Citizen's Animal Shelter
“Sikkim chose coexistence, and the nation can learn.”
Rabies Control in India: Sikkim vs Conventional Approaches
Across many parts of India, rabies control is still addressed through outdated and inhumane methods such as mass removal, relocation, or killing of street dogs. Despite these measures, rabies-related human deaths continue, dog populations rebound rapidly, and public fear remains high. These approaches ignore scientific evidence and fail to address the root cause of the problem.
Sikkim, however, has chosen a different path.
Under the SARAH (Sikkim Anti-Rabies & Animal Health) programme, the Government of Sikkim implemented a state-wide, science-based, and compassionate strategy focused on:
Mass anti-rabies vaccination
Animal Birth Control (ABC) sterilisation
24×7 veterinary support
Community participation and awareness
Collaboration with NGOs and animal caregivers
The result:
Zero human rabies deaths
Almost every street dog vaccinated
Stabilised dog population
Improved public safety and animal welfare
While many regions continue to treat street dogs as a “problem to be removed,” Sikkim treats them as part of the solution—recognising that vaccinated, sterilised dogs create a natural barrier against rabies transmission.
Sikkim’s success proves a critical truth:
Cruelty fails. Science works. Compassion sustains.
As India strives toward rabies elimination, Sikkim stands as a living blueprint, showing that humane governance saves lives—both human and animal.
