WELCOME TO KALOTE ANIMAL TRUST
The Heart Warming Evolution
As the number of animals grew, Sameer ran the shelter with whatever money he could earn from his job and a few random donations from family and like-minded friends. But then things changed with a chance encounter with Sridhar Gorthi and Munish Makhija. Together they nurtured a vision of a land where destitute animals could roam free and happy. They acquired a beautiful plot in Kalote on the outskirts of Mumbai and created their dream animal shelter. Although the first step had been taken, the shelter still needs more financial support in the form of donations or partners who share their vision and belief.


The Shelter
The Kalote Animal Trust is a labour of love. We try to keep costs at a bare minimum without compromising on the quality of life of the animals. But it is an uphill task as we do not have regular sponsors and currently we run on the goodwill donations of people. However, these donations are sporadic and we are looking for sponsors and partners who can donate regularly to our cause.
Present status
Today, the Kalote Animal Trust is spread over almost 4 acres. The property is pictured here with the wire fence. The aim is to build state-of-the-art enclosures for our rehab program, space for paddocks as well as to grow our own organic fodder for our grazing animals.
The Shelter

Meet Our Vets

Dr. Deepa Katyal
Dr. Deepa Katyal, a Mumbai Veterinary College grad, excels in Animal Pain Management. First Indian Director of IVAPM in the US, her Ted Talk on “Do Animals Feel Pain?” gained fame. Acupuncture- based Pain Management enhances pet health, and she’s renowned for treating exotic animals.

Dr. Aditya Jha
Dr. Aditya Jha graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, and is a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Focusing on Small and Large Animal Medicine, he is out sanctuary’s on-call veterinarian who visits weekly to ensure all our animals are in optimal health.

Dr. Vani Jhaveri
Dr. Vani Jhaveri’s passion for animals led her from stray care to becoming a registered DVM. Now practicing in North Carolina, she returns annually to India to conduct workshops and provide care for animals in need at Kalote Animal Trust. Her dedication inspires the next generation of veterinarians.

At Kalote Animal Trust everything is done with love. The fact that it's a cage free shelter, they have proved that the old ways of caging animals is not necessary. Simply follow the pack rules, hierarchy & nature, & everyone can beautifully co exist. Giving a safe haven to many animals from hit & run cases, blind, handicap, cruelty cases and so on its a beautiful paradise for the ones who can't speak. Any form of donations are welcome there old furniture, towels, sheets, medicines, food, even volunteer programs. Help them so they can help the ones in need.

I've been to Kalote Animal Trust with my family. This is one place where you can see that every animal big, small, ill, well, handicapped or not is taken care of with utmost attention. Hygienic conditions all around, no animals confined to tiny spaces, and the love that the people who run the place show towards these animals is palpable as soon as walk in and also from the way the animals react to the visitors and caretakers. They are friendly & not agitated. Being there made me believe that there still are totally selfless people around who give their time & their love for the voiceless. Kudos to K.A.T.

I remember our first visit to K.A.T. as a very unique & special experience. We had visited with our kids & it was such a great learning for them to see different kinds of animals that are usually not seen living together actually living in harmony and peacefully. It was a learning even for me that things we have been taught in the past don’t hold true. There is a possibility that animals can live and coexist together without cages & actually respect each other, even lead a great life together. Pia & Sameer have done an incredible job & their love & passion for animals rubs off on others so it’s a memory that I am definitely cherishing for life. Truly impressed with their efforts which can be witnessed easily through the happy animals at the Shelter. Grateful to the both of them & looking forward to visit again soon!

Never seen anyone care & love so selflessly for animals, but all the people behind Kalote Animal Trust. Never seen so many rescued animals of all types live so happily, together & freely with each other. This is a mammoth task, every second of every day & everyone there does everything beyond perfect. WOW!!! Just WOW.

