The veterinary department attached to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has vaccinated 7,993 stray dogs as a part of the "rabies-free" campaign in the twin-city. The seven-day drive to vaccinate stray dogs free of cost in all municipal wards was conducted between 24, February to 1, March. The MBMC had set a target of vaccinating 20,000 dogs.
Drive conducted under expertise of Worldwide Veterinary Service
Supported by animal welfare organisations including MOA, the drive was conducted under the expertise of the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS)-which has a global presence in providing free expert care to animals in need. Nine teams including six from the WVS and three from the MBMC comprising trained vaccinators, data collectors and animal handler volunteers were deployed to cover various parts of the twin-city in the week-long drive.
"3,969 and 4,042 stray dogs were administered the anti-rabies vaccines by the MBMC and the WVS respectively. While vaccination facilities are available at our newly open veterinary clinic, one of our teams will continue visiting highly prone areas. We are also planning to conduct more such drives in coming months," said head of MBMC's veterinary department- Dr Vikram Niratle.
The Global Position System (GPS) and details including photographs of each dog vaccination were recorded. The vaccinated dogs were also marked for easy identification.
Dog bite cases and importance of anti-rabies vaccine for dogs
Notably, 10,145 and 10,283 dog bite cases were reported from the twin-city in 2022 and 2023 respectively. This besides other unreported dog bite victims who approach private healthcare establishments for treatment. The figures show that on average, at least 28 people have fallen prey to the canine terror every day.
Anti-rabies vaccine is important for dogs as well as humans because the disease is transmitted through the saliva of the dog. According to the dog census programs conducted in 2007 and 2012, the dog count in the twin-city stood at 18,828 and 8,275, respectively. The MBMC is unaware of the data related to the dog count conducted under the aegis of the Union Government's Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries (DAHDF) in 2018.
