The villagers of Viria in Naitasiri are grateful to have their first-ever animal de-sexing campaign held in their village earlier this week.

Shaneel Narayan the Clinic and Shelter Manager for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) based in Walu Bay, Suva, said that the clinic is part of their outreach program for 2024 in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways.

“Twenty-one cats and dogs were de-sexed in Viria Village and this will certainly help in containing their population in the village. We thank the ministry for coordinating the clinic and helping us to reach more pet owners in our rural communities and villages,” said Mr. Narayan.

“We call on more communities to reach out to the ministry for similar outreach programs if you need to control your animal population in your communities. The increasing population of these animals causes overcrowding and health issues. Of course, there can also be a spike in dog attacks on livestock and humans so the de-sexing campaign is merely to help in controlling their population.”

Agriculture Assistant for the Animal Health and Production Division based in Naqali, Abishay Kumar said that proper procedures were carried out before the desexing campaign and he is thankful that the villagers took the initiative by raising their concerns about the animal population in their village.

“This is the first ever clinic for Naitasiri and we hope that more communities will reach out to us for more information and advice and of course requests for de-sexing campaigns,” said Mr. Kumar.

Viria Village Headman, Poasa Tuimacau thanked the Ministry and SPCA for their collaborative efforts which saw their animals being treated.

“We are grateful for the professionalism and expertise that the team brought into the village and we fully understand what it is like to treat our animals like members of our homes. The care that they received today was precious. I truly recommend other villages and communities in Fiji to use the services they provide, which were free to us,” said an elated Mr. Tuimacau.

-ENDS-

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