20.08.26
Celebrating projects making a difference for animals around the world
Every year, World Animal Day brings together people and organisations who are working to improve the lives of animals in their communities, and our annual grant is one way we can do this.
The £10,000 grant is completely funded by Naturewatch Foundation and is open only to World Animal Day ambassadors. We always receive a high number of applications, and choosing just a few projects to support is no easy task!
After much consideration, we’re delighted to announce the three recipients who will share our £10,000 World Animal Day grant in 2026.
Blue Cross India – Chennai, India
For animals living on the streets of Chennai, intense summer temperatures can be life-threatening. Access to clean, safe drinking water can make the difference between life and death, helping animals avoid dehydration and heat stroke.
Blue Cross India will use its grant funding to provide permanent cement water bowls for homeless animals across Chennai. The project will create reliable access to fresh drinking water, providing relief for animals facing increasingly challenging conditions.
By establishing permanent water stations, the project aims to create a lasting resource for animals and the communities who care for them.
WagWag – Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Building on last year’s successful project, WagWag will use this year’s grant to continue its work supporting stray cats in Banja Luka.
Over three months, the team hopes to trap, neuter and return around 120–150 stray cats. By sterilising cats living on the streets, the project will help prevent unwanted litters and reduce the number of cats facing life without a home.
TNR is a simple but effective way to improve the lives of stray cats while helping to tackle the growing number of animals living on the streets. Alongside preventing future suffering, it can also help improve the health and wellbeing of the cats already in the community.
We’re really pleased to be supporting WagWag again this year and can’t wait to see what they achieve with the project!
People for Animals – Siliguri, India
People for Animals Siliguri are taking a brilliant approach that brings together animal welfare and the environment.
With the grant, they’ll be supporting stray animals and local wildlife in a number of practical ways, including setting up water stations, providing food and vaccinations, planting trees and creating artificial nests for birds.
The project will also bring the local community into the work, helping people learn more about caring for animals and protecting the wildlife around them.
It’s a lovely example of how looking after animals and looking after the environment can go hand in hand, and we’re excited to see the difference this project makes!
A shared goal
Although each of our 2026 grant winners is tackling a different challenge, they all share the same ambition: to create a safer, healthier and more compassionate world for animals.
We’re incredibly excited to follow their progress and see the difference these projects make in the months ahead.
Congratulations to Blue Cross India, WagWag and People for Animals, and thank you to every World Animal Day Ambassador who took the time to apply. The quality and commitment shown in this year’s applications reminded us just how much dedicated individuals and organisations are doing for animals around the world.
Get involved this World Animal Day
We’ll be sharing updates on their progress here and on the World Animal Day website, so keep an eye out to see how their projects develop.
We’re so excited to see these three brilliant projects get started and to see the difference they make for animals and communities in Chennai, Banja Luka and Siliguri.
The World Animal Day grant wouldn’t be possible without the passion and dedication of our ambassadors around the world. Thank you for everything you do to make a difference for animals in your communities.
And, of course, World Animal Day takes place on 4 October! We’d love for you to get involved, whether that’s by joining an event, organising something of your own or simply spreading the word. Find out how you can get involved.
