The Department of Livestock launched the second phase of the National Dog Population Management and Rabies Control project today. It was launched after the successful completion of first phase of the project. The first phase of the project was launched in September 2009. In the phase, over 38,000 dogs of the 50,000 dogs were sterilised and vaccinated.
Other than this, dogs underwent medication to control outbreak of diseases like scabies, rabies and other reproductive diseases.
It is a collaborative project of the Department of Livestock and Humane Society International to manage dog population and outbreak of rabies in the country. Humane Society International is a US based non-governmental organization that looks after the welfare of animals around the globe.
The second phase of the project will have adequate Bhutanese veterinarians to sterilise dogs in compassionate manner. For this, the procedures will be based on proper scientific and technical protocols.
“We have already trained these procedures to the existing 17 veterinarians and we will do so for the incoming new veterinarians. So in the coming phase, 90 percent of staff would be from Bhutan and only 10 percent of staff from the Humane Society International. This is to ensure sustainability of the project and to mainstream this kind of initiatives into our regular programmes,” said Dr. Tashi Dorji, Chief Livestock Officer of the Department of Livestock.
The second phase of the project is for three years. The Livestock Department and Humane Society International will spend Nu. 24 million to sterilise and reduce the dog population in the country.
