Featured Image Courtesy: Ratan Tata/Instagram

At 86, Ratan Tata’s dream of building a Hospital for his furry friends is finally becoming a reality. Tata Trusts announced the upcoming launch of the country’s first state-of-the-art Small Animal Hospital in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai.

Set to become India’s largest animal hospital, spanning 98,000 sq ft with five floors and over 200 beds, it will provide 24/7 intensive care for cats, dogs, rabbits, and other small animals. With an investment of Rs 165 crore, the hospital is slated to launch in March 2024.

A long-awaited dream for Ratan Tata, the animal hospital was conceived out of his struggle to find advanced healthcare for his injured dog. When his dog needed a joint replacement, he had to fly the dog all the way to the University of Minnesota, USA. But as he was “too late”, the veterinarian froze the dog’s joint in a particular position, Ratan Tata told The Times of India.

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“Pets are our family and their lives matter to every pet parent. When I looked around and saw the lack of infrastructure for pets in India, it made me wonder why in such a large country with a significant pet population we cannot have a facility that can save lives and make pet lives better,” said Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Trusts.

Seeing firsthand the services and care provided at a world-class veterinary hospital, he returned with a wish to build a similar one in Mumbai. His vision is finally materialising, many decades later.

“The Small Animal Hospital aims to be one such facility with specialised facilities to treat every pet with care, love and a human approach,” he said. The hospital will be led by Dr Thomas Heathcote, a British veterinarian with a vision of enhancing the quality of pet healthcare in the country.

“A pet is no different from a member of one’s family today. As the guardian of several pets throughout my life, I recognise the need for this hospital,” he added.

Edited by Pranita Bhat