Start Date
6-10-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
8-10-2025 7:00 PM
Description
According to the State of Pet Homelessness Index data of 2021, India has a high prevalence of stray animals, with around 80 million homeless cats and dogs. The living conditions of these animals are harsh and unsafe. Services for stray animals are managed by the animal welfare departments, non-profit organizations, and caretakers. The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of existing stray animal welfare services and understand the role of the stakeholders towards creating a safe and healthy environment for these animals. Semi-structured interviews of eighteen stakeholders and site immersions at five Mumbai-based NGOs were conducted. The study diagnoses the state of the current stray animal service ecosystem by mapping the interactions of the existing services and identifying potential areas of design intervention. Findings from the study indicate inefficiencies in the reach of these services and lack of integrated stakeholders efforts underscoring the need for a holistic approach for stray animal welfare. This study demonstrates a novel application of service design approach for developing animal-centered solutions beyond human-centred application.
Citation
Khan, F.,and Shrivastav, S.(2025) Animal-Centered Service Design for Stray Animals in India.. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/servdes/servdes2025/researchpapers/49
Animal-Centered Service Design for Stray Animals in India
According to the State of Pet Homelessness Index data of 2021, India has a high prevalence of stray animals, with around 80 million homeless cats and dogs. The living conditions of these animals are harsh and unsafe. Services for stray animals are managed by the animal welfare departments, non-profit organizations, and caretakers. The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of existing stray animal welfare services and understand the role of the stakeholders towards creating a safe and healthy environment for these animals. Semi-structured interviews of eighteen stakeholders and site immersions at five Mumbai-based NGOs were conducted. The study diagnoses the state of the current stray animal service ecosystem by mapping the interactions of the existing services and identifying potential areas of design intervention. Findings from the study indicate inefficiencies in the reach of these services and lack of integrated stakeholders efforts underscoring the need for a holistic approach for stray animal welfare. This study demonstrates a novel application of service design approach for developing animal-centered solutions beyond human-centred application.