Dr. Christine Townend is the founding trustee of Darjeeling Goodwill Animal Shelter, a registered Indian Charitable Trust. She founded DGAS in 1998 with the help of Jaipur Lawyer, Mr. G.K. Tiwari. Previous to this, she had served as Managing Trustee of Help in Suffering Animal Shelter, based in Jaipur Rajasthan, in a voluntary capacity from 1990-2006. Her husband, Jeremy, a lawyer, worked with her also in a voluntary capacity. During this time with the help of Mr. D. R. Mehta and Mrs. Timmie Kumar, all killing of street dogs was halted by the Jaipur Municipality and HIS introduced an Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme which Christine then started in Kalimpong and Darjeeling with the support of the Chairs of the Municipalities.

Christine is a published author. Of her 12 published books, four were published in India. These are:

PUBLISHED BOOKS

 The Hidden Master, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 2002.

Le Maitre Cache:  Lotus D’Or, France, 2005

Animal Stories, Prakri Barti Academy, Jaipur, 2006

The Teaching of Vimala Thakar, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 2010

Moti, An Indian Elephant,  Motilal Banarsidass, 2015

Additionally  a biography about her work in India, Christine’s Ark, was published by journalist John Little by Macmillan in 2006, and a memoir about Christine’s work in India was published by Sydney University Press in 2017.

Mr. Mehta joined the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in 1961 and held various responsible positions in Government of Rajasthan and Government of India. His last four postings were as under –

1. Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
2. Director General of Foreign Trade, India, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India
3. Dy Governor – Reserve Bank of INDIA (RBI)
4. Chairman Security & Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Mr. Mehta is the Founder and Chief Patron of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), Jaipur, the parent body of Jaipur Foot. Under his leadership, BMVSS has by now rehabilitated 1.71 million amputees, polio patients and etc making it the world’s largest organization for the disabled.

Mr. Mehta is an ardent animal activist also.

Mr. Mehta got several awards including the following ones –

1. Padma Bhushan (one of the top most civil awards in India)– from the President of India in 2008 for his social services.
2. Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award – 2012 from the Prime Minister of India, for his social services.
3. TECH Museum Award for Innovation and its use for Humanity in the USA in 2007.

Mr. Mehta was born 25^th June 1937. He is a Bachelor of Arts and Law from Rajasthan University, Jaipur, India. He is also an alumnus of Royal Institute of Public Administration, London and Alfred Sloan School of Management, MIT – USA. 

Trustee – Darjeeling Goodwill Animal Shelter, Kalimpong & Darjeeling.

Working  as a Finance Director with “Help in Suffering ” Jaipur

• Rtd. Teacher-In-Charge Southfield College, Darjeeling.
•  President of Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Women Association Darjeeling.
•  Member of College Service Commission, Govt. of W.B.
• Life member Red Cross Society Darjeeling.
•  Author of Many Journals and Periodicals.
•  Court member of university of North Bengal for many years.