Hambantota Dog Sterilization Programme was started from Tangalle Urban Council on 23rd August, 2010 under the ‘Pleasant City without Roaming Dogs’ concept.

Tangalle Urban Council Chariman Mr. Anil Selvahennadige, Members of the Southern Provincial Council Mr. Aruna Gunarathna & H. W. Gunasena, Coordinating Secretary of the Deputy Health Minister Mr. H. K. Thilakarathne, Regional Director of Health Services Dr. A. D. U. Karunarathna, Regional Epidemiologist Dr. Miyasi Gajanayaka, Government Veterinary Surgeon Dr. Ruwan Wickramarachchi, Rabies PHI Mr. D. Vidanagamage participated in the opening ceremony. Convener of Veterinarians for Eradication of Rabies Dr. Pubudu Samaraweera and 35 Veterinary Surgeons conducted the programme.

20 Veterinary Assistants and 24 Dog Catchers helped the veterinary teams to catch and sterilize 226 female dogs roaming in the Tangalle city.

Programme will be continued in Tangalle MOH and Angunakole MOH from 25th August.

All MOH areas will be completed within 3 months time.

All the veterinary teams of Veterinarians for Eradication of Rabies actively participated in this event.

An act of Animal Sacrifice is scheduled to be taken place tomorrow at the Munneswaram Temple, Chilaw. It is reported that 300 goats and more chicken are due to be offered in sacrifice at the ritual.

Our members are already in the area working to protest against this inhumane practice. We call all animal lovers to come to the Munneswaram Temple tomorrow at 7am and join with us to stand against this act of violence.

More info: Daily Mirror Article, Nation.lk Article

As a response to the Deputy Health Minister’s personal attention to make Hambantota a rabies-free zone, Veterinarians for Eradication of Rabies will be starting work in the Hambantota area immediately. 25% of the female population (13,557 female dogs) are to be sterilized within 3 months time.

This programme was halted due to Tender problems and Our Association will be donating 1 million rupees to overcome the financial problems.

Most of the Veterinarians working in the National Rabies Control Sterilization Programme and government veterinary surgeons are ready to achieve this goal.

First meeting with the Hambantota Regional Director of Health Services Officials was held at Tangalle MOH Office on 19th August, 2010.

Mr. H. K. Tillakaratne (Deputy Minister’s Coordinating Secreatry), Dr. Miyasi Gajanayaka (Regional Epidemiologist), Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara, Dr. Ranil Kumarathissa, Doctors and PHI’s from all MOH offices participated.

Controlling the dog population is vital to the eradication of rabies. The human to dog ratio at the moment in Sri Lanka is 8:1. In some areas this ratio is 5:1. But the recommended ratio of the humans to dogs is 20:1.

After the Hon. President stopped controlling dog population by killing them inhumanely in 2004, lots of discussions and research were carried out to implement a humane method of dog population control.

Finally, in 2008 the Dog Sterilization National Programme was created. We also actively participated in creating the model for this programme. The plan was to sterilize one million dogs within 5 years time.

By 2009, 350,000 dogs were sterilized under the national programme.

We could already see results of this achievement by the end of 2009 in the districts that executed the program well. (Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Nuwaraeliya, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Gampaha)

But currently, we are beginning to see conspiracies to sabotage this national programme. A government official and a NGO are spreading false rumors and providing inaccurate information to public media. Every person in this country wants this program to be a success, but some are trying to destroy it for their personal gain.

600 million rupees are spent every year for rabies control. We suspect that the drug companies use this official and the NGO to stop this national programme.

“We challenge this government official and the NGO to have a debate with us in front of the media on the results and the importance of this programme” Dr. Udaya Wijewardhane said.

Initiative Workshop for Policy Development of Veterinary Ethics in Sri Lanka was started on 28th July 2010 and will be commenced till 30th July 2010 at the Institute of Continuing Education, Gannoruwa, Peradeniya.

This workshop is organized by the Institute for Research and Development.

Around 50 invitees and selected veterinarians take part in this event.

We hope this exercise will help to develop Sri Lanka’s animal welfare and bioethics field in the future.