Otara Gunewardene appointed Sri Lanka’s envoy for World Animal Day

Otara Gunewardene has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador for World Animal Day - an initiative for uniting the animal welfare movement worldwide, in recognition of her numerous efforts to curb the country’s stray dog population through her personal Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative – ‘EMBARK.’

The World Animal Day falls on October 4th annually.
This prestigious honour further cements Otara’s reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s most passionate advocates on the prevention of cruelty to animals.

World Animal Day started in 1931, at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species, has since grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and is widely celebrated in countries throughout the world.

WAD is an initiative for uniting the animal welfare movements that aim to bring together people from around the world and encourage an increased participation, whether as a member of a large organisation, small grass-roots group or as an individual.

As an Ambassador towards this initiative, Otara will play a vital role in promoting this cause within the local community to ensure the speedy growth of the ideas behind World Animal Day. The website for the initiative claims that all its ambassadors are highly motivated individuals who are passionate about animals and their welfare and have proven their commitment to encouraging support for the World Animal Day initiative in their own country.

Speaking about this recognition, Otara said that it was vital for all animal welfare groups to work together to establish a united, common platform where animal lovers can come together with the goal of ensuring the eradication of cruelty to animals. “I am honoured that ‘EMBARK’S’ commitment and progress has been recognised, and we wish to use the platform of World Animal Day to continue to raise awareness on the plight of the community dog and other animals which are not humanely treated,” she said.

‘EMBARK’ is the logical evolution of Ms. Gunewardene’s ongoing commitment to worthy community programmes. One of Sri Lanka’s most respected businesswomen and celebrities; Ms. Gunewardene has supported a number of causes to date, including helping in educating a young autistic student at the Chitra Lane Children’s Resource Centre. Ms. Gunewardene has also been heavily involved in her company’s work towards the clearing of invasive plant species at the Bundala National Park, sponsoring the planting of trees in Colombo, and funding the care of an elephant through the Wildlife Department’s ‘Adopt an Elephant’ programme.

All these projects, whether environmental or humanitarian, have proven Otara’s commitment towards community enrichment. With this and future projects initiated by ‘EMBARK,’ she hopes to incorporate her life-long affection for animals into her efforts to reduce and eradicate animal cruelty in all forms. 

Aside from sponsorships, in order to raise funds for this and future projects, ‘EMBARK’ also maintains branded merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs and dog tags for sale at ODEL throughout the year, as part of its continuous fundraising efforts. Additionally, funds are generated through till collections at ODEL, as well as through donations. For more information on this project, the ‘EMBARK’ CSR representative can be contacted at the ODEL office on 4 722 200 ext 307.