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Rabies vaccination programme gets underway in Kabul
Dr Mohammadzai DVM (right) during the first day of the vaccination programme.

Local vets working to end the culling of free-roaming dogs

Animal welfare charity Mayhew International has begun its first ever mass rabies vaccination programme in Kabul, Afghanistan.

In January, Mayhew negotiated a landmark agreement with authorities to end the culling of free-roaming dogs in Kabul. Since then, Mayhew’s Afghanistan country director, Dr Abdul-Jalil Mohammadzai DVM, has been setting up the charity’s NGO facilities and working to implement a long-term and sustainable animal welfare strategy.

The mass rabies vaccination programme began on Sunday (6 August) and will cover the 16 main districts of Kabul. Local staff, including vets and other veterinary professionals, have been employed by the charity to help deliver the programme and will work as vaccinators, surveyors and data recorders.

Mayhew has decribed the programmes so far as a ‘huge success’, generating lots of interest from the locals and a ‘good start’ to their target of vaccinating up to 15,000 dogs.

“Our mass rabies vaccination programme is very much welcomed by the government and the people in Kabul. We presently have a team of 16 staff who are working on the field and for the initial days, a small team from Ranchi in India. Everybody is very supportive,” commented Dr Mohammadzai.

“We believe that educating communities is the key to spreading the word about rabies prevention, safe interaction with community dogs, compassion towards animals and the benefits of neutering.”

Mathew International provides international veterinary training and works overseas to find sustainable solutions to the free-roaming dog and cat populations in Afghanistan, Georgia, Russia and India.

The organisation states that it will continue working with authorities to reach their goal of creating a safer and more secure environment for both the people and animals of Kabul.

Image (C) Mayhew International

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.