GARC supports a better future for stray dogs

We all know that humans and dogs have been dependent upon each other for centuries and unfortunately, this also means that they sometimes share each other's diseases. Rabies is one of the deadliest of the zoonotic infections that we are concerned about when it comes to taking care of our own pets.

It is estimated that there are 375 million homeless dogs in the world and most of these unfortunate animals live in areas where rabies is a threat. This enormous number of free-roaming dogs makes it easy for rabies to circulate within resident dog populations thus posing a continuous threat of exposure to rabies for people living in the same area. We also know that the uncontrolled reproduction rate of dogs in canine rabies endemic countries continues to be a major concern and we, along with many other organizations and public health institutions continue to support the push to find humane methods to solve this problem. This past month, the Alliance was pleased to be a part of a unique opportunity to collaborate with the organizations "Spay First" and the PETCO Foundation. They are fundraising to support efforts to develop a combination rabies vaccine and immuno-contraceptive for our canine friends, a tool that could transform rabies control and the future for stray dogs.

I was able to join Dr Richard Franka, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Ruth Steinberger, from the organization Spay First, as guests on the radio show "Dogs Rule" hosted by Michelle Armstrong of Lulu's Rescue to tell the story about the ongoing research and the hopes of developing this new tool for aiding in the fight against rabies. Marians Dream made a generous donation to the initiative and the PETCO Foundation generously committed to contributing up to $25,000 in matching funds for all of the money that we could raise toward this project up until the end of April. We are happy to announce that this fundraising opportunity to raise money for the project has been extended until the end of May. We are confident that we can count on your support to triple the funding to reach our goal of $125,000. To donate, please go to our website page "A better future for stray dogs". Every penny that is donated for this project is passed on to support the work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all of those involved in these efforts, and we are especially thankful to Esther Mechler of Marian's Dream and Paul Jolly of the PETCO Foundation for their incredible support and their belief that we can find a solution to help all of the homeless dogs around the world.

Contributed by Deborah Briggs, Executive director of GARC