UK-based animal body to set up vet facility in Goa

Panaji: Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), a UK-based global animal welfare organisation, proposed the establishment of a state-of-the-art veterinary and animal birth control (ABC) centre in Goa, aimed at scaling up humane dog population management, rabies control, training, and research.WVS plans to construct a modern veterinary facility on land to be provided by Goa govt. The centre will be fully funded, built, equipped, and operated by WVS at no cost to govt, with a minimum operational commitment of 20 years.“We are the first state to be rabies controlled, and need to move ahead in this direction,” minister for animal husbandry and veterinary services Nilkanth Harlankar said.The proposed infrastructure will include a surgical complex enabling large-scale ABC and rabies control operations. The campus will also house dedicated training classrooms, laboratories, lecture halls with audiovisual support, dog kennels and recovery areas, a quarantine unit for disease control, and staff accommodation to attract and retain skilled veterinary professionals.In addition, a conference facility and visiting expert quarters are planned to facilitate national and international workshops.“The proposed centre is designed to more than double the output of the existing facility, with the capacity to sterilise over 15,000 dogs annually in a humane and sustainable manner,” director of education, Mission Rabies, Dr Murugan Appupillai said.The objectives of the WVS Goa centre include establishing the most advanced ABC and rabies control hub in the country, training more than 400 veterinarians and paravets each year, and supporting the national rabies elimination goals through data-driven mass vaccination and education.