From Grassroots to Global: Gauri Maulekhi’s Journey Empowers Change

Gauri Maulekhi is an animal welfare activist in India and the trustee of the People For Animals (PFA) organization. She believes that animals need more than well-wishers and hobbyists. They need compassionate strategists and those who can translate good intentions into lasting change. She has led several successful campaigns for animal rights. Buckle up as we dive into her journey of perseverance and courage.

How it all began:

Gauri started volunteering at ‘People For Animals’ in Lucknow in 1995. She played a crucial role in setting up the first animal shelter in the city. She also assisted in raising funds for the shelter and conducted adoption programs rehabilitating abandoned dogs. Gauri facilitated coordinating animal ambulance services for the animals in distress. From 2004 to 2008, she collaborated closely with the ‘Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (SPCA) in Noida and contributed towards their sheltering initiatives. In 2008, she volunteered at ‘Raahat’, an animal welfare organization in Dehradun, and actively raised funds for them. Maulekhi was also responsible for setting up the Uttarakhand Chapter of People For Animals – ‘People For Animals (PFA) Uttarakhand,’ an animal sanctuary nestled in the little village of Chharba. They house rescued equines, goats, sheep, cats, and hens here.

A Voice For The Speechless:

She worked in Nepal towards putting an end to the vast mass religious animal slaughter at the ‘Gadhimai festival.’ In 2013. Moreover, there was a climate disaster when the North India floods were created by unusual torrential rain. That’s when Gauri stepped in and helped evacuate more than 6,000 animals from the flooded Kedarnath region. Her significant contribution here influenced future national policies for disaster management. The plans now incorporate a consideration of animal welfare. She also helped in a campaign to end the illegal wildlife trade at the Sonepur Animal Fair. Her priceless efforts towards this campaign earned her the ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’ Award. Gauri has 10.1K followers on Instagram and has efficiently used her social media to promote and support several animal welfare initiatives as well as start some herself.

From City To State:

In 2019, Gauri began a campaign to remind the government of the promises and commitments that they had made to improve animal welfare. However, She wrote a letter to each of the Indian state ministers regarding a directive to form state animal welfare boards released ten years ago. The Supreme Court had mandated these boards; although some were created, most still needed to be. In 2020, Gauri asked the Indian Supreme Court to issue a writ mandate for states to develop ‘State Animal Welfare Boards’.

Receiving Recognition:

In 2013, Maulekhi was awarded by the Government of Uttarakhand for her distinguished service in animal protection and disaster management during the Uttarakhand floods. She earned the Lush Prize in 2017 for her significant contribution to reducing the unnecessary use of animals in laboratories. On 8th March 2018, Gauri received the ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’,
the highest civilian award for women in India. Furthermore, She garnered The University of Lucknow’s ‘Distinguished Alumni Award’ for her commendable work in animal welfare. In 2018, she received the ‘Outstanding Animal Protection Award’ from the ‘Humane Society International’ at Kansas City in the US.

Gauri works tirelessly everyday in contributing towards animal welfare. Similarly, As recently as yesterday, she spoke at a workshop on animal protection laws organized by the Leh police department. She spoke alongside her mentor, Smt. Maneka Gandhi on the legal provisions to protect animals and why these laws should be enforced in Ladakh. However, Gauri has used social media to promote social change and devoted her life to animal welfare. Today, her groundbreaking efforts inspire us to be considerate, compassionate, and courageously fight for animal protection and welfare.