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India and Sri Lanka

India and Sri Lanka have a long and complex relationship with street dogs, with community tolerance and dog welfare often being directly impacted by fear of rabies and bites. Additionally, dog ownership has increased rapidly in the region, but a lack of understanding ofa dogs needs has led to high incidence of maltreatment and abandonment, adding to street dog numbers. 

But coexistence is possible, and by focusing on this region, we aim to achieve healthy, stable and managed dog populations, which live in communities with collective knowledge about animal welfare, while having access to professionals for assistance.  

Key issues

Limited veterinary services  

Companion animal veterinary care and surgical skills development has historically lacked in the region’s veterinary training, culminating in a shortage in the number of high-quality veterinary services needed to allow for sufficient humane management of owned and unowned dogs. Owners are also less likely to be encouraged by private vets to spay and neuter their pets, with cost also being a main barrier.  

High rates of Rabies 

Dog-mediated rabies in India accounts for 59% of human rabies deaths in Asia and whilst rates are lower in Sri Lanka, rabies is still endemic and the cause of human death annually. Fear of rabies often drives negative behaviour towards dogs, leading to cruelty, relocation and culling.  

What we’ll do:  

We want to see free-roaming dogs coexisting in numbers which are acceptable to community members and the authorities. 

We want dogs to be provided with timely and appropriate veterinary care to ensure their lives are not burdened by breeding, illness or injury.  

We want a rabies free India and Sri Lanka where the annual rabies vaccination of owned and unowned dogs is proactive and commonplace, especially in rural areas which are disproportionately impacted by the disease.  

How we’ll do it: 

By investing in strengthening the capacity of vet, technician and CNVR (‘catch neuter vaccinate release’) project worker training facilities, resources and programmes that upskill the government, non-governmental and private veterinary profession and encourages the long-term operation of spay and neuter services.  

By collaborating with private veterinary practices in ways which will encourage owners to spay and neuter their dogs. 

By delivering large-scale, linked-up, quality spay, neuter and rabies vaccination campaigns with trusted local partners across the region. Scaling up activities and encouraging stakeholder buy in. 

By working with experienced organisations on the ground, who understand regional contexts, to deliver responsible dog ownership campaigns that curb dog maltreatment and abandonment. 

If you are active in India or Sri Lanka, share our mission and would like to work with us, please get in touch at international@dogstrustworldwide.com