Mars Impact Fund, the philanthropic arm of Mars, Inc., visited Humane World for Animals India’s Animal Birth Control centre in Lucknow
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India: Today, representatives from the Mars Impact Fund, the philanthropic entity of Mars, Incorporated, a global pet care, snacking, and food company, visited (1)Humane World for Animals India’s Animal Birth Control centre in Lucknow to observe the city’s integrated humane street dog management and community engagement program. The visit showcased how dog sterilization and anti-rabies vaccination initiatives can flourish through strong community engagement, a key factor in Lucknow’s prominence as a model city for humanely managing street dog populations, reducing conflict and promoting human-dog co-existence in India.
In India, millions of street dogs live in close proximity to people, which can present a complex urban challenge. The program model emerging from Lucknow demonstrates that when science-led strategic solutions are combined with compassion and community ownership, there is a replicable pathway for cities seeking effective, lasting and humane solutions to human-dog conflict.
What sets this approach apart is its emphasis on communities and street dog caregivers as active participants in the solution, not just beneficiaries. Community volunteers, residents, Resident Welfare Associations and community dog caretakers play a central role, from monitoring street dogs to managing designated feeding zones and collaborating with field teams to identify unsterilized dogs. Today, more than 475 Abhay Sankalp societies—local resident groups formed to support humane street dog management and coexistence— are active across the city, bringing together over 15,000 community members.
This Humane World for Animals program is supported by the Mars Impact Fund, which is helping strengthen community-led approaches to companion animal welfare in urban India. Since its inception, the program has sterilized and vaccinated over one lakh street dogs, achieving more than 80% sterilization coverage in the city. Notably, 25% of these efforts have been enabled through community participation, reflecting a growing shift towards shared responsibility in humanely and sustainably managing street dog populations.
During their visit, members of the Mars team also interacted with community members and volunteers directly involved in the program, gaining insight into how local participation is shaping outcomes. The visit included a dog behavior awareness workshop with children, offering a glimpse into how early education helps to explain dog behaviour, reduce fear-driven responses, prevent conflict, and foster empathy and safer interactions between people and animals.
“Witnessing the Lucknow program firsthand is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when science, compassion, and community come together. This is exactly the kind of sustainable, scalable impact we aim to support through the Mars Impact Fund. Humane World for Animals India has created a replicable model that not only improves the welfare of street dogs but also strengthens the bond between people and pets. At Mars, we believe in creating a better world for pets, and this program is a perfect example of how we can achieve that by empowering local partners to drive meaningful change from the ground up,” said Michelle Grogg, Executive Director, Mars Impact Fund.
Keren Nazareth, senior director, Companion Animals and Engagement, Humane World for Animals India, said, “Lasting change for street dogs is as much about people as it is about dogs. While interventions like sterilization and vaccination remain critical, when community residents are informed, involved and supported, they become the strongest drivers and agents of coexistence. The Mars Impact Fund‘s support allows us to deepen that engagement on the ground and build solutions that are humane and sustainable.”
Facts:
- Humane World for Animals India, in collaboration with the Lucknow Nagar Nigam in Uttar Pradesh, started the ABC program in Lucknow in 2019.
- More than one lakh dogs have been sterilized so far. Chitti, the 100,000th community dog sterilized under the program, was found by a resident volunteer injured on the street and brought to the Lucknow facility.
- Each week, 250-300 dogs are sterilized, vaccinated and released back to their original locations. The initiative is supported by a team of over 30 trained staff members, six vehicles and a strong network of community volunteers.
- A monitoring survey in December 2024 found that 84.3% of Lucknow’s street dogs have been sterilized and vaccinated.
- Over 31,000 public concerns related to street dogs were effectively addressed through humane interventions such as sterilization, vaccination and community awareness.
- The Mars Impact Fund was launched in 2026 as an $85 million global fund dedicated to complement the company’s existing sustainability and philanthropic efforts with long-term, strategic investments that strengthen communities, advance scientific opportunity and improve companion animal wellbeing. The fund builds upon Mars long-standing global partnership with Humane World for Animals, and its support for the organization’s programs in India began in 2020.
Humane World for Animals (formerly known as Humane Society International) works in India and across the globe to improve the welfare of street, community and companion dogs and cats. We promote humane, sustainable approaches to reduce street animal populations and support peaceful coexistence with people, offering solutions in place of lethal or inhumane methods. Since 2013, more than 400,000 street dogs have been sterilized and vaccinated in India through Humane World for Animals’ programs. The charity’s street dog programs, in addition to its work to increase access to care for companion animals in underserved communities, help people care for their animals and prevent cruelty and abandonment, is advanced in North America, South Africa, Mexico, India, Chile, Costa Rica, Romania and Bolivia.
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