Vets Beyond Borders Australia

Published 04 Jun 2008

The third annual Leh Street Dog Sterilisation project started on June 2nd. After the "challenge" of purchasing medicines and equipment in the labyrinthine Chandni Chowk, followed by the 3 day road trip from New Delhi to Leh over the 3rd highest motorable road in the world, we have joined volunteers from Australia, Poland and India to work together with local staff to sterilise and rabies vaccinate the dogs of Leh and surrounding villages.

It has been encouraging to note that many of the dogs we have seen have already been caught and sterilised in the previous years' programs. This year we have started vaccinating against rabies, following successful negotiations with the Ladakh Administration who will provide the vaccines. There are also plans for mobile clinics to service villages further afield.

There have been many welcomed improvements to the clinic site since the program finished last September such as tree planting, completion of perimeter fencing, and a brand spanking new toilet block! Work has started on a new clinic which will include a store room, preparation room and separate purpose built surgery room. The existing surgery will be used as an office- cum- treatment room.

A dog catching workshop will take place in mid June and we are looking forward to welcoming Dr Mark Johnson, an expert in wild animal capture from the US, to teach us new methods of catching the street dogs. The workshop will be attended by representatives from Help in Suffering, Jaipur, the SARAH program in Sikkim, the Welfare of Stray Dogs, Mumbai and the Snow Leopard Conservation Group, Leh. It will be a great opportunity for everyone to learn and share ideas.

Dr Ruth Pye