‘We Are Open': Ratan Tata Launches Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital in Mumbai

Industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata officially launched his pet project, 'Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital’, at Mahalaxmi in Mumbai on July 1.

Taking to Platform X to share the news, the 86-year-old industrialist announced, "We are open." He shared one of the hospital's posts mentioning they were moving from the trial phase to phase one, where people could access the hospital for their pets.

In his Instragam post, Tata said,"We are excited to bring in this new day for veterinary care, a day that marks Care. Cure. Comfort. Thank you Mumbai for your support so far and in the years to come."

Expressing his thoughts behind setting up the hospital in a report in Moneycontrol he had said, "A pet is no different from a member of one's family today. As the guardian of several pets throughout my life, I recognise the need for this hospital."

The philanthropist had elaborated that he had to fly a pet to the University of Minnesota for a joint replacement. "But I was too late, and so they froze the dog's joint in a particular position. That experience enabled me to see what a world-class veterinary hospital was equipped to do," he had said.

The Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital is a five-storey centre that can house almost 200 patients. The hospital has been constructed at a cost of Rs 165 crore. British veterinarian, Thomas Heathcote, who has relocated to Mumbai will lead the team.

The project was announced in 2017 and was earlier planned to be housed in Navi Mumbai. However, Tata felt the commute would be cumbersome for pet parents and, hence, moved the hospital to a central location.

"This (distance) could've been a major deterrent for pet parents, especially those in need of emergency services. With this in mind, finding the right space for land and getting permissions was also a reason for the delay," he explained.

He further mentioned that it took them almost a year and a half to realign the documentation, agreements, and paperwork.

"By the time we returned to normalcy, the expenses of the hospital had also been impacted owing to inflationary costs of steel, manpower and availability of raw materials," the industrialist said.

The industrialist is known for his love for dogs and has been found sharing photos of dogs on several occasions.

Here is how a few celebrities and social media users reacted to the launch on different platforms: