STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Society ‘Save Animals Value Environment’ (SAVE) organised week-long workshops in District Samba and Udhampur to spay neuter stray dogs, vaccinate them for anti-rabies besides creating awareness about Animal Rights to ensure peaceful co-existence between humans and street animals. The workshops were held in collaboration with Society ‘Help in Suffering Jaipur’ who are running successful ABC/ARV program in Jaipur since 1994. SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) District Samba and Udhampur welcomed the efforts of SAVE in creating awareness about importance of spay/neutering neighbourhood animals as well as pets for healthy and safe existence.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Indu Kanwal Chib and Deputy Commissioner Samba Anuradha Sharma provided all possible support for success of workshops and SPCA volunteers worked along with SAVE helped for smooth conduct of workshops by imparting awareness on learning safe handling of dogs, their care and post-operative procedures till dogs are safely relocated back etc. Many pet owners from far of places like Chenani, Katra, Bari Brahmana and Hiranagar brought their pets for free sterilization and anti-rabies vaccinations in workshops.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson SAVE, Devinder Kaur Madaan said, “Stray dog population management in India underwent a drastic change with ABC (Dog) Rules 2001 coming into force. The indiscriminate wiping-out of dogs by inhuman methods has stopped. As per rules, the onus is on local authorities to ensure implementation of animal birth control (ABC) among street dogs by surgeries based on protocols of Animal welfare Board of India. Since there was no active implementation of these rules in any other district of J&K except partly within municipal limits of Jammu and Srinagar, our society took the initiative to organise the workshops for creating awareness among people.”
Dr Sanjay Singh from Help In Suffering Jaipur appealed to people to adopt street dogs from shelters and say no to purchasing dogs from breeders, as it will be a major step to reduce population of homeless dogs on streets.