I’ve visited KAT, had a wonderful vegan lunch with Sameer & saw for myself how deeply compassionate & kind he is. Such a person is truly rare in today's world. I was inspired & filled with awe for the way all the animals in the shelter were taken care off. He truly has such a big heart you can see his kindness through the actions of the animals. It’s been my dream to be, even a wee bit like Sameer but for right now I'm living that dream helping KAT in whatever way I can. I wish I could do more but I know that every little bit counts.
Our Trustees

Sridhar Gorthi
Sridhar Gorthi is a Partner at Trilegal, and is part of the corporate practice group of the firm. His areas of expertise include M&A, joint ventures and private equity. Moreover, he is an alumnus of National Law School, Bangalore India and is also a member of the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa. When not actively practising law, Sridhar is either diving, writing and performing short stories or spending time at Kalote.

Pia Trivedi
Pia is a famous model and ex VJ with Channel V. She is also a popular anchor for TV shows and has participated in reality shows like Life mein ek baar and Khatron ke khiladi. Pia has been an avid animal lover since she was a little girl. An active member of Peta, Pia has always been someone who fights for the rights of animals. She is also an animal communicator and has volunteered for numerous animal welfare NGOs.

Rukhsana Vohra
Rukhsana Vohra is a Director at her family owned shipping business and a part time yoga teacher. and all proceeds from her teaching goes to the shelter. She is an ardent animal lover and activist, and looks after the needs of the cats that live in her apartment building as well as around her office. She is also aunt to Sameer Vohra who gifted her a stray wounded cat 17 years ago and thereafter her family has grown to 4 cats, all adopted from the streets. Her other hobbies are baking, reading and travelling with her husband on his Royal Enfield Bike.

Sameer Vohra
His feelings for animal wellbeing were evident when Sameer associated with the ASPCA all the way in America. Those sentiments were further enhanced as he returned to India and worked closely with Vets. Today his dreams and vision have eventually become a heartwarming reality in the form of the Kalote animal shelter...and as he believes, this is just the first milestone in his wonderful journey.
Get Start Your Garden With Us
K.A.T. Family

Our Residents

“Woof! Hello, I am Bertha…”
Bertha was found tied to a pole by the side of the road. She was starving, dehydrated and had a huge maggot wound above her eye. Bertha had been much abused and she was frightened and aggressive due to her fear. Bertha was rescued by an NGO, but she was deemed unmanageable and a prime candidate to be put down. But Sameer would have none of that. He brought Bertha to his shelter and with care and love, Bertha gradually began to trust and come out of her shell. Her wound healed and so did her emotional scars. Today, Bertha is a hurricane of love.

“My name is Kalote…hey, wanna play?”
The cheeky little guy on the right is Kalote. His name has an interesting story behind it. Kalote was a little puppy who managed to sneak into the construction site of the shelter while it was getting ready last monsoon. Kalote was sick with the Parvo virus and he was found wet and shivering in the rain. He was sent to Mumbai with an animal lover who happened to be visiting that day. He managed to pull through his treatment in Mumbai and came back to the shelter a few weeks later as a chubby, naughty puppy.

“My name is Pandu…hey, wanna play?”
Pandu joined us at the shelter to live out his life. He has been a resident of Chembur all his life and lived next to Dr. Deepa Katyal’s clinic and cared for by her whenever he got ill. Now that he has gone deaf, the busy roads aren’t safe for him.

“Hero? That’s me. No ifs and butts about it!”
Hero was found as a little baby in a ditch, on a field. He had been attacked by dogs and his wounds were so ghastly that he had been left for dead by the shepherds. But Hero had other plans. After arriving in the shelter, Hero chose to heal and love instead of giving up the fight. The funny thing is since he grew up with dogs, he has no idea that he is actually a sheep. You’ll see him running around with the dogs as a part of the pack. Although, he does decide to settle most of his disputes with them with a head butt.

“So what if I am Tiny, I am gonna make it large!”
Tiny was found hit by a car and paralyzed on the side of a highway. She was rescued and taken to the Animal Hospital in Parel. There Tiny did not give up her fight for life. This tenacious girl gradually started moving her limbs and got on her own feet. That’s when the Animal hospital contacted us. Would we take in Tiny and give her a chance at a happy life? The answer was a unanimous yes. And so little Tiny came to Kalote. A year later, she is still as Tiny and hasn’t grown an inch. Looks like she takes her name rather seriously.