Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Outline
Brief background
Bhutan and importance of dogs in Bhutanese society
Past dog population control initiatives
National Dog Population Management and Rabies
Control Project (NDPM & RCP)
Background
BHUTAN
20
Dzongkhags
205
Geogs
Area= 40,000 sq km
6 agro ecological zones
Altitude = 200 to 7500 metres
Population: ~700,000
Problems caused by
free-roaming dogs
Rabies a common
problem in Bhutan
About 750 cases
reported in domestic
animal species in the
last decade
Human rabies ~ US$
70,000 annually
Translocation
Impounding
Adhoc ABC & antirabies vaccination
Recent Initiative
National Dog Population
Management and Rabies
Control Project (NDPM &
RCP)
Implemented jointly by
HSI and RGOB through
Capture Neuter Vaccinate
Release (CNVR)
programme
Poisoning
and Shooting
Failed due
to nonacceptable
and religious
issues
1990s
2000s
Translocation
Impounding
Created
animal
welfare and
social issue
Poor animal
welfare and
not
sustainable
2009
NDPM &
RCP
Scientifically
approved
and socially
acceptable
2013
Mass Rabies
Vaccination
Coordinate
d effort to
reduce &
eliminated
Rabies
2014
CABC
Taking
owner
ship
(staff
involvem
ent)
Public Awareness
Achievement
Human
attitudes and
behaviour
Reproduction
capacity of
population
Assessing local dog
population
Size
Source
Problems
Welfare issues
KAP of communities
Past control strategies
Access to
resources
Policies and
Legislation
Resources
Manpower,
fund
Free-roaming
dog population
CNVR
programme
Stabilize dog
population, eliminate
rabies, address other
problems & improve
welfare of dogs
Monitoring &
Evaluation (M & E)
Monitor Size
Coverage
Indicator count
Health status
Trend - dog bite &
rabies cases
KAP
Survey
Dog Population
demography
Ethics Approval
Estimate dog
population
Habitat
studies
Health
status
M & E of
CNVR program
Euthanasia:
Yes 21%,
No = 30% &
Not sure 41%
Control options: ABC
72%, Impounding 7%
KAP
Survey:
521
households
Owned dogs
Stray dogs
1.4:1
1.06:1
Age
Neuter status
32.7% neutered
15.7% neutered
2.6%
1.6%
0.3%
2.2%
6.9%
4.5%
1.2%
3.2%
Pregnancy status
- Foetal counts
7.0%
4.4 1.5
6.2%
5.2 1.6
Urban (716)
Rural (585)
24.4%
40.8%
237
348
1.477
Dogs per HH
0.331
0.603
13.82
8.39
1.31:1
2.05:1
Age
Breed
54.4% Local
69.4% Local
Neuter status
39.7% neutered
64.3% neutered
Rabies vaccination
77.6% vaccinated
76.2% vaccinated
Purpose
stray dogs
Habitat study: Map of Thimphu city (a) Image plot showing the freeroaming dog population density with the road networks
superimposed on this plot (b) Image plot showing the intensity of
buildings expressed as number of buildings per km2.
(a)
(b)
Map of Thimphu city (a) Image plot showing the free-roaming dog
population density. Superimposed on this plot are (a) point locations
of rubbish bins (yellow) and Temples (White) and (b) Meat shops
(Red) and Military camps (Blue)
(a)
(b)
(a)
(d)
(b)
(e)
(c)
(f)
Estimated number of surviving ear-notched dogs, the total freeroaming dog population and the percentage of ear-notched dogs out
of all total sighted dogs in Thimphu (June 2009 September 2014)
Comparison of the population estimate of freeroaming dogs in Thimphu using different methods
Mark-resight survey
Lincoln Petersen Index
Mark-resight survey
Proportion of
permanently
marked dogs
1 2
=
1 = Marked dogs
2 = number sighted
= No. of surviving
= No. of dogs
Bapisa
267
323
202
Changbangdu
521
778
Norzin
298
357
150
Changangkha
190
179
112
Motithang
155
190
134
Kawang Jungshina
TabaDechenchoeling
353
537
283
244
257
153
2028
2621
Total
Estimated
Population
(95% CI)
June 2009
2399
903
1945 46.4
June 2011
January
2012
2191
1009
2778 36.3
2950
828
1618 51.2
May 2013
August
2013
3200
1410
2621 53.8
4474
1642
2151 76.3
Sept. 2014
3691
903
1335 67.6
Estimated number of surviving ear-notched dogs, the total freeroaming dog population and the percentage of ear-notched dogs out
of all total sighted dogs in Thimphu (June 2009 September 2014)
Remarks
Recapture of permanently
marked dogs (May 2013)
Recapture of permanently
marked dogs (Aug 2013)
Need to do mark-resight
survey. Apply this method
if there are no above
details or those places
without CNVR programme
Comparison of the population estimate of freeroaming dogs in Thimphu using different methods
Mark-resight survey
Lincoln Petersen Index
Mark-resight survey
Proportion of
permanently
marked dogs
1 2
=
1 = Marked dogs
2 = number sighted
= No. of surviving
= No. of dogs
Comparison of dogs neutered (owned and stray) and humans (a) dog
bites and (b) rabies outbreak in animals from July 2008 to June 2013.
(a)
(b)
Acknowledgements