Department of Animal Husbandry, Ranchi Municipal Corporation along with NGO Hope and Animal Trust are working on immunisation programme for the stray dogs in Ranchi.
A campaign was launched with a mass vaccination drive across the city in September 2013, which was followed up with an ongoing vaccination programme which reached 16,892 dogs in Ranchi by the end of February 2014.
Since 2013, every year in the month of November and December, a massive anti-rabies drive is launched in the city. “Approximately 30 thousands street dogs are there in the city. But there are several constrains in achieving 100 per cent result. Identification of street dogs is one such issue and to tackle this, the authorities need to create separate place for stray dogs in the outskirts of the city. Presently we have written to the Ranchi Municipal Corporation for their support and to demarcate one specific area to set camp in each ward for the vaccination drive. Moreover we also advertise about the importance of vaccination through various mediums,” informed, Director of Institute of Animal Health and Production, Taran Singh.
Citing details about the anti rabies drive, which kicked off on November 2, NGO Hope and Animal Trust, President Praveen Ohal said, “This year we have started the drive from Ward number 11 and 12. In the first phase we are going to cover 15 wards. The drive will continue till November 14. We are taking the help of Ranchi Municipal Corporation and Animal Husbandry Department. As many as 60 volunteers are involved in the drive. This is the fourth year of our drive.”
Often the identification of dogs creates problems for the volunteers involved in immunization process. “Our organization uses different colours, ones the dogs are vaccinated and moreover we also slightly slit the ears of dog, so that identification issues are sorted out. Our target is covering at least 70 percent dogs in one specific ward. However we too face the identification problems,” Ohal further added.
During the first day of the mass vaccination drive, the teams vaccinated over 500 dogs in Wards 11 and 12. The mass vaccine drive will further vaccinate 5,000 dogs in the coming days.