BMC launches rabies vaccination drive for stray dogs at city’s borders
BMC to conduct a 5-day rabies vaccination drive in Mumbai, aiming to vaccinate 15,000 stray dogs along the borders with Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Palghar.
MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to initiate a five-day, high-intensity rabies vaccination drive, starting from February 26 to March 1, aiming to vaccinate 15,000 stray dogs. In partnership with Worldwide Veterinary Services-Mission Rabies (WVS-MR), the drive focuses on areas along Mumbai’s borders with Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Palghar. These areas include wards K (East), K (West), H (East), H (West), L, M (East), M (West), N, G (North) and F (North).
Dr Kalimpasha Pathan, general manager of the Veterinary Department and Deonar Abattoir, BMC, highlighted that these targeted areas witness the migration of stray dogs into Mumbai. “There will be 22 teams in total, each of which will include a vaccinator (veterinarian/veterinary nurse), handler (trained veterinary assistant), net catcher, data collector, volunteers, and local feeders. While we’ve set the target at 15,000, the number of dogs that are vaccinated will depend on how many the teams manage to find,” said Pathan.
This drive is part of the larger Mumbai Rabies Elimination Project, launched in September 2023. Since then, approximately 25,000 stray dogs have been vaccinated. The goal is to vaccinate 70% of Mumbai’s approximately 95,000 stray dogs (as per the 2014 census) by the end of March. The programme will continue till 2030, coinciding with the national plan to make the country free of rabies.
The BMC will collaborate with animal welfare organisations such as Janice Smith Animal Welfare Trust, Youth Organisation in Defense of Animals, Universal Animal Welfare Society, and Utkarsh Global Foundation in this comprehensive effort.