Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec. 9: In a major proactive initiative aimed at safeguarding public health, ensuring student safety and promoting humane treatment of animals, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services has rolled out an intensive mass awareness campaign titled ‘Stray Dog Bite Prevention and Management’ across the length and breadth of the Union Territory.
With the Andaman & Nicobar Islands maintaining their long-standing rabies-free status, the ongoing campaign focuses on preventing every single dog-bite incident through widespread community education, responsible pet ownership and scientific management of stray dogs. In a well-planned north-to-south sweep, veterinary teams have already reached thousands of school children, teachers, panchayat members, shopkeepers and residents — starting from North & Middle Andaman (Diglipur, Mayabunder, Rangat, Kadamtala), moving to Car Nicobar, Teressa, Katchal, Kamorta and Nancowry, then to Swaraj Dweep and Shaheed Dweep, and finally covering South Andaman including Sri Vijaya Puram and Ferrargunj areas.
Every session drives home simple, practical and life-saving messages: maintain safe distance from unknown dogs, never tease or disturb an animal while eating or sleeping, wash any bite or scratch wound thoroughly with soap under running water for at least 15 minutes, report immediately to the nearest health or veterinary facility, vaccinate pet dogs regularly, avoid roadside feeding of strays that attracts packs to highways and residential areas, and extend full support to the Department’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme — the most effective and compassionate tool to keep stray dog numbers under control.
Programmes are being conducted in various schools of A&N Islands. School authorities and the community have overwhelmingly welcomed the initiative and requested its continuation on a regular basis. The Department has assured that the campaign will be further expanded in the coming weeks to cover additional schools, gram panchayats, market committees and tourist areas.