Panaji: It is not possible to make Goa rabies free if the garbage problem is not addressed, Murugan Appupillai, director education (India) for Mission Rabies said. The NGO is in the process of commencing a drive to register pet dogs in all municipalities. The Mormugao Municipal Council has already started the process for compulsory registration in the port town where owners have to obtain a license for each dog from the civic body.In 2017, Appupillai said, the NGO tested 150 dogs of which 78 dogs tested positive for rabies. Talking about the human casualties, he said two people died last year - one of a rabies and another of suspected rabies. Aiming to vaccinate 40,000 dogs a year, he said the NGO is working towards making Goa the first rabies-free state by 2030.Talking about rabies prevention, he said, “Not only must people know what to do if they are bitten by a dog, but dog carers must seriously take up the responsibility of vaccinating their dogs and also ensure that they are sterilized.”Appupillai said that most of the calls received on the NGO’s helpline were from school children who have been educated by Mission Rabies about rabies, what to do in case of a dog bite or how to tackle growling street dogs. A puppet show on the subject will be shown at all schools, he added.He said that since the high-tech microscope with the capacity to test for rabies, donated by Mission Rabies, was established at the state government’s disease investigation unit laboratory in 2017, 150 dogs have already been tested for the disease.

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