Hyderabad, Sept.28 (NSS): Director of Municipal Administration V P Gowtham total said dogs rabies-free Telangana.He was the chief guest at a function organised jointly by Blue Cross of Hyderabad, Mission Rabies, WVS and GHMC at KBR Park of Khairatabad zone on the occasion of World Rabies Prevention Day on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, he said it was as important for animals as it was for humans to get vaccinated against various diseases. “Especially, if there is rabies in dogs, it comes to humans when it is bitten. Therefore, all dogs must be vaccinated against rabies. Only then will we be safe. Don’t kill dogs. Just as we have controlled our population, it is important to control animal births so that it is safe and there is no danger to them,” he said while advising people that Pet dogs are to be vaccinated against rabies by their respective owners.
He said all municipalities, including GHMC, had animal birth control centres and ABC centres had been set up in all districts. “There are about 2.5 lakh dogs in 142 municipalities and so far 92,000 dogs have been subjected to family planning operations. The rest of the dogs are being sterilized,” he said. He also said that Special programmes were being carried out across the state to control the birth of the stray dogs and prevent rabies.
GHMC Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Abdul Vakil said that Several measures were being taken under the aegis of GHMC for birth control of street dogs and prevention of rabies disease. “Vaccination for rabies disease is available in all hospitals. Apart from the five animal care centres in GHMC, two more will be set up at Katedan and Nallagandla and steps have been taken to set up pet animal crematorium at Fatullaguda and ppp mode in Nallagandla.
A high-level committee of corporates has been constituted under the chairmanship of the GHMC mayor to prevent dog menace and as per the recommendations of the committee; two caching vehicles have been set up for each circle to prevent the menace and bites of stray dogs. We have completed 80 per cent of the process of birth control and sterilization of dogs in the city and are at the top among all the municipalities in the country,” he said. Vakil explained that while 207 dogs were vaccinated on Saturday at KBR Park, 1277 were vaccinated against rabies across the city.
Blue Cross Society representative Akkineni Amala said that the only solution to prevent rabies was to give anti-rabies vaccination the dogs and control the birth of dogs. She said that anti-rabies vaccination drive was conducted in collaboration with Mission Rabies, WVS, ATC, Blue Cross of Hyderabad and GHMC Commissioner for 15 days of this month and added that 4 thousand dogs were given the anti-rabies vaccination. Anti-rabies vaccination of dogs is the only scientifically effective measure to prevent rabies, she said.
Additional Director of Animal Husbandry Department, Malleshwari, C.D.M.A. JD Sandhya, Deputy Commissioner Prashanthi, Doctors Chakrapani, Vivekanand, WVS representative Priyanka Veer, Praveen, AMHOs, Animal Feeders, Volunteers, Mission Rabies team and others were present.
