About me:
The voiceless are the ones who suffer the most in any given situation and I wanted to stand by them. I am Zabi khan from Hyderabad. I am 20 years old Engineering student. I am an Animal rights activist, Padmashri nominee, world record holder for being the world’s youngest Animal Rights activist, founder of 'A Place to Bark Society' and a Ashoka youth venturer. I started working for animal rights from the age of 13 yrs. When I was 16-yrs-old, I registered my NGO named 'A Place to Bark Society' and started running a rescue and adoption animal shelter. So far I have rescued over 500+ animals and rehabilitated around 3000+ animals.

How it all started:
It all started when i was 13-year-old, i love animals for as long as i can remember. I was walking down the street and i saw a German shepherd puppy lying on the road, I inquired around and found that someone just dropped him off a car and never returned. The puppy looked sad and was very hungry, I got him home and named him Casanova. However, 4 days later, Casanova was running very high temperature. I took him to vet with my dad’s help; vet examined him and told me, that my little kiddo will be all fine within a few days. Once back home, Casanova remained a little dull but followed me around all through the day. I woke up at 4am the next morning I called out Casanova and he didn't responded, i  touched him and they was no response, my little kiddo was no more. I still clearly remember that morning and give me shudders. My dad told me that Casanova was suffering from parvo bacteria and was in the last stage, he was probably abandoned because his previous owners thought he wasn’t worth investing so much in. As a matter of fact why would they put in so much of money and efforts to safe a dog, at the end of the day they can buy one more again. That night shattered me as well as showed me the meaning of my life. I promised myself that I would now never let any animal suffer like my Casanova did. My life had a purpose and a meaning now and that’s how it all started.

About my Ngo and the shelter I run:
Animal rights are taken for granted in a country like India but the pain and suffering an animal goes through is no less than a human and this led to the formation of APTB. A Place To Bark was started by me Registered under section 3 of the society act, it holds a strong position in the city for the welfare of animals. We deal with abandoned and abused animals who had a rough start in their lives. We rehabilitate, retrain and rehome them in the best families who deserve them. The activities range from Animal adoption, rehabilitation, retraining, providing medical assistance to the injured animals, rescuing abused animals from pathetic conditions, and creating awareness in schools, colleges, and orphanages sending food to animals affected by natural calamities.

The estimates of the past year are as follows:
•Cat and dog adoptions:   458
•Abandoned rescues:   180
•Rehoming cases: 240
•Abused animals seized: 89

I presently run a shelter in Hyderabad and the shelter is for abandoned and abused dogs.  I have been successful in convincing my college and have constructed an animal shelter inside the college campus and made my college the world’s first Animal-Friendly Educational campus have been successful in creating a self-sufficient, self-governing system in my college where all students contribute in some small way towards running the shelter(the help could be in terms of taking the dogs for a walk or bathing them) Each of the dog/cat we rescue have been adopted in amazing families. So as soon as we get a clear medical report of the rescued animal we make sure we rehabilitate them and hence so far we have rehabilitated over 3000 animals
I am currently working to start an animal ambulance that will rescue the needy animals 24/7 in the city
We are in process of expanding our shelter from a 200 sq yard place to a 12 acre of land.
I have covered over 86 colleges and universities to explain Animal rights and motivate students to start their own social ventures.
We carry out different events like adoption drives and fashion shows to educate the public on animal rights
Each of the rescued animals has a different need, some come to us with paralyzed legs, some with tumors, some with skin allergies, cancer, fractures, burns, road accident cases, and the list goes on. Being a student at times it gets really hard to manage the recourses and funding.

About Animal Sanctuary:
 As I run two shelters for dogs we are able to deal a good number of cases every single day but then we do get rescue calls for bigger animals like injured Donkeys, cows, buffalos, goats, horses, birds, and pigs but with heavy heart every single time we have to say a no as we can’t shelter them.
Sadly Hyderabad has no Animal sanctuary and we want to start one, a kind soul have donated us a 12 acr of land in Hyderabad for the sanctuary but then building one does take a lot of money and resources. To build specific shelters like a shelter for birds, a shelter for all the larger animals, a shelter for cats and so on. To build all these shelters under on land the estimated cost is going up to 20lakh rupees. i do have a very strong zeal and compassion toward these neglected voiceless and abused living being but to make my dream come true I am today counting on each of you to help me make a place for all these abandoned and abused animals to call their home.
Please donate and spread the word. Help me make a heaven for these souls who have always been so loyal and grateful to us. Lets together become the voice of all these voiceless animals.
For me, I promise I would never rest until every cage is free and until every tank is empty.