CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA 
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New policy could halt dog sterilisation, lead to mass culling: AWC warns
Colombo, September 12 (Daily Mirror) - The Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) has raised concerns that the Health Ministry, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), is formulating a policy to implement only rabies vaccination programmes instead of dog sterilisation, a move they warned could increase the stray dog population and ultimately lead to mass culling.
AWC Executive Committee Member Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara told the Daily Mirror that documents relating to the policy are scheduled to be presented to the Health Minister on Monday (15).
“If this policy is approved, sterilisation programmes will be suspended, leading to an increase in stray dogs and possibly resulting in their killing in the future. Without sterilisation, the government will not be able to control the dog population, which will become a serious issue,” he said.
Dr. Nanayakkara noted that while vaccinating 70 percent of the existing dog population could help eradicate rabies, the target can only be achieved if the dog population is reduced.
“If the dog population increases, it will be impossible to reach the 70 percent threshold, which is why sterilisation is essential,” he stressed.
The AWC further alleged that the policy was drafted without considering the ground-level realities of rabies vaccination and sterilisation programmes. They claimed that neither local animal welfare organisations nor the Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) were consulted in the process.
Dr. Nanayakkara warned that an increase in stray dogs could lead to higher numbers of road traffic accidents and more roaming dogs in urban areas.
According to AWC, the policy is being developed with input only from private veterinary personnel, who are not actively engaged in ground-level operations. The coalition also pointed out that international animal welfare organisations recognise sterilisation as equally important as vaccination in controlling rabies.
Criticising the Health Ministry for what they described as years of failure in managing rabies control and vaccination programmes, the AWC insisted that the responsibility for eradicating rabies lies with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in collaboration with the DAPH, and not solely with the Health Ministry or WHO.
“Implementing policies without the guidance of WOAH will create serious issues in the country and ultimately lead to the killing of these dogs in the future,” Dr. Nanayakkara cautioned.
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