Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 4: The fisheries and animal resources development department launched ‘Mission Rabies,’ a programme to curb the growing menace of stray dogs, in the capital city Monday in collaboration with Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS), the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and People for Animals (PFA).
“Rabies is a deadly disease that can attack both humans and animals. We have planned to vaccinate stray dogs against rabies to make Bhubaneswar rabies free,” said PFA convener Amulya Nayak.
An eight-member team of veterinary experts from WVS arrived at the Veterinary College of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) as part of the mission to impart training on students and veterinary surgeons of the state. An ambulance with an inbuilt operation theatre along with basic medical facilities for animals was also inaugurated on the occasion. The van will roam around the city and its adjoining areas and conduct mass vaccination of stray dogs against rabies. OUAT Vice-Chancellor Manoranjan Kar inaugurated the mission and the ambulance on the college campus Monday.
“It is a noble initiative of WVS and PFA. Stray dogs can be deadly if not vaccinated against rabies,” said an OUAT administrator.
PFA has targeted vaccination of about 2,000 stray dogs in the capital city alone with the help of WVS surgeons. Inhabitants of the capital city have been a harried lot feeling irritated about the nuisance of stray dogs for the past many years. A study says that the city has the highest population of stray dogs in the state.