The annual monsoon is a lifeline for Assam, breathing green vitality into its famed paddy fields and lush forests. Yet, in recent years, the rains have also brought with them a dark and devastating reality—catastrophic floods that upend lives and livelihoods. As the waters swallow homes, farms, and entire villages, the silent sufferers of these disasters—the stray dogs—often fade into the background. This year, as Assam faced yet another historic flooding crisis, JBF (Just Be Friendly) NGO stood out as a beacon of hope for the region’s forsaken animals.

Assam’s Floods: An Unfolding Crisis:

In 2025, Assam has endured one of its worst monsoon seasons in recent memory. Over 630,000 people across 21 districts have been affected, with the floodwaters claiming at least a dozen lives and submerging more than 1,500 villages. The Brahmaputra, Barak, and countless tributaries flowed above danger levels, while over 14,700 hectares of cropland—the backbone of rural India—were destroyed. The government scrambled to set up relief camps for tens of thousands of displaced residents and deployed medical teams and rescue boats. But while headlines focused on displaced families and tormented farmers, an equally urgent drama played out in the city streets, under bridges, and along the riverbanks. Stray animals—already vulnerable, malnourished, and neglected —were now battling treacherous waters, starvation, and disease.

The Forgotten Victims: Stray Dogs Amid Floods

Floods aren’t just a human tragedy. In the Assam deluge, nearly 1,000 animals were reported washed away, and over 460,000 were affected—mostly livestock, but also a significant number of strays and wildlife. The issue is especially acute in urban centres like Guwahati, where sudden urban flooding combines with blocked drains and encroached wetlands to force animals onto shrinking patches of dry ground. In rural areas, the inundation of villages also leaves behind scared, injured, and starving dogs separated from former protectors.

JBF NGO: The Lifeline for Stray Dogs

In the heart of this humanitarian and animal welfare crisis was JBF (Just Be Friendly), a renowned animal welfare NGO active in Northeast India. With its long-standing commitment to emergency animal rescue, medical care, and vaccination drives, JBF mobilized rapidly as floodwaters rose and distress calls poured in.

Immediate Response

JBF’s flood response teams, equipped with rescue kits, inflatable boats, and medical supplies, navigated submerged neighbourhoods and village outskirts. Their volunteers—often wading waist-deep through contaminated waters—focused on:

• Rescuing stranded and injured stray dogs from rooftops, trees, and isolated mounds.
• Providing on-spot veterinary aid for wounds, infections, and hypothermia.
• Organizing mobile food camps, distributing cooked meals and dry rations in coordination with local communities and government officials.
• Vaccinating rescued dogs against deadly diseases like rabies and canine distemper, outbreaks of which are common in such disasters due to unsanitary conditions.

Shelter and Adoption Drives

Recognizing that short-term relief wasn’t enough, JBF converted parts of its Animal Welfare Centre in Guwahati into emergency shelters, taking in dozens of rescued dogs. Here, animals received ongoing care, nourishment, and gentle human contact—a rare kindness amid fear and chaos. JBF didn’t stop at rescue and rehabilitation. They launched drives to reunite lost pets with owner and raised awareness in relief camps about the importance of animal welfare during crises. Through social media campaigns and collaborations with local media such as The Assam Tribune, their message was clear: Compassion must extend to all living beings, especially when disaster strikes.

Challenges and Unseen Heroes

The scale of devastation posed huge challenges. With many roads washed away and communications down, JBF volunteers often worked round the clock in hazardous conditions. Yet, inspired by Assam’s age-old spirit of resilience, they persevered, buoyed by donations from animal lovers both locally and worldwide. Local media and survivors have echoed the impact of JBF’s work, highlighting stories of puppies rescued from swirling waters, sick dogs nursed back to health, and the visible improvement in relief camps where humane animal management eased fears and reduced disease risk.

The Need for a Compassionate Future

Assam’s annual tryst with floods shows little sign of abating, exacerbated by climate change, erratic monsoons, urban encroachment, and unchecked hill-cutting. The suffering of stray animals—often missing from mainstream disaster narratives— remains a critical concern. But thanks to JBF, their plight is no longer invisible. JBF’s holistic, hands-on approach serves as a template for animal welfare during natural disasters: rescue, medical care, food security, and public education—all rooted in compassion. Their flood relief efforts underline an essential truth: the strength of a community is measured not just by how it helps its people, but by how it cares for its voiceless.