Hyderabad's first Animal Sanctuary will be inaugurated tomorrow and here's what's in store

Animal lovers, rejoice! The country's one-of-its-kind Animal Sanctuary will be inaugurated on December 15, 2019, in Hyderabad. Initiated by multiple award-winning animal rescuer Zabi Khan, this sanctuary is located in Miyakhangadda on Shankarpally Road. Founder and President of Telangana Jagruthi Kalvakuntla Kavitha will be the chief guest and Yashveer Singh, Director, Ashoka Youth Venture will be the guest of honour. No wonder they already have a whooping 500 registrations for the launch event. "It's so overwhelming, I thought because it's on a Sunday, that too at 9.30 in the morning, no one will turn up," laughs and shares Zabi Khan, for whom, the Animal Sanctuary is a result of a lot of hard work and is a dream come true.
 
The best line-up
The sanctuary has been envisioned as a place where animals will not just be rehabilitated, it will also serve as an awareness and education centre. Video messages from actor and animal lover Anushka Sharma, VJ Rannvijay Singh and singer Harshdeep Kaur will also be played during the event. Except for several collaborations to be announced. They will also be launching their toll-free number for animal rescue and an ambulance for animals. The focus will be on rescue, animal law advocacy, awareness and the essence of co-existence. "This sanctuary is not just for Hyderabad. It will also be a model that other cities can replicate," explains the 22-year-old.  
 
While the construction of the sanctuary has kept Zabi busy, he has also been working on the bigger picture besides recusing animals. "We are working to bring about policy-level changes which will impact many more animals. Animal rights advocacy is another aspect that we are extremely passionate about," he says. He has also been mentoring more than 25 youngsters who would like to start their own social enterprise on how to go about doing so.  
 
What a year
It's been a great year for the youngster already. He was awarded the V-Award for Best Volunteer in India by the United Nations and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, he was one of the speakers at the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) conducted in Ethiopia and he even won the Edex 40 Under 40 Award. "At the SEWF, I spoke about how the education system needs to change. Instead of having subjects like Environmental Education Studies, we need to have subjects like Social Entrepreneurship. Students need to be encouraged to volunteer with an NGO for one month. In that way, suppose a student chooses to volunteer for Swachh Bharat Mission and does so for a month, then they will definitely think twice before littering even after their stint is completed," says the Founder of A Place To Bark.    

"I have so much more to share and all of it will be done tomorrow," says an excited Zabi Khan