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Vaccinations and Feeding Underway in Sri Lanka
16 January 2005
HSI’s team in Sri Lanka, headed by Robert Blumberg, working with Pet V Care, has continued traveling through the region vaccinating thousands of dogs hoping to prevent a disease outbreak. Almost 3,000 animals have been vaccinated. With a large number of mobile units continuing to go out everyday the system is becoming natural to the team.
In addition to the vaccination program, another program is feeding the increased number of strays, many of whom have been either abandoned by their owners who are either dead or to busy care for them. A few days earlier, about 80 dogs were fed in the Paiygala area. Blumberg commenting on recent reports of the dogs becoming more aggressive, said “it helped maintain calm in the area and gave us some experience in this type of feeding exercise”
Pets V Care continues to make veterinarians available and is rotating fourteen through the program, so that no one gets too exhausted. Anusha David, an independent animal lover, coordinates much of the vaccination efforts. Citihealth, a local medical supply/vet supply importer, has also donated Ivermectin, the anesthetic to be used in the program.
With owned animals, roughly 250-300 vaccinations can be administered per a van, per a day. A team makes six to seven stops per a day. It sets up a clinic in a shop, store, or temple then administers the vaccinations, then moves on about a half a kilometer and does it all again! They use a megaphone to announce their arrival, allowing residents to collect their animals and walk to the HSI stop. Ensuring success the team returns the next day to the previously visited stops.
Following HSI’s Sherry Grant’s guidance they saturate an area before moving to the next area. This requires repeat visits to insure at least 75% of the dogs are vaccinated – the minimum level for eradication.
It is estimated there is 1 dog for every 8 persons. Thus, with the population known of each area, it is possible to calculate how many dogs need to be vaccinated. In addition, 5% of the vaccinations are administered to cats.
Now that HSI has a feel for the situation in various parts of the country, it is focusing on saturating the hard hit southern area, and, as resources permit, the lower middle eastern area. The goal is to vaccinate about 10,000 dogs in the next few weeks.
The team took a three day Land Rover trip to Trinco, on the East Coast, where there are many refugee camps of various sizes. In these areas the residents are accustomed to having domesticated dogs and cats. In many cases the refugees are sharing their livings space and limited resources with their animals. In areas less recovered, the dogs continue scavenging and roaming through the rubble. The Sri Lankan military were keen in assisting the HSI team in capturing the strays to vaccinate them, and many even wanted to adopt an orphaned dog.
A major operation is being mounted in Arungam Bay, in the east, where the government has threatened to kill the dogs to prevent a rabies outbreak. Riding in three Land Rovers, four vets and three dog catchers will be there for four days trying to head off the killing.
“We've been out every day for the last two weeks with usually two to three units out at the same time. Our local volunteers have spent countless hours organizing things, buying supplies, preparing food and delivering, arranging and tracking donations and paying expenses liaising with outside groups. Everyone in our small group has a ‘can do attitude’ “, says Blumberg.
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