https://vosd.in/vosd-works-with-mauritius-govt-for-dog-welfare/
A few animal welfare volunteers from Mauritius had reached out to VOSD for help because of the cruelty being meted out to the stray dogs there. Stray dogs would simply be euthanised because the law didn’t have any provisions to protect them. Further, dog shelters were managed so poorly that the dogs would kill each other since they were starving!
VOSD decided to assess the situation and ensure a positive outcome for stray dogs, under the able guidance of Laxita Bhuruth Shahid, Head – VOSD Animal Birth Control (ABC) Program. She is a native of Mauritius, though having lived away for many years.
A project was prepared and presented to the Mauritius Government, which spoke about:
• The Catch Neuter Release (CNR) project for stray dogs and mass sterilisation of pet dogs
• A set of guidelines for implementation of the above project
• Along with the CNR project, details about how to set up a legal reform panel to review the Animal Welfare act in Mauritius was also proposed.
After much scrutiny, the projects were approved and the Mauritius Government has already started FREE sterilisation of pet dogs. They have also amended a law concerning the euthanasia of stray dogs, enabling them the right to live. These are small victories in an ocean of challenges that lie ahead of Mauritius’ dogs, but it is a great start and moment of pride for VOSD!