Service Learning: WoofCare 🐾
Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS@ASU)
Fall 2024 – Present | Stage 3 Project
After attending a semester of EPICS in Spring 2024, a passionate spark for innovation lit in me as I proposed my own stage 1 project in Fall 2024 for EPICS@ASU. Over 300 million dogs are abandoned to a cruel "street-dog-life" in the world, without any human care, medical attention and population control.
WoofCare App & Team
WoofCare presentation at EPICS Fall 2024 Project Marketplace (August 30, 2024)
The Mission
WoofCare is a mobile app designed to make a real difference in the lives of stray dogs in India. By connecting everyday people with crowd-funded donation services, veterinary care, rescue shelters, and potential adopters, we're striving to create a compassionate community that cares for our four-legged friends.
Tagline: "Where Every Bark Finds a Helping Hand"
Key Features
📍 Location-Based Services
Connect with dog-help resources in your vicinity to find home and care for abandoned stray dogs.
💰 Crowdfunding
Support stray dogs through community-driven fundraising initiatives.
🏥 Veterinary Network
Access to veterinary care and medical attention for stray dogs.
🏠 Adoption Services
Find loving homes for stray dogs through our adoption platform.
Partnerships & Growth
WoofCare and EPICS at ASU has partnered with Mr. Anantkumar Malikaveetil and subsequently 'The Voice of Stray Dogs' Trust (VOSD - Trust) to engineer the solution and test it in India. With my teammate Jesus Aguilar, together we presented WoofCare as a Stage 1 project at the EPICS Fall 2024 Project Marketplace on August 30.
The response was incredible: More than 40 students expressed interest in joining us on this journey to make a significant social impact!
Currently, the project is a Stage 3 team, partnered with 60+ NGOs to help stray dogs all over the state of Maharashtra, India.
Technical Implementation
Developing a mobile app using Flutter + Firebase + a Python backend, connecting dog lovers & dog care services. Integrated Google's Admob & Apps API to facilitate seamless location-based services & crowdfunds.
Connection to "Joy of Living" & Personal Impact
GCSP Theme Relevance
WoofCare embodies the "Joy of Living" theme by recognizing that quality of life extends beyond humans to all living creatures who share our world. Stray dogs face daily suffering—hunger, disease, injury, and neglect—and by creating a platform that connects compassionate people with resources to help these animals, we're fostering a more empathetic and caring society. When people can easily contribute to animal welfare, report dogs in need, and facilitate adoptions, it creates ripples of joy: for the dogs who find care and homes, for the adopters who gain loyal companions, for the communities that become safer and more humane, and for the volunteers and donors who experience the fulfillment of making a difference. This project demonstrates that engineering solutions can address not just human needs, but create a more compassionate world for all beings.
Professional Development
Leading WoofCare from a Stage 1 concept to a Stage 3 project with 60+ NGO partnerships has been an invaluable lesson in project management, team leadership, and stakeholder engagement. Presenting at the EPICS Marketplace and recruiting 40+ interested students taught me how to articulate a vision and inspire others to join a cause. Working with our Indian partners, including Mr. Malikaveetil and VOSD Trust, has given me experience in cross-cultural collaboration, understanding different organizational structures, and adapting solutions to local contexts. Technically, developing a production mobile app with Flutter, Firebase, and integrating Google APIs has strengthened my full-stack development skills. Managing a large team, coordinating with NGOs, and balancing technical development with community outreach has prepared me for roles that require both technical expertise and people management—skills essential for any engineering leader or social entrepreneur.
Personal Growth
This project has been deeply meaningful on a personal level. Growing up in India, I witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by stray animals, and being able to create a solution that addresses this issue connects my engineering education with my personal values of compassion and service. Seeing the project grow from an idea to a Stage 3 initiative partnered with 60+ NGOs has been incredibly rewarding and has reinforced my belief that one person's initiative can spark meaningful change. Working with Jesus Aguilar and leading a diverse team has taught me the power of collaboration and how different perspectives strengthen solutions. Most importantly, this experience has shown me that the most fulfilling engineering work comes when technical skills are applied to problems that genuinely matter to me. It has given me confidence that I can identify problems in my community and lead efforts to solve them, and it has deepened my commitment to using my engineering career to create positive social impact.
Learn More:
woofcare-solutions.org →