BMC Launches Rabies Vaccination Drive, Will Inject Vaccine In 15,000 Stray Dogs

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to launch a five-day, high-intensity rabies vaccination programme from February 26 to March 1, intending to vaccinate 15,000 stray dogs. The drive, which is being carried out in collaboration with Worldwide Veterinary Services-Mission Rabies (WVS-MR), focuses on the areas bordering Mumbai with Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Palghar. Wards include K (East), K (West), H (East), H (West), L, M (East), M (West), N, G (North), and F (North).

An officer from the Veterinary Department and Deonar Abattoir, BMC, stated that these targeted locations see the flow of stray dogs into Mumbai. “There will be 22 teams in total, each of which will include a vaccinator (veterinarian/veterinary nurse), handler (trained veterinary assistant), net catcher, data collector, volunteers, and local feeders. While we’ve set the target at 15,000, the number of dogs that are vaccinated will depend on how many the teams manage to find,” the official said.

This initiative is part of the wider Mumbai Rabies Elimination Project, which began in September 2023. Since then, some 25,000 stray dogs have been immunised. The goal is to vaccinate 70% of Mumbai’s estimated 95,000 stray canines (based on the 2014 census) by the end of March. The campaign will run until 2030, corresponding with the national objective to rid the country of rabies.

In this comprehensive endeavour, the BMC will work with animal welfare charities such as the Janice Smith Animal Welfare Trust, the Youth Organisation in Defence of Animals, the Universal Animal Welfare Society, and the Utkarsh Global Foundation.