The Dog Population Management programme that is underway in Bumthang has sterilised over 1,200 dogs. And residents in the district adopted around 170 dogs. This according to the programme coordinator is an encouraging sign as the current campaign not only focuses on sterilisation but also tries to engage the community in controlling the dog population.
The campaign, which began about three weeks ago in Bumthang, is a part of the Livestock Department’s drive to sterilise almost the entire dog population in the country. It is one of the activities under the waste management and stray dog population control flagship programme. But how is this campaign different from the other dog sterilisation programmes, which were in place for decades in the country and often deemed a failure?
“This time we have to sterilise at least 95 per cent of the entire dog population in the country. We are also going to vaccinate all the dogs in the country against rabies. Moreover, all the pet owners have to register their dogs with us. We are expecting a lot of support from the Dzongkhag Administrations and the communities,” explains Dr Jambay Dorjee, the Director of the Regional Livestock Development Centre in Zhemgang.
A study found that there are over 105,000 dogs in the country. Bumthang alone has over 4,300 dogs of which almost 58 per cent are strays. The remaining 1,800 are pets. Pet owners wishing to leave their dogs unsterilised will have to follow certain regulations.
“We haven’t said that all the pets have to be sterilised but if people want to keep their pets unsterilised, they will have to sign an undertaking warranting us that their pets won’t breed and add on to the stray dog population in the community in the future,” said Dr Jambay Dorjee.
The current programme aims to engage the community as far as possible. Individuals and communities are encouraged to adopt stray dogs. In Bumthang, more than a hundred individuals came forward to adopt strays so far.
“I found the dog I adopted in a field with one of its legs trapped in a snare. She was almost dead. We took care of her and fed her, and then she never left our home. So we raised her. Now she has three puppies. That’s why I brought her here for sterilisation so that she won’t bear any more litters,” said Dorji Penjor from Jalikhar.
“When the government is investing so much in the sterilisation programme, I think it is everyone’s duty to support the campaign and help catch dogs in the community for sterilisation so that we can bring down the dog population. This will in turn benefit the community because when we have a huge dog population, they are a menace to the community,” added Kinley Tshering from Dekiling, Bumthang.
In Bumthang, the programme is currently ongoing at Ura. A similar programme is also being conducted in Thimphu. Livestock officials expect to reduce the dog population in the country by 95 per cent or to a manageable number within the next decade.
Kipchu, Bumthang
