Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 09: In a major proactive initiative aimed at safeguarding public health, ensuring student safety and promoting humane treatment of animals, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, has rolled out an intensive mass awareness campaign titled “Stray Dog Bite Prevention and Management” across the length and breadth of the Union Territory.
With the Andaman & Nicobar Islands proudly maintaining their long-standing rabies-free status, the ongoing campaign focuses on preventing every single dog-bite incident through widespread community education, responsible pet ownership and scientific management of stray dogs. In a well-planned north-to-south sweep, veterinary teams have already reached thousands of school children, teachers, panchayat members, shopkeepers and residents — starting from North & Middle Andaman (Diglipur, Mayabunder, Rangat, Kadamtala), moving to Car Nicobar, Teressa, Katchal, Kamorta and Nancowry, then to Swaraj Dweep (Havelock) and Shaheed Dweep (Neil), and finally covering South Andaman including Port Blair and Ferrargunj areas.
Every session drives home simple, practical and life-saving messages: maintain safe distance from unknown dogs, never tease or disturb an animal while eating or sleeping, wash any bite or scratch wound thoroughly with soap under running water for at least 15 minutes, report immediately to the nearest health or veterinary facility, vaccinate pet dogs regularly, avoid roadside feeding of strays that attracts packs to highways and residential areas, and extend full support to the Department’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme — the most effective and compassionate tool to keep stray dog numbers under control.
Highlight programmes so far include the mega outreach at Government Senior Secondary School, Swaraj Dweep, where 889 students from nursery to Class XII participated along with the entire teaching faculty; 174 participants across three schools in Car Nicobar; a cluster drive covering 166 students and teachers in Katchal Island; interactive sessions at GMS Kalapathar, Guptapara Government Middle School, GMS Manglutan, GMS Krishna Nagar (Swaraj Dweep), GSSS Kadamtala, Government Secondary School Webi, GMSS Kamorta, GSSS Rangachang, GPS Bada Enaka, GPS Chota Enaka and numerous other institutions across North, Middle and South Andaman. Special orientation was also provided to nodal teachers of selected Port Blair schools for sustained awareness throughout the year.
A dedicated public sensitisation drive was simultaneously conducted along the Guptapara Junction–Wandoor beach stretch in coordination with the Block Development Officer Ferrargunj, police personnel, APWD officials and local Gram Pradhan, eliciting firm pledges from shopkeepers and residents to stop roadside feeding of stray dogs.
School authorities and the community have overwhelmingly welcomed the initiative and requested its continuation on a regular basis. The Department has assured that the campaign will be further expanded in the coming weeks to cover additional schools, gram panchayats, market committees and tourist areas.
Through relentless awareness, community partnership, scientific ABC interventions and strict vigilance against unauthorised animal movement, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services remains fully committed to ensuring that the Andaman & Nicobar Islands continue to remain not only rabies-free but also completely safe and dog-bite-free for every child, resident and visitor.
