Delhi Student Kushal Sachdeva Honoured with Prestigious Diana Award 2026 for Stray Dog Welfare

The Vasant Valley School student and founder of Protect Paws Foundation has received international recognition for his efforts to improve the lives of India's community dogs through technology, medical care and grassroots advocacy.

What began as an 11-year-old boy feeding a hungry street dog during the COVID-19 lockdown has grown into an animal welfare organisation working to protect thousands of dogs across India.

Six years later, Kushal Sachdeva, a student at Delhi's Vasant Valley School and founder of Protect Paws Foundation, has been named a recipient of The Diana Award 2026, a prestigious international honour recognising young people for their contributions to social action and humanitarian work.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award celebrates young changemakers who have demonstrated sustained commitment to improving their communities. Sachdeva was recognised during the international virtual award ceremony on November 4, joining this year's cohort of recipients from around the world.

From Feeding Street Dogs to Building a Foundation

Sachdeva's journey began in May 2020, when India's COVID-19 lockdown left many street animals without reliable sources of food. Just 11 years old at the time, he started feeding dogs in his neighbourhood, gradually expanding his efforts to provide medical assistance and rescue injured animals.

What began as a personal initiative eventually developed into Protect Paws Foundation, now a registered Section 8 nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving the welfare of India's community dogs.

According to figures shared by the organisation, Protect Paws has helped feed and care for more than 1,500 stray dogs, fitted over 450 dogs with reflective, QR-coded collars, facilitated upwards of 200 vaccinations and 110 sterilizations, and rescued more than 30 animals. The foundation has also raised over $13,000 to support its animal welfare initiatives.

The organisation has grown through the involvement of volunteers, veterinarians, local communities and civic authorities, moving beyond individual rescue efforts towards programmes focused on long-term animal welfare.

Using Technology to Protect Street Animals

One of Protect Paws' most distinctive initiatives is its use of technology to improve the safety and identification of community dogs.

The foundation's reflective collars are designed to make dogs more visible to motorists at night, while their QR codes provide access to digital records containing information such as vaccination history, medical details and local caretaker contacts.

The system is intended to make it easier for residents and veterinarians to identify injured or lost dogs and coordinate their care.

Sachdeva, who also has a background in robotics and engineering, has combined his interest in technology with his work in animal welfare, using practical solutions to address everyday challenges faced by street animals.

Advocating for Humane Solutions

Beyond its feeding and medical programmes, Protect Paws has become involved in the wider conversation surrounding India's stray dog population.

Amid public debate over street dog management, Sachdeva has advocated for humane, evidence-based approaches that address both animal welfare and public safety, including vaccination, sterilisation and responsible community management.

His advocacy has also brought him into the national spotlight. In August 2025, he appeared on a live CNN-News18 panel debate following the Supreme Court's directions concerning Delhi's stray dogs. He argued against mass relocation, highlighting concerns about inadequate shelter infrastructure, animal welfare and public safety, while advocating sterilisation and vaccination as more sustainable solutions. He has also written about animal welfare, challenging misconceptions surrounding community dogs and encouraging greater public awareness for national publications .

His work has also extended to collaborations with policymakers, including Rajya Sabha MP R. P. N. Singh, who invited Sachdeva to pilot Protect Paws' community dog welfare model in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. The initiative brought QR-coded collars and vaccination records to local communities, alongside training for residents in animal care and record-keeping. Following drives in Padrauna, Kasia and Khadda, Singh encouraged Sachdeva to develop the model into a toolkit that could be adopted by other districts.

The foundation's approach places particular emphasis on cooperation between residents, veterinarians and local authorities, with the aim of developing solutions that are sustainable for both animals and the communities in which they live.

International Recognition for Youth-Led Change

The Diana Award is the only award bearing the name of Diana, Princess of Wales, and recognises young people whose work has created lasting positive change.

The award's wider programme receives support from prominent organisations, including artificial intelligence company Anthropic and ServiceNow, which support its Quality Education category.

Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, Chief Executive of The Diana Award, said the recipients demonstrate "what is possible when passion, compassion and determination are turned into action."

Sachdeva's official citation on the 2026 Diana Award Roll of Honour highlights his work in caring for more than 1,500 community dogs, developing QR-coded reflective collars and advocating for humane alternatives to the mass removal of stray animals.

For Sachdeva, the recognition marks a significant milestone in a journey that began with a single act of kindness during the pandemic.

As Protect Paws continues to expand its community programmes, the foundation remains focused on improving access to veterinary care, supporting responsible street dog management and encouraging greater compassion towards animals.

From feeding one hungry dog to receiving international recognition, Sachdeva's journey illustrates how an initiative started by a school student can grow into a wider movement for social change.

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