Dog Protection Program India (DPP) – NetAP | Network for Animal Protection

The Dog Protection Programme is a joint project of the Visakah Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA) and NetAP. The aim of the programme is to improve the living conditions of dogs in and around Visakhapatnam.

Visakhapatnam is located in the state of Andhra Pradesh on the Bay of Bengal. The city has a population of just under two million and is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Oil refineries, the artificial fertiliser industry, coal plants and steelworks characterise the cityscape, create jobs and ensure steady economic growth. The traffic is murderous and the air is full of exhaust fumes. The climate is only bearable in the winter months, in summer it is oppressively hot and humid, and from June onwards there is a growing risk of cyclones.

This animal-unfriendly environment is home to thousands and thousands of street dogs that are not welcome everywhere. And like everywhere else in the world, where the overpopulation of dogs leads to conflicts between humans and animals, killing operations were also constantly taking place in Visakhapatnam. On the one hand, to ‘cleanse’ the city of unwanted inhabitants, and on the other – and this was the main reason – to minimise the risk of rabies. However, such short-sighted measures never lead to the hoped-for success, as the supposedly cleared territories were soon occupied by new dogs.

Today, Visakhapatnam shows a completely different face. Since almost 2011, a comprehensive dog protection programme has been ensuring a better understanding between dogs and humans: the ‘Dog Protection Programme’, or DPP for short.

Selection of media reports about the DPP:
Article about the DPP in Schweizer Hundemagazin

The programme includes the following focal points:

Spay and neuter
Between 5000 and 8000 street dogs go through the programme every year. All animals are caught by a trained team, housed in the shelter, examined the next day, treated for parasites, operated on and marked. They are then vaccinated and released back into the wild after three days. Dogs that have no chance of survival on the street remain in the VSPCA shelter or in the dog park financed by NetAP, which was integrated into the Kindness Farm and opened in 2022. At the end of 2014, we also purchased a mobile clinic to extend the neutering radius to villages outside the big city.

Prevention
India is the country with the highest number of rabies deaths. Thanks to systematic prevention, we have managed to ensure that the large city of Visakhapatnam has been rabies-free for several years. On the one hand, every animal that is caught for castration is vaccinated. On the other hand, around 28 September (World Rabies Day), thousands of animals are also vaccinated and the population is educated.

The programme also includes vaccinations against distemper, parvovirosis and other common diseases as well as regular treatments against external and internal parasites.

Animal shelter
Two animal shelters offer a safe home to dogs that would have no chance of survival on the street.

Feeding programme
There is a feeding programme called ‘One Stop Feed’, which provides the numerous packs of dogs in the big city with one meal a day. Numerous restaurants and food trucks are involved in this programme. This targeted feeding of the dogs makes a significant contribution to ensuring that coexistence between the dogs and the population is quite relaxed. In addition, new arrivals or sick/injured dogs are quickly recognised.

Water points
In co-operation with the city’s water supply, water points are filled daily during the hot months. Water is essential for survival during this time. In addition to the dogs, other animals such as street cows also benefit from the water points.

Raising awareness
Events and targeted media reports are used to sensitise the public to the issue of street dogs and the importance of neutering.

Training
Programmes in schools ensure that children are trained in dealing with street dogs.

Adoption
Targeted events promote the adoption of street dogs.

Individual animal protection
Injured or impaired dogs receive the help they need from the rescue teams and are taken in by the animal shelters when a life on the streets is no longer possible.

Cooperation with the authorities
Thanks to the good co-operation with the authorities, regular checks can be carried out on backyard breeders and dubious breeders can be stopped.

The DPP is certainly one of the most comprehensive dog welfare projects ever. The effort involved is huge, but the lasting success proves that it is worth it. The situation of the dogs has been stable for some time now, and killings are a thing of the past.