Sterilisations

> Eradicating rabies through sterilisations
Every year, 1,000s of often healthy dogs are put down by the Colombo Municipal Council. In Sri Lanka, over 2 million stray dogs exist, in typically pathetic conditions. This overpopulation crisis is the direct result of animals left unsterilised in our communities.
Please remember that one pair of cats could exponentially produce 420,000 kittens in seven years and in six years, one female dog and her offspring could give birth to 67,000 puppies. Homeless dogs are a threat to the general public due to the risk of rabies. However, according to the World Health Organisation killing homeless dogs cannot provide a long term solution to the problem of rabies. Furthermore, such routine killing of mostly healthy dogs is surely unacceptable. This makes sterilization a public safety issue. AWPA advocates Sterilisation/Neutering as the most humane and effective way to control the stray dog population. This control will lead to notable reduction in the incidence of Rabies. The practice of a consistent and comprehensive sterilisation programme will eliminate rabies. We must remind members and friends that it is not sufficient only to feed community dogs and cats. It is a must to take action to sterilize them.
 
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So we ask you to:
Sterilise your pets
Sterilising benefits the health of your pet, by pro longing life, and lowering the chances of breast cancer and critical uterine infections in females and prostate problems in males. Furthermore sterilizing reduces the numbers of unwanted animals put to death in the dog pound. Even purebreds with pedigree have off-spring that end up unwanted, on the street and thereafter at the pound. In our experience we have come across many such dogs, some of who are at our shelter, and others we have managed to re-home.

Please contact us if you need assistance in sterilising your animal.
 
> Sterilisation Procedure:
The surgical removal of certain reproductive organs--in the female, the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries; in the male, the testicles. The surgery prevents females from becoming pregnant and prevents males from impregnating females. A relatively safe and simple operation.
 
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Sterilisation Programme 2005
The AWPA works in collaboration with a team of Veterinarians from the University of Perandeniya which has the only Veterinary Faculty in Sri Lanka. Professor Indira Silva, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, and Dr. Ashoka Dangolla, Senior Lecturer of Veterinary Clinical Sciences head this team. Undergraduates from the faculty also assist with the sterilisations and anti-rabies vaccinations campaign.
Dr. Dangolla is also the local representative of the International Fund for Animal Welfare [IFAW] Emergency Relief, which is headed by Mr. Anand Ramanathan.
No professional fees are charged by these Vets.

Sterilisations were carried out at the following locations:
1. Obeysekerapura
2. Nawala
3. Angulana
4. Kochikade
5. Wanathamulla
6. Kosgoda

The above camps have been sponsored by IFAW and Grafschafter [German Grarp] – Friends of Dogs of Sri Lanka.
 
> Sterilisation 2004
The Association sustained the community based, spaying/neutering program through 2004, focusing on low-income pet owners. With the opening of the second Transit Home at Kahathuduwa the Association was able to offer the service in a rural setting, encouraging pet owners in the neighbourhood to avail themselves of the free service not only to sterilize their animals, but also to immunize the dogs against rabies. The response from the community both at the suburban location, Dehiwala/Mt Lavinia and at the rural location at Kahathuduwa has been encouraging. The Association in turn made every effort to give a service in the best interest of the animals brought for surgical procedure recognizing that the owner despite their poor economic status were fond of their pets and had chosen this humane option to assist in the control of the dog/cat population.
A total of 491 animals have been sterilized/spayed.