NEPAL
Nepal is one of the few Asian countries without an effective and proper animal welfare legislation, without which long-term improvement to the animal welfare situation is more difficult. In 2004, the Department of Livestock Services with the help of sample legislation provided by the AN team, drafted a national animal welfare law, but due to political upheaval the legislation was not passed. Mayhew International and Animal Nepal is monitoring the situation and is actively lobbying for this Act to be sent to parliament without further delay.
Animal Nepal
animalNEPAL.org, an innovative NGO based in Kathmandu Nepal, is run by an enthusiastic team of Nepalese and overseas animal welfare campaigners and educators who believe that through awareness-raising and practical interventions that widespread animal cruelty can be gradually reduced, and that Nepal can ultimately become a model country for animal welfare in the region.
Their Vision is helping establish a cruelty-free Nepal in which all living beings can live without fear and in good health. Their mission is to enrich the lives of animals and humans in Nepal through the education of pet owners, the development of affordable 
animal-care products and in the strengthening of community-based animal welfare programs. Their overall aim is to empower the community in this regard.
animalNEPAL together with Mobile Veterinary Consultancy Service intends to establish a pilot Animal Birth Control / Anti Rabies (ABC/AR) program in Lalitpur District. Despite the high incidence of dogs and the deep concern of its residents there is not a single ABC/AR program in the district. Animal Nepal opts to work with a local group of veterinaries as this reduces investment and puts responsibility in the hands of Nepalese professionals. The pilot project, apart from introducing ABC/AR in Lalitpur District, also introduces a community awareness raising program, disseminates information to local veterinaries and trains student vets in surgical animal birth control (ABC) methods, offers sterilisation facilities to local pet owners and develops strategies for future interventions.
Lalitpur District, a part of Bagmati zone, is one of the 75 di
stricts of Nepal. The district, with Patan as its district headquarters, covers an area of 385 sq km and has a population of 337,785 people (2001). It is estimated that Lalitpur District houses some 35,000 stray dogs.
Despite the high number of strays there is not a single animal welfare project apart from that of Animal Nepal. Many local people are deeply concerned about both the suffering of the stray dogs and the health risks associated with them. Municipalities, especially in Kathmandu Valley, are now convinced that the poisoning method used in the past is not an effective method to reduce the dog population.
Mayhew International supports animalNepal in its aim to improve the welfare of animals in Nepal by:
- Implementing an Animal Birth Control Programme for the vaccination and sterilisation of stray dogs;
- Support the recruitment and sponsor the salaries of veterinary personnel;
- Running an education programme to promote animal welfare in the communities.
The facilities for the animal welfare project have now been finalised and opened to great plaudits in Nepal. Please see the below link to see the progress that has been made on this project.
Mayhew International has received news that Animal Nepal in the period 1st November - 20th December 2009 treated a total of 35 stray dogs - 25 could be treated on the street through the Mobile Veterinary Clinic that they use. 10 were in a very serious condition and had to be transferred to their Animal Sanctuary where they are receiving continued care. This is a great work to accompany their recently begun Animal Birth Control Programme. We have been sent recent images from Nepal showing the Animal Birth Control programme in the southern region of the Kathmadu Valley. The programme was officially started on December 28th 2009 in collaboration with anti-rabies vaccines. These photos show the first five dogs which were neutered comprising four females and on...e male. The staff of the Chobar Animal Sanctuary made sure the dogs were well prepared, kept warm during post-operative care and well looked after when the dogs returned to their kennels. From next Monday onwards the ABC/AR programme will gradually be expanded until they are able to spay and vaccinate 12 dogs per session. Mayhew International supports the salaries of the veterinary personnel to perform this important work.
