Nainital—Humane Society International/India, with the help of Nagar Palika Parishad, Nainital and the participation of Nainital city residents, has successfully sterilized and vaccinated 279 street dogs in less than two months.

The purpose of the drive was to conduct Animal Birth Control and Anti-Rabies Vaccination on dogs who were missed during the last drive in 2017. There was a variety of factors that left some dogs untreated- young age, inoperability or difficulty getting to the animals due to rough terrain. Of the 279 dogs, there are 208 female dogs and 71 male dogs.

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This is the second phase of the drive undertaken in Nainital in the past two years, with the first phase completed in a three-month period ending in July 2017. In the first phase, 836 dogs were sterilized, of which 518 were female dogs and 318 male dogs.

Dr. Simranjeet Singh, veterinarian and team leader with HSI/India, says, “We were delighted with the pace at which the program was executed. The residents of Nainital have been extremely helpful by identifying unsterilized dogs. Sterilization and vaccination is the only solution to controlling the street dog population. Anyone can identify a sterilized and vaccinated dog by the notch on his or her left ear.”

Important Figures and Facts:

1. HSI/India began conducting bi-annual Index Count Surveys in Nainital in 2016, when the Dog Population Management Program was introduced.
2. A total of 1,115 dogs have been sterilized and vaccinated in Nainital as a result of the two drives
3. In the last Index survey conducted in May 2018, 76.7 percent of dogs were recorded sterilized.
4. In October 2016, 12.2 percent of dogs observed in Naintial Town were pups and 29.4 percent were lactating females, while in October 2017, only 4.6 of dogs observed were pups and 6.0 were lactating females, showing a sharp decline in street dog breeding.
5. HSI/ India has also conducted awareness sessions in Nainital on the importance of sterilization and vaccinations.
6. Sterilization and vaccination is a proven technique used worldwide to establish harmonious dog-human co-existence and reduce the incidence of rabies.
7. As mandated by law, dogs picked up from a particular location are dropped back to the same location. This is done in an error-free manner using a GPS-based application.

Media Contact: Simran Dhaliwal | 8980266688 | sdhaliwal@hsi.org