Spay and Neuter Awareness Month: Divar Island Sterilisation Camp

Every year, Spay/Neuter Awareness Month takes place during the month of February to spotlight the importance of humane Animal Birth Control (ABC). At Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), we are dedicated to creating a safe, stable, and healthy dog population with animal welfare at the forefront. The overpopulation and uncontrolled breeding of dogs leads to overcrowding, which results in competition for resources, the spread of deadly diseases, like rabies, conflicts, and issues within communities.  

Spay and neuter initiatives are lifesavers, reducing free-roaming populations, preventing diseases and improving animal and public health. Vaccination and sterilisation together create a safe and stable dog population, which is the best way to reduce canine and human rabies cases.  

This Spay/Neuter Awareness Month we are shining a spotlight on one of our recent sterilisation and vaccination campaigns in India. 

Divar Island is one of six major islands of Goa, situated in the Mandovi River. In 2024, two positive rabies cases were found on the island: one a free-roaming dog and the other an owned dog. This caused concern for the local community and our Mission Rabies India team were ready to respond. The initial first step to curtail the spread of this deadly disease was a vaccination, education, and surveillance programme, with the team vaccinating the dog population of the island. It was decided that the high number of unsterilised dogs demanded further action. Mission Rabies India, WVS Hicks, and WVS Veterinary Taskforce joined forces to organise Divar Island Sterilisation Camp (DISC) to educate people and sterilise the majority of the island’s canine population. 

The local government were very enthusiastic about the island receiving this crucial veterinary care and supported us by providing a building for the campaign, while they also took care of the accommodation and food for our staff while in Divar. The team worked very hard to transform the waste segregation shed allocated to us into a full-fledged and well-equipped sterilisation camp, with a four-table operation theatre and community kennels for 75 dogs.  

The team encountered a few challenges while organising this camp. They had to overcome logistical issues like transporting heavy equipment and setting up a sterilisation facility on an island that can only be accessed by ferry, while power outages and unpredictable weather caused further hurdles. Despite the challenges, our outreach team were determined to bring vital veterinary services to the island and set up the camp in just under one week.

The Mission Rabies team travelled around the island catching free-roaming dogs to bring to the camp for sterilisation, while the local government and residents helped identify unsterilised free-roaming dogs. In addition to this, we offered a ‘free home pick-up and drop service’ for owned dogs, to ensure that there were no barriers for owners wanting to access this vital veterinary care. The community were very enthusiastic about being offered this and encouraged others to bring their dogs forward for sterilisation.

Along with sterilisation surgeries, we also treated sick and injured animals. Our team treated animals with severe skin infections, maggot wounds, a suspected uterine infection, an ear haematoma, and leg tumour – with some patients continuing to receive treatment at our WVS Hicks ITC in Goa. 

To conclude the camp, a specialist course was held for any residents interested in animal welfare, with basic first aid for dogs and cats. This was aimed to help fill the void of an animal healthcare centre on Divar Island by equipping the residents with the basic knowledge to intervene. The community members who attended were very thankful for this educational session, wanting to do their best for the animals on the island.

Over just three weeks, a total of 344 dogs and 14 cats were successfully sterilised at the camp, improving the health and welfare of the island’s dog population. This will also reduce the spread of rabies amongst the dog population and the risk of rabies transmission to humans. Goa was declared a ‘Rabies Controlled Area’ in 2021, the first Indian state to achieve this status. We are working with dedicated local partners to maintain this status, to keep people and animals safe from this deadly disease, and sterilisation and vaccination campaigns like DISC are crucial to ensure this.

This project was a big collaborative effort, consisting of vets, vet nurses, vet assistants, cleaning-feeding staff, dog catchers, drivers, and volunteers. Thank you to all the team who made this crucial camp possible. 

A big thank you to the Rooney Marlee Animal Welfare Trust for their incredible support of DISC. They sent a volunteer, Alieta Fernandes, who helped with the running of the camp.  

“It was a great experience volunteering at DISC organised by the WVS team. Divar being one of the most beautiful islands of Goa, sadly does not have much in the way of veterinary services. This sterilisation camp was much needed for the community and pet parents to ensure better health for the community dogs. This camp was a learning opportunity for me and added new skills. I helped with the registration and pre-meds for the community dogs and cats. It makes me feel genuinely good that I could lend my helping hand.” 

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