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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

Can a ‘dog hostel’ solve Nepal’s stray dog problem? Baglung is trying

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Baglung Municipality in Nepal has launched a "dog hostel" initiative to manage its stray dog population, estimated at over two million nationwide.
  • The project aims to reduce public health risks, such as rabies and dog bites, while providing a more humane approach to animal management.
  • The facility, built with provincial government support, will initially house 50 dogs, with plans to expand and offer vaccinations and potential adoptions.

Baglung Municipality in Nepal is pioneering a new approach to managing its stray dog population with the establishment of a "dog hostel." Stray dogs are a ubiquitous presence across Nepal, but their growing numbers, estimated to exceed two million nationwide, present significant public health and safety challenges, including dog bites, road accidents, and rabies transmission.

The hostel had to be brought into operation to control the risks posed by stray dogs on the streets and prevent diseases such as rabies.

— Basant Kumar ShresthaMayor of Baglung Municipality, explaining the rationale behind the dog hostel initiative.

The municipality's initiative seeks to address these issues through a more structured and humane method. The "dog hostel" is designed to capture stray dogs from the streets and house them in a controlled environment, thereby reducing risks to residents and other animals. This project is a collaborative effort, supported by the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers of Gandaki Province, with a total cost of Rs100 million.

Mayor Basant Kumar Shrestha emphasized the hostel's role in controlling rabies and preventing injuries from dog attacks. According to WHO data, dogs are the primary source of rabies transmission to humans, and Nepal reports around 32 rabies deaths annually. The facility aims to provide vaccinated and medically cared-for dogs, with the hope that healthy animals can eventually be adopted by local residents.

With the support of the municipal police, we have been vaccinating stray dogs and capturing them to send to the hostel.

— Mitra Lal SapkotaChief of the municipality’s animal service branch, detailing the operational process.

Mitra Lal Sapkota, chief of the municipality's animal service branch, stated that the campaign involves vaccinating and capturing stray dogs for the hostel, which will initially accommodate 50 dogs and potentially expand to 100. The municipality plans to manage the dogs' food and care regularly. Alongside the hostel, a rabies vaccination drive for owned dogs is also underway, indicating a comprehensive strategy to manage the community dog population and mitigate associated health risks.

The dog hostel is a model programme. The municipality itself will regularly manage food for the dogs kept in the hostel.

— Mitra Lal SapkotaDescribing the sustainability and future plans for the facility.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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