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Bhutan Becomes World’s First Country To Completely Vaccinate & Sterilise Its Street Dogs

by Vaishalee Kalvankar
Bhutan Becomes World’s First Country To Completely Vaccinate & Sterilise Its Street Dogs

After years of funding a humane dog management program with international animal charity Humane Society International (HSI), the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan has become the first nation in the world to declare its entire population of street dogs entirely sterilised and vaccinated. Yes, you read that completely right. 

Bhutan Becomes The First Nation To Sterilise Street Dogs

The Royal Government of Bhutan proclaimed this historic accomplishment for human health and animal welfare at the official National Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Project ending event, which was chaired by Prime Minister Lotay Tshering in the nation’s capital, Thimphu.

During the event, Prime Minister Tshering awarded HSI a plaque for its contribution to Bhutan’s success in street dog welfare from the organisation’s founding in 2009 until its closure. This honoured fifteen years of focused, intensive work on community engagement and spay/neuter programs implemented by Bhutan in collaboration with HSI.

The initiative has effectively microchipped 32,000 pet dogs and sterilised and immunised over 150,000 street dogs since it began. Over 300 million Asian street dogs struggle with malnutrition, untreated illnesses and parasite infestations, communicable malignancies, injuries from auto accidents, direct persecution, and cruel culling.

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Risk Of Attacks And Rabies

The risk of dog attacks and the spread of rabies can be increased by street dog populations that grow to unmanageable proportions in the absence of efficient sterilisation and vaccination programmes.

According to estimates from the World Health Organization, 59,000 people worldwide pass away from rabies each year. This is with dog bites accounting for the majority of cases in humans. Governments in Asia frequently use cruel techniques, such as mass sheltering and culling, to control street dogs.

The government of Bhutan approached the Humane Society of India (HSI) in 2009 to help with the humane management of the nation’s sizable canine population, realising the problems with street dogs from both a social and animal welfare perspective.

In the nation’s capital, the HSI launched a trial program for dog spays, neuters, and vaccinations. Eventually, the National Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Project for Bhutan was created. This was done by expanding this effort across the entire country.

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A Remarkable Achievement

Following the successful pilot, the HSI educated over 35 veterinarians and staff members in Bhutan. This was in high-volume, high-quality spay or neuter techniques. Additionally, the program was expanded to include a community engagement campaign. It aimed at raising public awareness of dog welfare and reducing human-dog conflict.

Having worked closely with the Bhutan program since 2015, Keren Nazareth, senior director of companion animals and engagement at HSI/India, stated that the Royal Government of Bhutan is the most dedicated and humanitarian partner the organisation has found for street dog management.

The government’s commitment from the beginning has allowed them to continuously develop the program. It has been a long journey involving constant learning and modification. They applaud the people of Bhutan for this remarkable achievement in making their country dog-friendly. This also greatly benefits the surrounding areas. (As per The Shillong Times)

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Cover Image Courtesy: Canva

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