A 25-member team of veterinary surgeons, assistants, dog catchers, animal handlers and volunteers coordinated capture, handling, surgery and post-operative care.
PANAJI
A four-week campaign providing free sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination across four panchayats in South Goa has concluded, with 836 dogs sterilised and 914 vaccinated under a joint initiative by Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) and Mission Rabies.
Inaugurated on September 28, World Rabies Day, by Velim MLA Cruz Silva, the camp ran until October 24, covering Assolna, Velim, Chinchinim and Ambelim panchayats. Both owned and free-roaming Indie dogs were included in the programme.
According to Dr Stacy Sequeira, Director of WVS HICKS Goa, 132 of the 836 dogs sterilised were brought in by residents through scheduled appointments, while the remaining 704 were free-roaming dogs brought in by the catching team. This approach helped reach both pet owners and dogs that might otherwise have remained outside the scope of sterilisation programmes.
The campaign also attracted interest from neighbouring communities. Cavelossim and Sarzora panchayats expressed interest in participating, prompting the organisers to extend dog-catching efforts to these areas and bring more free-roaming dogs within reach of sterilisation and vaccination services.
The initiative brought together a 25-member team of veterinary surgeons, veterinary assistants, dog catchers, animal handlers and volunteers. Over four weeks, the team coordinated the capture, handling, surgery and post-operative care of the dogs.
“The effort was not without its challenges. After three weeks of intense heat, sudden storms and heavy rainfall during the final week caused flooding at the camp site. Despite the difficult conditions over the last weekend, the team persevered and completed the camp successfully on October 24,” said Dr Sequeira.
She said the initiative highlighted the importance of sustained, area-wise, community-level efforts to manage dog populations humanely while reducing the risk of rabies.
“Sterilisation helps prevent unwanted litters and the suffering associated with an uncontrolled dog population, while sustained anti-rabies vaccination is a key measure in protecting both animal and human health.
“By providing these services entirely free of cost to owned and free-roaming Indie dogs, the campaign aimed to make expert veterinary care more accessible to local communities while supporting healthier coexistence between people and dogs,” Dr Sequeira added.
