Murty Trust, the family foundation of Mrs. Sudha Murty and Mr. Narayana Murthy, in partnership with Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), has announced the opening of a state-of-the-art community cat sterilization centre. The clinic, launched under the name ‘Maitri’ (meaning goodwill, friendship, amity), is set to address the challenges encountered in the animal welfare sector in Bangalore. This will be one of India’s first sterilization centers dedicated to community cats.
The Maitri initiative is a collaborative cat sterilization effort between the local community and CUPA that can help manage stray cat populations in the city, while also addressing the One Health challenge of overpopulation. CUPA, through their community enablement model for cat ABC, has already sterilized over 5000 community cats since its inception in 2018. With the Maitri initiative, The Murty Trust seeks to amplify CUPA’s remarkable work by providing essential resources, allowing them to scale their efforts in community-cat population control.
The clinic commenced operations on 1st Jan, 2024 and was inaugurated by Mrs. Sudha Murty and Ms. Aparna Krishnan, in the presence of CUPA trustees, Ms. Suparna Ganguly, Ms. Sanober Bharucha, and Ms. Rajani Badami.
Mrs. Sudha Murty, while talking about the Maitri initiative said, “Although animals do not have a voice, they have feelings and emotions. When the population of cats increases in a neighbourhood, they fight for resources like food and shelter. This leads to problems for the cats and the residents of the community. We hope to provide them with the resources to scale CUPA’s work for the wellbeing of the animals and community. “
Ms. Rajani Badami, Hon. Trustee, from CUPA remarked, “We are delighted to partner with Murty Trust for the Maitri initiative. Together, we can make a significant difference in controlling the community cat population and creating a more harmonious environment for both cats and the residents of Bangalore.”
Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) was founded in 1991 by Ms. Crystal Rogers, Ms. Suparna Ganguly and Dr. Shiela Rao, who have dedicated their lives to rescue and care of Bangalore’s stray animals. CUPA operates multiple centres across the city, addressing diverse animal welfare aspects such as birth control, trauma response, large animal rehabilitation, and rehoming abandoned animals. With over 30,000 animals receiving medical care annually, CUPA remains at the forefront of animal welfare in Bangalore.
The Murty Trust, under the leadership of Mrs. Sudha Murty and Mr. Rohan Murty, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating art, cultural heritage, science & research, Indian books & manuscripts, and knowledge systems born out of India.
The Trust’s philanthropic initiatives centre on improving education, healthcare, awareness of art and culture, and animal welfare. Over the past 2 years, the Trust has supported 12+ prominent organizations dedicated to the well-being of animals in the animal welfare and wildlife conversation space, further fortifying the Trust’s dedication to the cause of promoting humane treatment and care for animals. Over the next decade, the Trust will have these two areas as its focus. These welfare efforts extend to various programs and projects aimed at positively impacting communities and fostering sustainable development, one of which is Maitri.