There are nearly 43,000 free-roaming dogs as per the stray dog population survey 2015. They are blamed for creating nuisances in the communities. In Tsirang, to manage the dog population and to improve the health and welfare of stray and pet dogs, a two-week-long mass dog sterilisation and rabies vaccination programme is underway. The camp is part of the National Dog Population Management Flagship Programme.
Dog owners from Damphu and its nearby gewogs bring their pets to the district veterinary hospital for sterilisation and vaccination. And for distant residents, livestock officials help bring dogs to the campsite and back to the communities. Local residents help catch the free-roaming dogs. But some have to be tranquilised with a dart gun. So far, around 750 dogs were sterilised and vaccinated.
A survey found the district has over 3,000 dogs.
“Of the 3,000 dogs in the district, 80 per cent are pets and the rest are stray dogs. However, only 50 per cent of pet dogs were sterilised and vaccinated annually. And the sterilisation and vaccination coverage remained the same with stray dogs,” said Gyem Tshering, the District Livestock Officer in Tsirang.
He said such a national level camp will have wider coverage, unlike the usual camps.
“We can’t bring down the number of dogs at once. Dogs stay at least 20 years if raised properly so we should not expect a drastic decrease in the dog population within one to two years. But the numbers will decline gradually over the years,” he added.
The flagship programme aims to sterilise the country’s entire dog population by 2023 and eliminate rabies in human by 2030.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
