Create a Rabies-Free Coimbatore

Coimbatore is a city with over 80000 street dogs, as per the latest estimate. Lack of a government funded spay/neuter program and lack of a systematic garbage disposal mechanism in the city have resulted in rapid proliferation of street dogs and rising incidence of the deadly rabies disease in the recent months. If left unchecked, this can be a serious health issue for humans as well as animals. The WHO guidelines for the most effective way to combat rabies quickly and effectively is through mass vaccination of street dogs, where a protective ring of vaccinated dogs will prevent unvaccinated dogs from entering, thereby creating a safe environment for humans and animals. Humane Animal Society (HAS) has been constantly striving to educate and create awareness through door-to-door campaigns and by conducting anti-rabies vaccination drives in smaller areas to the best of our abilities. While these certainly help, it is not sufficient to prevent the spread of the disease, as mass vaccinations must be done for a large number of dogs in a very short time of 10-14 days. Lack of funds is the biggest hurdle for a small NGO like HAS to perform such an activity.

Humane Animal Society (HAS) conducts periodic drives in areas where rabies incidences have occurred. They also do education and awareness sessions in communities on the need for vaccinating pet and community animals to prevent the incidence and spread of the disease. The vaccination drives have been received very positively by the public and we have received many requests from different parts of the city for conducting similar drives. We also have a 24 hour helpline to advice public on dog-bite cases and also educate children on how to avoid dog-bites.

Making the city rabies-free would prevent human-animal conflicts with respect to street dogs, while creating a safe environment for people. Rabies is not curable, but is 100% preventable. Eliminating Rabies is an achievable target, if pursued systematically and logically. Allocation of funds is very critical for this goal with a lasting impact for future generations. Making Coimbatore rabies-free will serve as an example for many other Indian cities to follow. It is high time that India rises up to the challenge posed by the deadly disease of Rabies and frees herself from its clutches.