How AMC Plans To Make Rabies Free Ahmedabad

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AMC Launches a Week-long Campaign To Achieve Rabies Free Ahmedabad by 2030

• Campaign: AMC marks World Rabies Day, Sept 25 – Oct 2, 2025
• Theme: “Act Now: You, Me, Community”
• Goal: Rabies-free Ahmedabad by 2030
• Budget: ₹8 crore allocated for sterilisation and vaccination
• Progress: 1.54 lakh dogs sterilised/vaccinated since 2021
• Pet Registration: 18,000+ dogs registered online since Jan 2025
• Challenge: 2.1 lakh stray dogs; 8–10 daily bite cases
• Next Steps: More sterilisation teams, booster shots, stricter pet rules
• Call to Action: Citizens urged to register pets, vaccinate, and cooperate

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is preparing to launch a week-long campaign to mark World Rabies Day, which will be observed globally on September 28. The initiative will run from September 25 to October 2, aligning with this year’s international theme, “Act Now: You, Me, Community.”

World Rabies Day 2025 વિક અંતર્ગત AMCના CNCD વિભાગ દ્વારા AMA ખાતે સેમીનાર યોજાયો જ્યા રેબિસને અટકાવા અને જાગૃતિ ફેલાવાના ઉદ્દેશથી લોકોને માહિતગાર કરવામા આવ્યા#CNCD #AMC #WorldRabiesDay #rabiesprevention #rabiesawareness pic.twitter.com/DtfcpSdDdS

— CNCD – Karuna Mandir (AMC) (@CNCDAMC) September 25, 2025

The campaign is part of AMC’s larger goal of making Ahmedabad a rabies-free city by 2030. This seminar is managed by the CNCD Department of AMC. The main aim of the CNCD Department of AMC is to make Rabies Free Ahmedabad. Rabies, a disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, continues to claim thousands of lives every year despite being completely preventable. India bears the highest burden in the world, accounting for nearly 36% of rabies deaths, most of them linked to dog bites.

A Data-Driven Strategy

The AMC’s approach rests on a mix of awareness drives, vaccination campaigns, and sterilisation of stray dogs through the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program. The civic body has allocated a budget of ₹8 crore for the expansion of sterilisation and vaccination work. It is also working closely with animal welfare organisations such as People for Animals and the Gol Foundation.

From the beginning of 2021 until September 2025, AMC reported that 154,402 dogs were either sterilised or vaccinated.

The year-wise breakdown reflects steady progress:

• 2021–22: 30,360
• 2022–23: 46,471
• 2023–24: 40,206
• 2024–25: 14,461
• 2025–26 (so far): 3,054

While these figures highlight consistent work, they also show the challenges of maintaining the pace needed to cover the city’s large stray dog population.

Mandatory Pet Registration

Another important step has been the introduction of a mandatory online pet dog registration system, launched in January 2025. In less than a year, over 18,000 pet dogs have been registered on the AMC portal. This move is aimed at creating a centralised data bank to track vaccination coverage, pet ownership, and booster schedules.

Veterinary officials say that this database will help ensure responsible pet ownership. It also gives authorities a clearer picture of how many pets are vaccinated and reduces the risk of unmonitored pets becoming carriers of rabies.

The Challenge of Stray Dogs

Despite steady efforts, AMC still faces a daunting challenge. Ahmedabad has an estimated stray dog population of 2.1 lakh. On average, the city records between 8 and 10 dog bite complaints every day. Health officials point out that the high stray population makes it difficult to eliminate rabies without significantly scaling up sterilisation and vaccination coverage.

Experts note that for rabies control programs to succeed, at least 70% of the dog population must be vaccinated, while close to 90% need to be sterilised to control population growth. Achieving those numbers requires not just funding but also infrastructure, more teams on the ground, and public cooperation.

To address the gap, AMC has announced plans to increase sterilisation teams, expand vaccination coverage with booster shots, and tighten enforcement of pet registration rules. The civic body is also working on creating designated feeding and shelter zones for strays, which would make it easier to monitor and vaccinate them.

Some cities in India, such as Chennai and Jaipur, have shown success with sustained Animal Birth Control programs, which could serve as models for Ahmedabad. Civic officials also believe that partnering with private veterinarians and NGOs can help widen the reach of sterilisation and vaccination.

A Community Responsibility

The message of this year’s World Rabies Day theme is clear: rabies control is not just the responsibility of governments and civic bodies but also of individuals and communities. Health workers stress that timely treatment after a dog bite can save lives, yet many victims delay or avoid seeking care. Similarly, ensuring that pets are vaccinated on time is an essential responsibility of every dog owner.

The AMC is urging citizens to register their pets, keep vaccination certificates updated, and report stray dog clusters so that sterilisation and vaccination teams can reach them. Community participation in awareness drives, school programs, and neighbourhood campaigns is being encouraged.

The World Health Organisation, along with international partners, has set a global target of “Zero by 2030” – zero dog-mediated human rabies deaths by the end of this decade. India’s urban centres, where human and stray dog populations overlap daily, are seen as critical battlegrounds in this fight.

Ahmedabad’s week-long campaign will feature vaccination drives, street plays, school workshops, and interactive sessions with veterinary experts. Posters, radio jingles, and social media campaigns are also planned to spread awareness about prevention and treatment.

Looking Ahead

Rabies may be deadly, but it is entirely preventable. The AMC’s initiative is a reminder that progress requires more than budgets and programs; it demands consistent effort and community involvement. As the city marks World Rabies Day, the hope is that Ahmedabad can set an example for other Indian cities on the path to becoming rabies-free.

For now, the challenge remains significant, but the roadmap is clear: sterilise more dogs, vaccinate consistently, track pet ownership, and involve every citizen in the fight.

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