While pet dogs are expected to be vaccinated regularly after a fixed period of time, there could be many stray dogs which are not vaccinated and hence pose danger to the general public as they could be rabid.
Of course several stray dogs have been vaccinated but it may not be possible to differentiate between a vaccinated and a non-vaccinated stray dog. It is understood that Mission Rabies teams in Tiswadi have come with a novel idea to differentiate between vaccinated and non-vaccinated stray dogs.
The team members have been fitting those adult dogs that have been vaccinated with reflective collars. These collars have a peculiar logo with a neon green border. This will reassure the general public that these stray dogs do not pose rabies related threat.
It is understood that the unique collar is a requirement that has been introduced by the Goa government. Several other states too have in place such a requirement of unique collar for vaccinated stray dogs.
It could be a real challenge to put a collar around the neck of a stray dog but the skilled animal handlers have reportedly done it successfully in Tiswadi after calming down the stray dogs.
It would be desirable to extend the requirement of fitting vaccinated dogs with the unique reflective collar to pet dogs as well.
