Dog population Management

The organization aims to reduce human-dog conflict by managing the street dog population. Spaying and neutering are the only humane and effective means of street dog population control. It significantly reduces the suffering of street dogs. Every minute dogs die a painful and miserable death in India due to road accidents, and countless puppies suffer from highly contagious diseases like parvo and distemper.

OUTREACH PROGRAM (RURAL INDIA)

The rural belt is neglected despite the higher dog density and interspecies conflict. We have organized several outreach spay-neuter camps in the rural parts of Punjab. The program is conducted by partnering with local governments, animal welfare organizations, and veterinarians. It involves capturing the dogs, sterilizing them, and returning them to their communities. The program also educates people on responsible pet ownership, the benefits of sterilization, and the need to vaccinate their pets to prevent the spreading of diseases to humans. This initiative benefits the dogs and creates a positive impact on society, making it a healthier and more enjoyable place to live.

Such outreach camps increase awareness among various stakeholders including local nagar panchayats, and a positive impact would motivate the government to develop a sustainable long-term approach and will continue to contribute towards animal welfare and public health in rural India.

OUTREACH PROGRAM (RURAL)

In-Campus spay and neuter camp

Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar recently organised an In-Campus Dog Spay and Neuter Camp in collaboration with CAWA.

The primary objective of the camp was to manage the dog population within the campus, create a conflict-free and harmonious ecosystem, and make the campus Rabies-free. The campus feeders were vital to the camp’s success as they helped humanely catch the dogs.

Organising such camps, the IIT Ropar campus sets an example for other educational institutions. It is essential to recognise the importance of animal welfare and take proactive steps to ensure their safety and well-being. The In-Campus Dog Spay and Neuter Camp is a step in the right direction towards creating a more compassionate and humane society.

PROJECTS (URBAN)

The spay-neuter project with the government is a collaborative initiative to manage the increasing free-roaming dog population. It is a win-win initiative as it not only helps reduce the overpopulation of dogs but also saves the lives of both humans and dogs suffering on the streets. The government’s involvement in this project is pivotal as it funds mass sterilizations and legal support to ensure its success. Through collaboration with government institutions, such programs can be scaled up to cover a diverse range which can effectively manage the free-roaming population and increase overall animal welfare. This approach benefits animal welfare and promotes public health awareness and interest.

LOW-COST SPAY NEUTER CLINIC

The organisation solely owns CAWA’s low-cost spay-neuter project. It offers low-cost or free spay and neuter services to community dog caretakers/pet owners. The organisation also provides “One Rupee Clinic” to provide veterinary assistance to the rescued/adopted / community animals and pets of the low-income community with a vision that people should not restrict themselves from rescuing an animal and no animal is left standing because of financial issues.

Catching

Catching dogs for a mass-scale animal birth control project sounds simple. Still, it actually requires understanding the types of equipment, knowledge about basic dog behaviours and reading body language, and the alertness of the field. We prefer to use “minimum force”, which prevents injuries and the animal’s stress.

Types of Catching we follow

Hand Catching
Community Support
Butterfly Net Catching

All
Community
Hand catching
Net catching

Tagging

Tagging of the dog is essential to identify and release the dog at the same catching spot. Types of tagging include – temporary ear tagging, collar tagging, gps photography, usage of digital applications, and record-keeping like catching sheets which specify the identification of each dog – colour/gender/address/tag number and contact details of any caretaker (if any)

All
Tagging
Geo Tagging

Surgery

In females Ovariohysterectomy (ovaries and uterus are removed) and in male dogs’ castration is performed (testes are removed). A qualified veterinary surgeon performs the surgery under general anaesthesia and maintains proper asepsis.

Post-operative Care

The operated dogs are kept under post-operative care till the incision line is properly healed – pain score = 0, suture score = 0

What do we feed? – The best food to offer the dog after surgery is a “light and white” diet, such as cooked chicken and rice, which dogs find easier to digest than regular pet food. We don’t prefer milk and sugary food for dogs. Being an animal welfare organisation, we don’t wish to be the consumer of the meat industry, so we prefer to collect chicken waste from the wet market. The nutritious need of the 20kg dog post-surgery needs 840 Kcal per day.

Releasing

The best part of the sterilization program is releasing when a happy, healthy sterilised dog returns to his/her territory to its family!

Nothing is possible without community support!

Community engagement is vital for the success of dog sterilization projects. By working together, we can significantly contribute to a safe community and a healthy environment, all while keeping man’s best friend healthy and happy.