Shooting craps for 70%

[Guest guest]

This can be done at public meetings in Bangalore, as well as

anywhere else--

 

An easy demonstration of the need to vaccinate and sterilize

70% of a street dog and/or feral cat population can be done with dice.

 

Throwing a pair of dice gives you 19 possible number

combinations adding up to 11 possible totals. Designate the

combinations adding up to 2-7 and 12 as " immune " or " sterile " (68%)

and the rest as " vulnerable " to either disease or pregnancy.

 

Explain to your audience that you are now going to show them

how far rabies can spread and how large the street dog and/or feral

cat population can grow if 70% of the dogs are vaccinated. Ask for

10 volunteers to pretend to be 10 of the community's dogs and/or

cats, to act out the demonstration as a skit.

 

Throw the dice 10 times, once for each person, to represent

any random group of 10 dogs or cats who may be attacked by a rabid

animal or may become pregnant.

 

If the dice show 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 12, the " dog " or

" cat " is sterilized and vaccinated. She will neither get rabies nor

become pregnant. Have those volunteers step back.

 

If the dice show 8, 9, 10, or 11, the " dog " or " cat " has

a litter, gets rabies, and can spread it.

 

Each time you get 8, 9, 10, or 11, ask for another

volunteer to step forward from the audience, to represent the

surviving offspring from the litter who may also breed and/or get

rabies, and throw the dice again. Continue until all of your

volunteers have stepped back.

 

Results will vary, but almost always you will end " dog " and

" cat " reproduction and halt the " rabies outbreak " within fewer than

10 throws after your initial 10-- which at the normal rate of street

dog or feral cat mortality would be the replacement population level.

 

To check the results, you can decrease the numbers of

" immune " combinations.

 

The importance of reaching 70% should soon manifest itself.

 

Dice. Don't leave home on a humane education mission without them.

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations.

We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity.]

--

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations.

We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year;

for free sample, send address.]