THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ANIMAL BIRTH CONTROL PROGRAMME IN INDIA

[Guest guest]

*http://indiaenews.com/2006-08/18309-rabies-india-chennai-shows-the.htm*<http://\

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*For a rabies free India, Chennai shows the way*

 

*Sunday, August 13th, 2006*

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*Chennai - Animal welfare groups in Tamil Nadu, leading a pilot project in

sterilisation of street dogs, are now urging the central government to

support their animal birth control (ABC) initiative across the country.*

 

*As many as 50 municipal corporations across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring

states have decided to implement a programme that was successfully tried by

the Chennai Corporation, bringing to a halt the annual killing of 20,000

street dogs. *

 

*'It has to happen across the country,' says Appaji Rao, vice chairperson of

the Animal Welfare Board of India.*

 

*Animal welfare groups People for Animals (PFA) and Blue Cross, along with

the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the

municipal body, here have led a 10-year programme to sterilise and relocate

dogs, instead of killing them.*

 

*Animal welfare activists say the Indian pie dog or mongrel is one of the

best breeds to keep, it is easy to keep them as pets, and they are good

community watch and alarm dogs.*

 

*In 1995, activists like Shiranee Pereira, Marieen Vijay and Sethu

Vaidyanathan had set up PfA here. At that time, the Chennai municipality was

catching 18,000-20,000 dogs a year and killing them at Pulianthope, on the

city's outskirt.*

 

*The practice has been on since 1932. 'It was a British legacy, that's how

they thought the street dog had to be tackled,' says Rao. *

 

*The animal welfare organisations found culling was no solution to the

city's rabies problem. Besides being cruel, over the years it was obvious

that culling had failed to bring down Chennai's street dog population. *

 

*The PFA began lobbying with the corporation to stop the annual killing and

adopt the WHO recommended ABC programme. It was in September 1996 that PFA

succeeded in convincing the municipal authorities. *

 

*It pioneered the animal birth control programme. Now every year, about

8,000 street dogs in Chennai are sterilised and vaccinated. The corporation

allowed the killing house to be converted into an ABC dispensary.*

 

*'Chennai's is the most successful ABC programme in India. The programme has

been so effective that incidence of deaths from rabies has dropped by 87

percent over the last 10 years,' Rao points out.*

 

*At the time of sterilisation, every street dog is also inoculated. *

 

*The municipality has also done major solid waste management in the city.

The dogs do not get unlimited food. 'There are almost no litters on the city

streets,' Rao says.*

 

*Every street dog has its territory. It is best to let it remain in its

territory as a watchdog, welfare activists say. *

 

*If not, it is relocated. But while it is allowed to live its life in peace,

it is not encouraged to breed. This has also dramatically reduced the number

of stray dogs on Chennai streets and incidents of rabies. *

 

*For a rabies free India, now these Chennai organisations are seeking public

and government support to begin a nationwide campaign.*

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I think it would be really be great if China could adopt

the humane and successful

methods of Chennai, India to control

rabies and overpopulation of dogs.