Lhakpa Quendren
Gelephu—Sarpang is leading the way in rabies prevention with a collaborative effort between the Livestock Department and de-suups to sterilise cats and dogs.
The nine-day programme —National Accelerated Dog Population Management (NADPM) and Rabies Control Programme (RCP)—aims to establish a rabies-free Gelephu Mindfulness City and set a new benchmark for rabies control nationwide.
In the programme (RCP), which ended on January 22, about 173 officials, including 65 livestock officials, 89 de-suups, and 19 drivers, were deployed across all 12 gewogs and the thromde, based on pet census data.

Around 173 livestock officials and De-suups involved in sterilising and vaccinating pet cats and dogs against rabies at GMC
While about 1,234 pet dogs were sterilised in the previous nationwide programme, 587 pet dogs—32 percent of a total of 1,834—and 3,640 cats remained unsterilised in Sarpang. The campaign has now sterilised 399 pet dogs and 2,472 pet cats, and vaccinated 904 pet dogs and 2,798 pet cats.
The vaccination also covered 1,559 cattle, 708 goats, 184 sheep, and five equines.
Team leader of the Zero Rabies Programme at GMC, Dr Kinley Dorji, said pet sterilisation turnout significantly increased with support from the GMC administration, Thromde, and local government.
“We are making every effort to reach all pet owners and sterilise as many animals as possible,” he said.
All pets are required to be registered, microchipped, sterilised, and vaccinated, while those not sterilising their pets must register them separately for breeding purposes.
The pet registration card includes vaccination details and the next due date, which are also stored in the veterinary system.
“To eliminate rabies in GMC, we must vaccinate all dogs, cats, and other rabies-susceptible livestock,” he said, adding that livestock within 1km of international borders will also be vaccinated.
A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan has been developed to regularly assess the effectiveness of sterilisation, vaccination, public awareness, community engagement, and pet owner compliance.
The sterilisation and vaccination programme has reduced rabies, eased healthcare burdens, and improved safety.
The government spends Nu 9.3 million annually on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent rabies after exposure.
Dr Kinley Dorji said the sterilisation programme would enhance safety by controlling free-roaming dogs and reducing zoonotic disease risks.
“Public awareness and education campaigns are regularly conducted to promote rabies prevention through various channels,” he said.
The annual anti-rabies vaccination programme is conducted to ensure all pets and rabies-susceptible livestock are protected against rabies, with vaccinations provided free of cost.
Rabies is fully preventable with effective strategies, but once contracted, it is always fatal.
“We aim to manage the number of dogs and cats and vaccinate them to break the transmission cycle and prevent human exposure,” said Dr Kinley Dorji.
And he added: “By managing the number of free-roaming dogs and ensuring that all are vaccinated against rabies, we can prevent human rabies cases, as the majority of human infections are dog-mediated.”
Dog bites have decreased from 895 to about 70 per 100,000 people annually, based on a population base of 782,455. And about 99 percent of rabies cases in humans are caused by dog bites.
Shelter for stray dogs
In Sarpang, nearly 1,000 free-roaming dogs were sterilised and marked with ear notches during the previous nationwide programme. The initiative followed the Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, Withhold, and Release (CNVWR) protocol to ensure their well-being before returning them to their habitat.
Around 360 dogs along the highway were relocated to a shelter in Shechamthang in September last year and will eventually be moved to two acres of state land in Getemkha, Gakiling Gewog.

Around 360 stray dogs were moved to a shelter in Shechamthang
The daily cost of food per dog at the shelter is estimated to be between Nu 22 and 25, which includes dal, meat, and rice.
“We are allowing owners to claim their dogs for now, but once relocated, owners who reclaim their pets will face fines and penalties. Pet dogs are not allowed to roam freely,” said an official.
Local communities play a key role in achieving a rabies-free GMC by registering, vaccinating, sterilising pets, following responsible ownership, and reporting free-roaming dogs.
The porous borders, however, pose a risk of disease outbreaks, with two to three unsterilised dogs without ear notches caught daily.
“With all the dogs in the shelter, no one is left to defend the area, allowing free-roaming dogs from the borders to enter,” said a pet owner.
An official said: “If free-roaming dogs from across the border do not enter the country, the dog population can be controlled within six years, considering their average lifespan of about 15 years.”
The World Health Organisation, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control are joining forces to help countries accelerate efforts to eliminate dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
In the South-East Asia Region, rabies is endemic in nine countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.