Norma Alvares is an advocate of the Bombay High Court and an activist and campaigner on social and environmental issues of public concern, especially in her home state of Goa. Over the past two decades, she has argued, pro bono, over a hundred public interest litigation cases, tirelessly taking up issues concerning environment pollution, animal rights, and womens’ issues. She was instrumental in obtaining judicial orders banning the killing of stray dogs and the cruel sport of bullfighting in Goa. During the mid-nineties, she started the Goa branch of People for Animals. She is also a member of the Animal Welfare Board of India since the year 2000 and has also served as a member of the Committee for the Purpose of Supervision and Control of Experiments on Animals for three terms. In 2002, Norma was awarded the Padma Shri for her work for the protection of animals and the environment.