Animal Husbandry Department Deputy Director V. Gopichand has urged the public and pet owners to take necessary precautions to stay away from diseases that pass on to humans through animals.
Dr. Gopichand along with Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar took part in a free vaccination camp for pet and stray dogs organised by Jeevakarunya Ashram with the support of the department and the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation on the occasion of World Zoonoses Day in Vijayawada on Thursday. The camps were held at Bhavanipuram and Kothapeta where 425 stray and pet dogs were administered with free anti rabies vaccines. Pet owners queued up to get their dogs vaccinated.
Dr. Gopichand said that people must have the dogs around them vaccinated so that life-threatening diseases such as rabies, anthrax and brucellosis were kept at bay.
He said the department was taking all precautions to contain the spread of diseases such as anthrax. He launched a poster for creating awareness among the public on how to behave around stray dogs and rabies.
Assistant Directors G. Sujani and T. Sai Gopal, VMC veterinary assistant surgeon A. Ravichand and others were present.
Free vaccines were also administered at NTR Veterinary Super Specialty Hospital and other veterinary hospitals across the district.
