Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec. 27: In a major move to manage the stray dog population and enhance public safety, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services (AH&VS), in collaboration with the District Administration and the Department of Rural Development (RD), is actively implementing the PAWS (Partnering for Animal Welfare & Sterilization) initiative with the objective of promoting humane, scientific, and sustainable management of stray animal populations. As part of the PAWS initiative, an Orientation-cum-Training programme was conducted on July 25, 2025 which was attended by all the stakeholders including representatives of the District Administrations, Municipal Council, Rural Development Department, members of Tribal Council and PRI, College students among others.
While the responsibility for management and control of stray animals falls within the statutory purview of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Municipal bodies, the Department of AH&VS has voluntarily extended its support for undertaking essential veterinary and medical procedures, particularly Animal Birth Control (ABC), sterilization, and vaccination, as part of a coordinated and humane approach.
As part of the initiative, during this month, two dedicated veterinary teams, operating under the leadership of Dr. Mohammed and Dr. Baljit Kaur, were deployed at Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep, respectively. The teams successfully covered 91 animals at Shaheed Dweep and 121 animals at Swaraj Dweep under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme and allied veterinary interventions.
Smti Pinki Das, Pradhan, GP Shaheed Dweep; Shri Alok Mridha, Pradhan, Shyam Nagar; Shri Ajit Roy, Pradhan, Govind Nagar, Smti Gurjit Kaur, BDO, Prothrapur Block, Shri Sudhanshu Biswas and Smti C. Aleena, Panchayat Secretary, Swaraj Dweep, extended valuable support by facilitating temporary dog shelter and arrangements for feeding and management of the animals during the programme. Additionally, the SVPMC provided trained dog catchers, who also trained local volunteers in humane dog-catching methods, contributing significantly to the smooth implementation of the programme.
During the campaign, awareness programmes were conducted on ‘Stray Dog Bite Prevention’ all over the Islands to educate citizens on safe behavior around community animals including schools and among general public. In Shaheed Dweep, 636 students and teachers attended the awareness programmes while in Swaraj Dweep, 1198 students and teachers were covered. The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from students as well, who were advised to participate in the ABC programmes by bringing their pets to the Veterinary Dispensary for sterilization. The general public were made aware of the need for waste management and identification of dedicated dog feeding zones, especially in tourist popular beaches.
Encouraged by the progress achieved in Swaraj Dweep, similar veterinary teams have now been constituted for North and Middle Andaman, and field operations are being planned in coordination with the respective District Administration and local bodies to ensure effective coverage and sustained outcomes. The campaign will cover towns in Rangat and Diglipur where ABC programmes will aim at sterilization of maximum numbers of stray dogs while at the same time sensitize the general public, especially the school children, about their role in management of stray dog population and the need for avoiding human-dog conflict.
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services earnestly requests the cooperation of residents, Pradhans, and local NGOs to extend their cooperation for making this program successful.
The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has designated Helpline No. ERSS- 112 to report presence of stray animal in public spaces.
The collaborative implementation of PAWS reflects the Administration’s commitment to responsible stray animal management, community participation, and humane animal welfare practices, in alignment with national guidelines and judicial directions.