Higher Sterilisation Coverage & Community Engagement Can Help Reduce Human-Dog Conflict, Highlights Humane World For Animals India Report

Mumbai: Higher sterilisation coverage combined with community engagement results in a decline in complaints about street dogs, revealed a new report from animal protection organisation Humane World for Animals (HWA) India. The report, examining 10 years of street dog management data across more than 20 Indian cities and towns, pointed to a humane and replicable approach to managing street dog populations within India’s animal birth control (ABC) framework, without relocating dogs or resorting to mass sheltering.

Over 3 Lakh Street Dogs Sterilised

The report draws on HWA India’s decade-long experience conducting high-volume sterilisation in India, during which time over 3 lakh street dogs were sterilised and over 4.5 lakh vaccinated against rabies. According to its report, nine of 20 cities and towns reduced complaints without relocating animals or building large-scale shelters.

Visit somethingsdifferent.biz for more information.

In Vadodara and Lucknow, two of the longest-running programs, complaint calls, bite reports and demands for dogs to be removed from neighborhoods all declined once sterilisation coverage crossed roughly 80%. The findings highlighted how effective ABC implementation can support humane street dog population management. In a third city, Dehradun, the program was associated with a more than 40% decline in the street dog population over the 10-year period.

Community Engagement Plays Key Role

The data also points to the growing role of communities in making ABC programs effective. One of the report’s key findings was that sterilisation and vaccination alone are not sufficient to address human-dog conflict. HWA India’s experience across multiple cities showed that community engagement is essential to effective ABC programs.

Dombivli Water Crisis: Hundreds Protest Outside MIDC Office Over Irregular Supply, Demand Cancellation Of 36-Hour Shutdown

Through its Abhay Sankalp model, the organisation works with residents through public meetings, dog behavior workshops, volunteer engagement and awareness activities to help communities understand the ABC process and participate in planning and managing their local dog populations. Today, community members bring in between 20 to 40% of the dogs sterilised each month, reflecting growing public participation in ABC efforts.

HWA India’s senior director for companion animal and engagement, Keren Nazareth, said, “ABC is not an overnight solution. The corporations, municipalities, communities and other partners who have worked with us recognised early on that it takes strong planning, sustained effort, consistency and time to witness the change in the dog population and how people and dogs co-exist. This isn't a one-off case. It's a blueprint, and we believe it will deliver the same result in any city in India willing to do this work properly.”

The organisation’s another director for companion animal and engagement, Dr Piyush Patel, said, “The effectiveness of an ABC program is not measured simply by the number of surgeries performed. Quality matters at every stage, from the way a dog is handled and anesthetised to post-operative care and recovery. When programs are implemented with the right standards, dogs recover well and communities gain confidence in the process. That trust is essential to building effective, long-term dog population management programs.”

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Read full story at source