A sprawling facility for the four-legged friends is now functioning full time in Mumbai
The headquarters of the Tata group, Bombay House, is also home to a few of Ratan Tata’s best friends. In fact, they are the only denizens who can walk in without an access card. Meet Goa, Tata’s favourite doggo and the other furry residents.
Street dogs have always found a welcoming home at Bombay House. The renovation done in 2018, ensured that they had a space of their own, with controlled climate, comfortable cushions and an access door so that they can walk in and out as they wish. Some non-residents also visit the room from time to time for good food, warm beds, shelter from the rain or for the occasional vaccination or health check-up.
Ratan Tata, the doyen of India’s industries and a compassionate and renowned philanthropist, has now taken it several notches up. He is about to launch his new and eagerly awaited project—a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital in Mumbai.
The backstory
A few years back, Tata had faced a lot of difficulty getting quality medical care for his wounded pet. He was acutely aware of the capabilities of world-class veterinary hospitals and the quality of service they could deliver. This inspired him to advocate for a similar facility in Mumbai. This place would be one of the rare hospitals in India that operate round the clock and cater to dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small animals. Before inaugurating the Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital in Mahalaxmi, Ratan Tata said, “Pets are integral members of families today. Having cared for numerous pets in my lifetime, I understand the necessity for such a hospital.
The vision
“Pets are our family and their lives matter to every pet parent. When I looked around and saw the lack of infrastructure for pets in India, it made me wonder, why in such a large country with a significant pet population, we cannot have a facility that can save lives and make pet lives better.” Ratan Tata, who formerly led Tata Group and is a generous donor, envisioned a super speciality hospital for pets. The hospital would provide 24×7 services through pet-sensitised veterinarians, nurses and technicians trained to deliver quality care with a mission to save lives.
The labour of love
As a testimony to Tata’s labour of love, today stands a state of- the-art veterinary hospital. The hospital is situated on land allocated by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai to Tata Trusts’ ACVF in Mahalaxmi. It is a first-of-its-kind and spans over 98,000-square-foot (2.2 acres), across 5 floors and with a capacity of over 200 beds. Dr. Thomas Heathcote, the chief vet of the Advanced Veterinary Care Facility (AC VF), said, “As one of India’s leading philanthropic institutions, we acknowledge the interconnected links between human health and animal health, and are committed to enhancing the quality of pet healthcare in the country. The hospital which is set to launch in phases will cover comprehensive advanced healthcare for pets across the continuum, right from consultation and diagnostics, to treatment, to high level nursing care, and resolution of their problems.” The hospital has facilities like: Emergency & Critical Care – 24×7 triage and treatment services; Inpatient and ICU units (including isolation units); Surgical Services (Soft Tissue Surgery, Orthopaedics etc.); Pharmacy Services; Support Functions such as Diagnostics – Radiology & Imaging (MRI, X-Ray, CT scan & USG), Laboratory – Haematology, Microbiology, Cytology, Clinical Pathology, Biochemistry, Histo-pathology and Anaesthesia. As a mark of appreciation, we at BuddyLife, beseech all pet lovers to visit —https://www.tata.com/newsroom/community/dogsbombay- house. Do get to know the furballs who were key to inspiring Ratan Tata to build this special hospital.
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