We’re delighted to announce our plans to launch a Trap, Vaccinate, Neuter and Return (TVNR) programme in Kabul in Spring this year. This is the next vital step in our carefully planned animal welfare strategy in Afghanistan.

Street dogs in Kabul face a constant battle against hunger, disease and indiscriminate breeding. We believe that free-roaming dogs should be able to live healthily side by side with people, and our humane sustainable programme works towards this goal.

Over the past few years, we have been vaccinating free-roaming and owned dogs in Kabul against rabies, a deadly disease. Our team has made fantastic progress, and by December 2018, they had completed the coverage of the first cycle and vaccinated 23,240 dogs against rabies across 16 districts in the city. The team also grew bigger, with additional vets and dog catchers recruited to join our vital vaccination work.

But there is still much to be done. Our comprehensive neutering programme aims to control the free-roaming dog population in the city and will also help to combat the spread of Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumour (CTVT), as well as other diseases. CTVT is a painful, sexually transmitted tumour that can be passed from dog to dog very easily and is common among the young, unneutered free-roaming dogs in Kabul. The neutering programme will ultimately reduce the suffering of street dogs in the city and start to build a healthier community. 

Our TVNR programme is planned to begin in Kabul this Spring, with an additional team of dog catchers recruited to work on the programme. Based on the data we have gathered, the aim is to neuter 40% of the free-roaming dog population in the first year, which amounts to around 6,500 dogs.

We’re so excited to take this next step in Kabul. In January 2017 our Afghanistan Country Director, Dr MO, signed a landmark agreement to halt the culling of free-roaming dogs in Kabul, and with our programme we can now help manage the population in a humane way, so that humans and dogs can live alongside together in harmony.

We want to thank all of our supporters who have donated to fund the programme so far, and will keep you updated with our progress.