Heartbreaking massacres of homeless dogs and cats in countries including Turkiye and Morocco have highlighted the urgent need for well-managed spay/neuter programs to humanely address conflicts and health concerns that arise. Our partner IDA India has been doing an incredible job at this through its Animal Birth Control (ABC) program, with one veterinarian in particular having an astounding impact on their progress.

The determination of IDA India’s founders to turn a place used for killing dogs into one of safety and healing has led to the organization expanding and spaying/neutering a staggering 104,713 dogs and 11,433 cats since 1998.

An incredibly special acknowledgement must go to IDA India’s lead veterinary surgeon, Dr. Hanumant Ghanwat, who began working there in 1997, has performed spay/neuter surgeries on more than 248,367 animals, including 222,222 dogs and 26,145 cats, working with a number of non-profits since he started in 1993.

His skills and efficiency, and a total of 270,449 surgeries of all kinds under his belt, have him down to be a candidate in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most surgeries in the world. Yet, his track record isn’t just impressive; it’s vital to the welfare of animals and public health.

Thanks to his reputation, many guardians also bring their animals on days when they know he’s operating, which means even more are being helped.

IDA India’s ABC and vaccination programs have played a vital role in reducing animal suffering and addressing rabies, which is endemic in India, although now rare in metropolitan areas, thanks to efforts like this and vaccination drives in partnership with the municipal corporation and other non-profits.

Elsewhere, a lack of ABC programs causes serious issues that range from increased cruelty cases to physical and verbal assaults on members of the community trying to help. The conflict was highlighted by recent court rulings calling for mass roundups of dogs, contrary to the country’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the ABC Rules, which require stray dogs to be trapped, vaccinated, sterilized, and then returned (TNVR) to the places where they were picked up. 

Fortunately, widespread backlash led to a new ruling clarifying that stray dogs need to be sterilized, vaccinated, and released back to the same area. 

Even with successfully reducing the number of unwanted animals in Mumbai, it’s more important than ever to continue supporting ABC programs there and elsewhere to humanely address conflicts.

How You Can Help

Please sign and share our alert to stop Türkiye’s mass killing of homeless dogs and cats, and our alert calling for an end to the killing in Morocco.

You can also make a donation to support IDA India’s lifesaving work on this front.