaccinate (against rabies) and neuter street dogs. This makes the streets safer for animals and humans alike. Hence ACF runs drives across the neighbourhoods of Karachi to neuter, collar/tag and vaccinate stray dogs. ACF’s team visits various localities with the help of the reporters that coordinate via social media to educate the public on the benefits of TNVR whilst we carry out the activities.
❖ Rescue Service: ACF runs rescue service ambulances and has an active rescue helpline and social media presence where citizens can report abused homeless animals that need our help & have nowhere else to go.
❖ Donkey Camps: ACF holds donkey medical camps where its team goes out to different donkey/equine populated areas of the city to provide medical treatment, food, and water to the donkeys and to educate their owners on donkey behaviour and donkey handling. Working animals and their owners are one of the largest and most neglected communities in the country and ACF is one of the few organizations working for their betterment.
Owners are informed that treating their animals better will help them in the long run as a donkey is a donkey owner’s (daily wager) sole source of income. Such learning is carried out via social mobilization, capacity building and community awareness programmes. ACF donkey camps have gained immense popularity and have created off-shoot outreach models across Pakistan that further the cause of helping all marginalized communities.
DISTRIBUTION OF CARTS & HARNESSES
Our camps now include the distribution of sturdy, well-made carts & soft harnesses that don’t hurt the donkey’s body thereby minimising abuse. Currently, carts used by donkey owners are often broken & fall apart very quickly. The harnesses currently are also made of course rubber with nails embedded into it to hurt the donkey & cause friction on his body.
The age old idea is that the more a donkey hurts, the more he runs. But that’s not the case at all if donkey behaviour is understood. & that’s what we work on. The carts & harnesses are given upon the criteria that one must not hurt their donkey & we have seen a significant reduction in donkey violence where donkeys are now treated with care.
❖ Animal Market Medical Relief Camps: ACF educates shopkeepers on how to better care for the animals that they sell, usually kept in a terrible state, suffocating in tiny cages with no food and water, in direct sunlight, burning with fever and their little bodies riddled with several diseases. Spacing and basic wellness of animals is something that needs to be slowly integrated as a norm in the markets.
❖ Community Outreach: ACF visits different schools, and institutes to raise awareness about animal rights and to enable people to learn empathy and compassion for those around them and more so, for themselves. ACF believes animals are the best medium for one to understand empathy and once you can tap into your empathic nature, it creates compassion in all facets of life. Children and schools also visit the sanctuary to learn more about animals and kindness
❖ Volunteer Programme: ACF conducts volunteer programmes for outreach activities as well as for the sanctuary. Volunteers must be over 18 years old and gain hands-on experience working so closely with animals in a very unique way in Pakistan. Educating the public and creating awareness for this cause is a necessary component of this programme. All volunteers are first vetted by ACF officials, must follow all protocols and guidelines and then are allowed to work under the ACF banner.
Our Values
❖ ACF believes in the harmonious coexistence of humans and animals and all programmes are geared towards achieving this goal to create a much more compassionate community overall.
❖ Equal opportunities, diversity and inclusive are imperative elements of the ACF mantra; ACF creates job opportunities for people with special needs, the deaf, acid burn survivors, those recovering from addiction among others to motivate them in a non-judgmental, all-inclusive, holistic environment to live a life of dignity and respect.
❖ No form of harassment, bullying and/or slander will be tolerated under any circumstances. Anyone engaging in such behaviour will be removed from ACF’s social media pages and will not be allowed on the premises.
Donate
ACF is grateful to all its donors who are part of the mission to create an inclusive environment for humans and animals to coexist. Any donation sent to ACF is the personal choice of a donor and ACF is in no way liable for any donor’s decision to donate. All donations are used towards ACF’s ongoing programmes unless otherwise specified by ACF through its official platforms.
Donations may be transferred to ACF’s account:
Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation
Iban number: Pk33BAHL1036008100660001
Account number: 10360081006600012
Bank Al Habib, Kh-e-Hafiz Branch, Karachi, Pakistan.
Note to Donors
Unless communicated through its official platforms, ACF is not associated with any person, project, or arrangement between private parties and excludes liability for all actions taken by such parties. Donors are requested not to use ACF’s name in any settlement or agreement (legal or otherwise) without ACF’s prior written consent obtained through official channels of communication. Further, no party is permitted to use ACF’s name, photographs and/or social media/website content in any collaboration without ACF’s prior written consent.
Terms & Conditions
Please note: Once you have signed this form, you have requested Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue) to take ownership of the rescued animal(s) and understand that you have no rights of ownership over the animal(s).
❖ You hereby assert and confirm that you are a voluntary reporter of the injured and/or abused animal/bird specified in the form# _ and request Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue) to take ownership & possession of the street animal/bird and understand that you have no rights of possession over the rescued animal/bird at any later date. You are also fully aware that Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue) does not rescue/take Personal Pets and Healthy Street Animals.
❖ Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue) will not be held liable if the animal dies. Often, after rescue, animals show only one presenting issue like a fractured leg for example, & when their body relaxes from stress at the shelter after food & treatment, unfortunately, other internal, latent issues can present themselves & attack the already weakened body that can result in condition deterioration or even death.
❖ Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue) is not liable to give updates on rescued animal/animals.
❖ We try our best & provide the best care and treatment for all animals however some don’t survive despite our best efforts.
❖ Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue) does not allow threats, bullying, accusations, pressure tactics, manhandling or attempts to harm our team in any way. We will immediately protect our team if any such issue occurs
❖ You are not allowed to show up at our premises at any time of the day or night without permission.
❖ You are not allowed to visit the shelter to check on your reported animal without prior approval from the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue) team in writing.
❖ Visiting days are usually on Saturdays. For visiting, please inbox us on social media for details. Only after approval, you will be allowed to visit.
❖ Once the animal is handed over to ACF the same cannot be returned as all rights to the animal have been waived and now the animal is under the care of ACF and ACF will decide the future course of action for the animal keeping in view the animal’s best interest
❖ If a person feels that they would like the animal returned then please take the animal to a veterinarian and do not hand it over to a shelter and rescue service, like Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue).
❖ WE DO NOT TAKE IN PETS. We will not do medical treatment of personal pets at all. We are not a boarding facility for personal pets. We will not be held liable if you give your pet to us without our knowledge.
❖ After the animal comes under our care, we will do what is best for the animal. All the medical decisions that we make are based on our decade of experience and constant learning of international practices. Decision will only be made by our team and we do not need to inform the reporter regarding any medical decisions.
❖ If the team deems fit to provide on location treatment to the animal you have reported, they will provide on location treatment (OLT). Given the absence of complete medical history, the treatment is based on the professional judgment and assessment of team on location. Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF Animal Rescue) will not be held responsible if the animal reacts to/collapses/dies during or after treatment.
❖ We do not return the deceased body of the animal once they have passed on.
❖ Please note that Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation is NOT animal clinic or animal hospital