All free-roaming dogs in the country have been sterilised through the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme. This is according to the Department of Livestock. To mark the milestone, Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering awarded the certificate of recognition to six western districts, Thimphu Thromde, and programme implementing partners today in Thimphu. Similarly, other districts and Thromdes will also be awarded the certificate on Monday.
During the closing ceremony of the programme today, Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering awarded the certificates to Haa, Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang, Gasa and Paro districts along with Thimphu Thromde, and its implementing partners for achieving the programme successfully.
Similarly, the Exit Plan Agreement was signed between the Department of Livestock and Haa, Wangdue Phodrang, Punakha, Thimphu districts, and Thimphu Thromde.
The exit plan is to ensure the sustainability of the programme in the districts and Thromdes.
During the closing ceremony, the Prime Minister shared the benefits of sterilising stray dogs and thanked implementation partners for taking individual responsibility for achieving His Majesty’s vision. He shared the advantages of the programme which can minimize the expenditure on vaccination and dog menace in the country.
‘‘Since all the dogs in the country have been neutered and vaccinated, we just didn’t realise it but managed to control a rabies control threat that we got from Sarpang, and even from north Samtse and Haa areas. It just didn’t spread in that locality because almost all the dogs and the carriers are vaccinated. And that would be the immediate result that we have achieved because of the programme.’’
The Prime Minister who describes the event “historic” said the sustainability of the programme must be ensured in the future.
The Department of Livestock spent more than Nu 280 M out of Nu 295 M allocated for the programme.
The programme sterilised over 61,600 dogs and vaccinated more than 61,300 dogs against rabies.
‘‘As of now, the total number of registered pet dogs is 32,544. From these, when we segregate them, 30 per cent of them are not sterilised. So that may cause the growth of free-roaming dogs in the street if people are not careful in breeding,” said Dr Kinley Dorji, the team leader of NADPM & RCP.
According to the programme, there are 100,634 dogs in the country, of which 69,852 are strays.
The Department of Livestock in collaboration with De-Suung started the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme in August 2021.
The two-year project was initiated to minimise the risk of dog bites and eliminate human deaths from rabies by 2030.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Kipchu
