MEET THE
TEAM
THE ARC FAMILY.
Our local staff, paid from your donations, are the backbone of ARC who keep the facility operating daily and ensure a high standard of care for our animals. The hard work of our paid staff along with our dedicated team of volunteers enables the centre to continue to provide vital veterinary services to the animals in South Goa.
.jpg)
ARC FOUNDER
Janie O'Connor
In 2005, UK born ex-model and Bollywood casting agent, Janie O’Connor, saw the plight of the animals while on holiday in South Goa and began to find ways to alleviate their suffering. By 2012, Janie raised enough money to move ARC to the current location where the centre continues to thrive today. Janie has never taken a salary from ARC, instead putting her own savings down to keep the centre running.
GENERAL ASSISTANT
Prishka Kujur
Hearing from Anup that we needed help at the centre, Prishka travelled with her children from Jharkhand to South Goa to assist ARC in 2015. Every day since she joined our team, Prishka cooks a huge batch of rice and chicken for our dogs, ensures the centre is kept clean and provides a high level of care for all our residents. She is incredibly hard working and will often be found grooming and playing with the puppies on her breaks.
GENERAL ASSISTANT
Rashmi Kerketta
Rashmi, one of the more recent additions to the ARC family, joined us in November, 2019, after hearing of our team vacancy from her brother, Anup. She made the long journey from Simdega in Jharkhand to our centre in South Goa and is a highly valued member of the team with an incredible work ethic.
GENERAL ASSISTANT
Ankit Kiro
Joining ARC in February, 2020, just before the global pandemic, Ankit stuck with us after travelling all the way from Jharkhand. Ankit quickly adapted to working with the new restrictions and was an integral part of implementing new procedures. With cleaning and hygiene an even bigger priority than ever before, Ankit helps us implement our new COVID-19 protocols, an essential for the smooth running of the centre.
VET ASSISTANT
Raju Agasimani
Originally from Belgaum in Karnataka, Raju came to Goa in 2004 to work as a driver. In 2007 he began his career as a Veterinary Assistant at a registered NGO where he received on-the-job training working with sick and injured animals. The extensive experience Raju gained was invaluable, and we were lucky when he joined the ARC family as a Veterinary Assistant in 2013. Today, Raju is constantly expanding his knowledge on the treatment of animals to enable us to provide the highest standard of care for our patients.
VET ASSISTANT
Anup Kerketta
As a young boy, Anup travelled from his village in Jharkhand to South Goa to work, initially gaining employment at a bakery. Soon after he was taken on at another animal welfare charity where he trained to be a Veterinary Assistant. In 2010, Anup took a role at ARC and helped to improve our centre with his many years of experience in the sector and fearless attitude in trying circumstances. We challenge you to find someone better at catching dogs for sterilisation than Anup!
VET ASSISTANT
Shivashankar Natekar
An integral member of our team, Shivashankar grew up living opposite ARC volunteering his spare time at the centre. Over the years Shivashankar’s involvement transformed into a part time job while he was in schooling. Graduating in 2018, Shivashankar decided to continue his education to become a qualified Veterinary Assistant and will complete his course in 2021. Daily business at ARC is vastly improved by Shivashankar and we are so lucky he has grown up with us over the years.
VOLUNTEER
Emmi
.jpg)
VOLUNTEER
Greg
_edited.jpg)