On February 16, school correspondents from different schools in and around the Valley were taken on a visit to the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre (KAT). The participants share their experience of KAT and what they learnt there.

About KAT:

Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre Chapali Gaon, Budhanilakantha, PO Box-13684, Kathmandu, Nepal

Phone: +977-14373169, E-mail: katcentre@wlink.com.np, Website: www.katcentre.org.np

What we can do for them:

Officially established in May, 2004, KAT is an organisation working to provide animals with better care and working along the World Health Organisation guidelines. KAT’s main goal is to reduce stray dog population by 50 per cent and eliminate rabies within five years through:

1. ABC programme (Animal Birth Control Programme)

2. Vaccination against rabies

3. A public education programme

With innumerable street dogs around town and nobody to take of the strays, KAT attempts to control this stray population through the ABC programme, whereby they vaccinate and sterilise stray dogs.

This is not the sole aim of the organisation. The main objectives are eradication of rabies and creating an awareness about animals and what they need.

The centre is mainly focusing on dogs in the first phase. There are about 25,000 stray dogs in the Valley and the condition of these dogs is bad. The centre is trying to help to improve their condition. When street dogs die, no one comes forward to cremate the body, which not only pollutes the environment but also deteriorates the already bad condition of dogs. The municipality is doing its best to check the dog population by poisoning, but this has resulted in the killing of some healthy and innocent dogs.

KAT is doing a wonderful job in this field but it is not just the responsibility of KAT. We as human beings and responsible citizens of the country must do something about this problem.

We can help the centre by collecting funds and donations. It does not mean in any way that we can only help them by collecting funds. We can design posters advertising the KAT centre as it has not yet come up with ideal posters due to economical constraints. We can also donate some goods like dog biscuits, balls, bowls, stationery, old rugs and even clothes. This will help reduce the basic expenses thus helping the KAT workers be more focused in their work. We can also volunteer our services from time to time.

The best thing that we can do is encourage other people to help the centre.

— Submitted by Arun Gnyawali, Class IX, St Xavier’s School; Archana Jirel Class VIII, Gyanodaya Balbatika; Sujata Rai, Class VIII, Kathmandu Valley High School; Deepeka, Ideal Model School