Draft Animal Birth Control rules suggest allowing natural death to rabid dogs

‘Premature killing prevents rabies cases from being known’

Dogs with high probability of contracting rabies should be isolated till they die a natural death, suggests the draft Animal Birth Control Rules (ABC) 2022.

Such dogs shall be inspected by a veterinary surgeon appointed by the local authority and a representative from an animal welfare organisation. Death normally occurs within 10 days of contracting rabies. The carcasses of dogs suspected to have died of rabies shall be disposed of in an incinerator or by any other method prescribed by the Chief Veterinary Officer of the district. Premature killing of suspected rabid dogs prevents the cases from being known and appropriate action being taken, suggests the draft rules.

The comments on the draft rules shall be submitted to the Joint Commissioner (Animal Welfare), New Delhi, 110001, before September 30.

The draft rules were released at a time when incidents of stray dog attacks and rabies deaths have emerged as a matter of concern for many States, including Kerala.

The reproductive organs removed from the dogs during sterilisation shall be stored at the Animal Birth Control Centre and counted fortnightly or monthly or as often as decided by the Local Animal Birth Control Monitoring Committee. The organs shall be destroyed by spraying of tattoo dye and deep burial or incineration after taking their count. The process of tattoo dying and burial shall be video-recorded and photographed with the date and time stamp, it has been proposed.

The rules suggest that sterilisation and immunisation of domestic/feral cats shall be carried out at the ABC centre for dogs. However, care shall be taken to ensure that cats are not housed with or do not come in contact with dogs. The post-operative care of cats shall be provided in a place where they do not suffer from unnecessary stress by the sounds/smell of dogs.

Humane methods such as net or hand-catching or any other manner that is less irksome to the animals shall be used for catching them for sterilisation and immunisation. The use of tongs or wires has been prohibited by the draft rules.

Street dogs under the age of six months shall not be captured and the females with puppies shall not be captured for sterilisation till their litter attains two months of age.

Dogs from the same family/social group may be kept in one single kennel, and male and female dogs housed separately. The canines shall be kept in quarantine kennels for 12 hours before surgery, without food or water.

The dogs shall be housed in kennels for at least four days after the sterilisation for post-operative care and provided adequate and healthy food twice a day and potable drinking water. After the procedure, the canines shall be released at the same place or locality from where they were captured. The date, time and place of their release shall be recorded after their complete recovery, it has been suggested.