Mass canine vaccination drive in Goa from September 1

Animal welfare organisations in Goa are coming together for 'Mission Rabies', an all India mass canine vaccination drive scheduled to be begin in the coastal state from September 1 onwards.
Norma Alvares, member of Animal Welfare Board of India, said the drive across India is being held by the Board in association with Worldwide Veterinary Service and Dogs Trust.
"The target is to vaccinate 50,000 dogs in 30 days in the states of Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Assam. The programme will culminate in Assam on World Rabies Day -- September 28, 2013," she said.

The implementation of the programme in Goa will be in selected municipalities and panchayats of North Goa district in the first week of September and in South Goa district in the third week of September, Alvares said.
Over a third of the reported human cases of rabies in the world occur in India, Alvares said, adding that "Rabies is not a notifiable disease in many states of the country."
"Dog bites are most often the cause of rabies. The majority of the people who die of rabies are from the poorer and marginal communities. Due to fear of the disease, thousands of dogs have been indiscriminately and inhumanely killed every year across India, without bringing any solution to the problem of rabies," she said.