Kerala will be made a rabies-free State within five years through systematic activities, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J. Chinchurani said here on Saturday.
She was speaking at the State-level launch of Animal Husbandry department’s comprehensive rabies control project at Kollam District Veterinary Centre. “An intensive vaccination campaign will be carried out across the State to prevent rabies and vaccinated dogs are highly unlikely to cause the infection. Around 8.30 lakh pet dogs and 2.81 lakh stray dogs will be vaccinated as part of the project,” said the Minister. The project is being implemented with the support of voluntary organizations such as Compassion for Animals Welfare Association (CAWA), Mission Rabies and Sathya Sai Trust.
In the first phase, strays living in markets, hospitals, bus stands and school premises will be vaccinated. The Department has delivered vaccines to all veterinary hospitals. After vaccination, dogs will be marked with blue or green ink to identify them. Vaccination squads have been formed in all districts for the project being implemented in association with local bodies. While pets will get a certificate from the veterinary hospitals after vaccination, dog owners can use it to obtain licenses from their respective local bodies. A team that includes trained dog handlers will be part of the month-long programme. District Panchayat President P.K. Gopan presided over the function while Additional Director K. Sindhu, District Animal Protection Officer S. Anil Kumar and Chief Veterinary Officer D. Shine Kumar were also present on the occasion.
