Bringing about change sometimes only requires an heartfelt first step – and that’s exactly what two youngsters in Delhi kicked off for animal welfare with the launch of their app, Karuna Nidhan.
In a country constantly plagued by insensitivity towards community animals, we might think compassion is hard to come by. But more than often, it exists within most – latent, usually held back by a sense of helplessness or lack of awareness on what we can do.
If you’ve passed by an injured animal and wanted to help, yet had no way to do so, downloading Karuna Nidhan might be the first step.
Born out of frustration and compassion in equal parts, the app is designed to slowly and steadily bring an organised system into place for animal welfare in India.
With a transparent model in place, the app that’s available to download on Android and iOS allows samaritans to simply report an injured or distressed animal with just a few taps that connect citizens to rescuers and NGOs.
Constantly improving and evolving to ensure that user experience and animal welfare is taken care of equally, Karuna Nidhan is not a picture-perfect solution but it is an heartfelt endeavour rooted in wanting to make genuine change in the lives of animals in need.
So, if you’ve ever wanted to help an injured animal, allow yourselves to follow your heart, download the app and start with a small yet impact step.
Read our Q&A with the brains behind the Karuna Nidhan to find out about what inspired the app, improvements they’ve made, user feedback and more.
1. What inspired you to create the Karuna Nidhan app? Any specific incident or instance that sparked the idea?
Karuna Nidhan was born out of helplessness and frustration. We kept seeing injured dogs on the streets, bleeding, paralyzed, and hit by vehicles. People genuinely wanted to help but didn’t know how. NGOs were overburdened, volunteers were scattered, and by the time help arrived, it was often too late. Watching animals suffer simply because coordination was missing became the breaking point. We realized compassion already exists in people; what’s missing is a system. Karuna Nidhan started as a response to that gap.
2. What’s your mission and goal with this app?
Our mission is simple but heavy. No animal should suffer just because help couldn’t reach on time. Karuna Nidhan aims to turn empathy into action by building a transparent and reliable system for animal rescue, care, and accountability. Long term, our goal is not just rescues, but fixing the broken infrastructure around animal welfare including medical transparency, identity tracking, prevention, and trust so help becomes sustainable, not accidental.
3. Can you take me through the steps of how it works and how people can use it to help animals?
Anyone can open the app and report an injured or distressed animal with just a few taps. The case is location tagged and becomes visible to nearby volunteers, rescuers, and NGOs. From there, help is coordinated whether it is first aid, rescue, or medical attention. What makes Karuna Nidhan different is documentation. Treatments, medicines, and outcomes are logged to ensure transparency and continuity of care. Even those who cannot physically help can contribute by reporting cases, sharing verified information, or supporting ethical care.
Recently, we’ve also enhanced our “mark as resolved” feature for increased transparency and better care of the animals.
4. How can people help expand the influence of the app?
People help by using the app, sharing it, and believing that small actions matter. Every report, every verified case, and every honest volunteer strengthens the system. We do not ask people to be heroes; we ask them to be consistent. When people talk about Karuna Nidhan, recommend it, or introduce it to their local community, the network grows and the chances of saving lives increase.
5. What’s been the feedback so far, and what moment made you the proudest?
The feedback has been raw and real. Some people thank us, some criticize delays, and both matter. The proudest moments are not viral posts. They are messages saying, I didn’t know how to help before, but now I do. Or moments when an animal receives treatment because the right person saw the case at the right time. Knowing the system worked even once makes every sleepless night worth it.
6. What are your future plans regarding expansion or improvements?
We want to strengthen the foundation first through better coordination, faster response, and more transparency. Future plans include animal identification to prevent duplicate treatments, clearer medical cost tracking to fight exploitation, and structured training for volunteers. International expansion will help generate sustainable funding, which we plan to reinvest into improving animal welfare infrastructure in India. This is a long journey, but we are committed to building something that lasts, not something that trends.
Karuna Nidhan is available for download on Android and iOS. You can find more information about the app, its mission and how it works on their website : https://karunanidhan.app. Follow for updates on their Instagram.
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