There is no evidence that the removal of dogs alone selleck has ever had a significant impact on dog population

densities or on the spread of rabies. The population turnover of dogs may be so high that reproduction rates could easily compensate for even the highest recorded removal rates (approximately 15% of the dog population) [9]. However, there may be indirect benefits from selectively eliminating unvaccinated dogs that are not in compliance with control regulations and that congregate around markets, abattoirs and food businesses [22]. In Bangalore, animal birth control programs are run under the aegis of the civic body, the Bruhat Bangaluru Mahanagara Palike. In 2001, its activities were transferred to registered animal welfare organizations in the city. A performance audit of the ABC program in 2007 reported that the impact of the ABC program could not be measured because there was no estimate of the stray dog population before or during its implementation [23]. The public believes that stray dog control is largely the responsibility of the government. As a result, people http://www.selleckchem.com/screening/natural-product-library.html are not mindful of the role they can play in stray dog control (e.g., avoiding the indiscriminate dumping of food waste in public spaces, vaccinating their pet dogs). This study revealed that most people (57.8%) placed the responsibility for controlling the dog population on the government. This result contrasts with a study conducted in Sri Lanka

by Matibag et al., in which most participants felt accountable for the increase in the stray dog population and did not believe it was right to pass the responsibility solely to the authorities [24]. This is precisely

the attitude that must be promoted because no public health program can be successful without ensuring community participation. Creating awareness in the community about the role they can play in health programs can make the difference between a successful program and a program that fails. Changing the current public perceptions Sitaxentan of rabies prevention and control should be a fundamental aspect of ongoing rabies control efforts. Key activities to educate the public should include increasing rabies awareness through media activities, fundraising and education programs. Public awareness activities should prioritize the individuals most at risk of exposure, including the underprivileged segments of society, school children and the elderly. Unfortunately, the community practices for responding to animal bites could not be simultaneously assessed during the study. This information could have helped to correlate knowledge and attitudes with actual practices in the community. People who live in slum communities have gaps in their knowledge and attitudes regarding rabies prevention and stray dog control. Our results indicate that males, older individuals and illiterate individuals should be the target groups for awareness generation activities.