Recipient Organization
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
200 WESTBORO ROAD
N. GRAFTON,MA 01536
Performing Department
Infectious Disease and Global Health
Non Technical Summary
Stray dogs in Nepal are the main reservoir for rabies, a serious problem in Nepal, as it is in many developing countries. Human control of the dog population is rare because of barriers such as poverty, under-resourced governments, cultural beliefs and disease fears. Underlying efforts to control this disease is the need to gain control of dog overpopulation and improve the general care of dogs in the country. Dog sterilization is not commonly practiced in Nepal largely due to inexperience by Nepali veterinarians, lack of public education on the benefits of dog sterilization, and the economic challenges of paying for such a procedure. This project will ensure that future generations of Nepali veterinarians will hold the values and possess the skills necessary to make a major impact on both the health and quality of life of the people of Nepal and their dogs. A veterinary student centered spay/neuter and vaccination clinic at the Institute for Agriculture and Animal
Science Veterinary School (IAAS) will provide training to future Nepali veterinarians and encourage them to promote this practice in their communities after graduation.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The Nepalese government has long attempted to control the large and growing number of dogs with the use of strychnine poisoning and by paying bounties for animals killed, despite studies that have shown these reduction measures only encourage the remaining canine population to reproduce at higher rates. The fear of stray dogs, being the main reservoir for rabies, trump the underlying respect and even reverence that Nepali, as practitioners of Hinduism and Buddhism, have for all life, and particularly for dogs. The Institute for Agriculture and Animal Science Veterinary School (IAAS) in Nepal began only 10 years ago and is the only veterinary school in the country. Our aim is to develop a veterinary student centered spay/neuter and vaccination clinic at the IAAS that will provide training to future Nepali veterinarians and encourage them to promote this practice in their communities after graduation.
Project Methods
With the support of the Humane Society International , faculty and students from TUSVM have researched the dog overpopulation problem in Chitwan district over the past three years. Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine (TUSVM) has partnered with the Institute for Agriculture and Animal Science Veterinary School (IAAS) in Nepal to develop a student centered spay/neuter clinic in Chitwan District, Nepal. The funding for this project will enable implementation of the teaching clinic and help develop educational material that could be used nationwide. The funding will provide for: upgrading the existing surgical facilities at IAAS; supplies necessary to perform surgical sterilization/vaccination and identification during the first year; surgical training for IAAS faculty by Tufts surgical staff; and support for an IAAS veterinary student run education campaign in the local community. This will put in place the necessary base to begin an active surgical
sterilization and vaccination clinic in the 2nd year, run by the IAAS surgical staff and veterinary students. Once in full operation, the clinic will be self-sustaining through fees paid by dog owners.