MISSION & HISTORY
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1) The earth herself, and all life, is sacred.
2) We are all related.
MISSION
Indraloka provides “heaven on earth” for farm animals that have nowhere else to turn. We inform, inspire, and empower the community, especially children, on ways in which we can better care for ourselves and the environment while helping animals in need. We advocate for a kind and compassionate diet and lifestyle that protects animals, the earth, and our own health.
VISION
Indraloka will be a beacon of love and light, drawing in those who would not otherwise visit a sanctuary and inspiring them to make kinder life choices.
VALUES
- Reverence – demonstrating through our behavior that we respect the inherent value of every life
- Mitakuye Oyasin – Lakota for “We are all related, we pray for all of our relatives”
- Joy – actively seeking to feel and create happiness through our work
- Lovingkindness – showing tenderness and consideration towards others
- Mindfulness – focusing our awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting our feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations without allowing them to divert our attention
history
Indraloka provides “heaven on earth” for farm animals that have nowhere else to turn. We inform, inspire, and empower the community, especially children, on ways in which we can better care for ourselves and the environment while helping animals in need. We advocate for a kind and compassionate lifestyle that protects animals, the earth, and our own health.
With an increased focus on farm animals, the importance of environmental concerns to the well-being of both wild and domestic animals as well as to farming communities (whose livelihoods are entirely dependent on the health and vitality of our ecosystem) also became a top priority.
Indraloka began offering educational programs for children, helping them to make the connection between their own health and well-being to that of the environment and animals.
Countless children have participated and are now protecting the environment and making educated choices as compassionate, responsible, and healthy citizens. Founded in 2005, Indraloka Animal Sanctuary is a private, non-profit, charitable (501c3) organization.
Founder Indra Lahiri always loved animals and nature.
When she was young, she often found and took home injured animals, nursed them back to health, and released them back into the wild. As soon as she was old enough, Indra began volunteering with various rescue groups.
Over the years, she saw a recurring problem: certain animals, due to medical or behavioral issues, were often unnecessarily euthanized due to lack of an appropriate home, even when they could have lived a long and happy life. Indra founded the sanctuary for these animals. It soon became clear that the animals in most need were farm animals.
There are many places for dogs, cats, and horses to turn, however, what happens to pigs, cows, chickens, or turkeys removed from farms for cruelty? Thus, Indraloka turned its primary focus to farm animals, although we continue to provide safe haven for animals of all species.
Today, Indraloka is one of few farm animal and all species sanctuaries, and with over 200 animals in our care, we are also among the largest.