As a gesture of service to the nation, on 26 January, Republic Day of India, IAR Trichy conducted a free Anti-Rabies Vaccination Camp on the clinic’s campus.
The vaccines were sponsored by Indian Immunological, a company well known in the field of vaccine production.
The turnout was very encouraging: some 72 dogs were vaccinated and their owners were very appreciative of the opportunity to protect their animals free of charge.
Rabies is a terrible disease which affects the central nervous system. Early signs are that the animal’s behaviour changes and it becomes anxious or aggressive. As the disease takes over, it then becomes hypersensitive to light and sound and may also have fits. In the final stages, the nerves of the head and throat become paralysed and the animal will hyper-salivate and lose the ability to swallow. As the paralysis progresses, the animal eventually goes into respiratory failure and dies. It is a ghastly way to die.
The threat of rabies is the main reason why dogs in some parts of India are feared and persecuted. In some areas the local authorities still carry out mass culling of strays to reduce the risk of rabies to local people but this is not a humane or lasting solution. As well as sterilising dogs to control stray populations and vaccinating them against rabies, IAR’s teams educate local communities about the importance of Animal Birth Control (ABC) and anti-rabies vaccinations (AR) to keep pets and strays healthy and thus also protect local people.
