Prateek Tanmay
4 min readLucknowUpdated: Jun 23, 2026 09:42 PM IST
Cats shivering in trays and cages, some whose fur turned black from the soot, frightened dogs, and even a parrot: Several animals and birds were rescued from the three-storey building that went up in flames in Lucknow’s Aliganj on Monday.
The building housed a pet shop and a clinic on the basement, ground and first floors.
Volunteers had rushed to the site on hearing about the blaze, and were seen comforting the frightened animals and arranging immediate medical attention for those suffering from injuries, smoke inhalation and severe stress.
Several animal welfare workers remained at the site throughout the operation, coordinating rescue efforts and ensuring that the animals brought to safety received prompt treatment and shelter.
The Indian Express spoke to five of them:
Charu Khare
Asra – The Helping Hands
For six years, Lucknow resident Charu has dedicated herself to the welfare of strays and abandoned animals. The moment she learned about the fire at the Aliganj pet shop, she said she rushed to the scene, helping rescue several cats trapped in the building’s basement.
“I am treating a few of the animals,” she said. “The pet shop operated round the clock and provided free treatment to strays.”
Rahul Verma
Paravet
Rahul, who has been involved in animal care and treatment since 2011, was at the site for several hours, assisting in the rescue effort.
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“I was at the spot for around four hours and left only after the animals inside the building had been rescued. Several animals required immediate medical attention, and I helped provide first aid and emergency care,” he said.
Rahul said he was a frequent visitor to the pet shop and often purchased animal feed and other supplies from the facility. He also brought abandoned and injured animals there for treatment, as the shop was known among animal welfare workers for providing medical care to animals in need.
Divyansh Pathak
Animal activist
Divyansh, 24, said he has been rescuing and caring for stray animals since 2017. He said he reached the fire spot around 3 pm on Monday, leaving only at 4 am Tuesday.
“I visited the site again today… We don’t know if there were any animal casualties…,” Pathak said.
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Shubham Pratap Singh
Jeev Aashraya
“As news of the fire spread, a seven-member team from our NGO rushed to the scene to assist in the rescue operation and provide emergency care to animals,” said Shubham.
Many of the rescued animals were found struggling with the effects of smoke inhalation and severe stress. “Among the animals we rescued were eight cats, seven dogs and a parrot. After administering immediate medical care at the site, we shifted them to our shelter in Gomti Nagar,” he added.
Dr Renu Singh
WE care foundation
Singh, 45, who lives barely 500 metres from the pet shop, rushed to the scene along with three members of his NGO; they managed to save 12 cats and eight dogs. Of the rescued cats, five had sustained minor injuries.
“We shifted all the rescued animals to our shelter to ensure their safety,” she said, adding, “The shop is located close to my residence, and I had visited it several times in connection with animal welfare activities carried out by me and the NGO.”
