BAU Students Take Rabies Prevention to Pets and Strays

Some cats and dogs were brought at the campus of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) on a busy September afternoon. Among them, some were brought by their owners. Others had no owners. So the volunteers had to protect them. The occasion was World Rabies Day, observed on September 28 under the global theme “Stronger Together”. On the day, Animal Saviours of Bangladesh (ASB), a student-led animal welfare organisation at BAU, carried out a vaccination drive in an effort to extend preventive healthcare to animals that often remain hard to reach.
Pet owners brought their animals to the vaccination point for free rabies vaccines, without facing any financial barrier to preventive care. Among them were Malaysian students of the university, who brought their cats to get vaccinated. For the volunteers, however, reaching stray animals was a quite different task. Some cats and dogs looked frightened seeing the unfamiliar people and the vaccination process. Approaching them demanded patience, teamwork and gentle handling. Where necessary, students used animal catchers to safely restrain the animals before administering the vaccines. By the end of the programme, 113 animals (67 pets and 46 strays) were given free rabies vaccines.

ASB divided its volunteers into three teams to reach different groups of animals: one for strays, one for privately owned pets and another for animals living around the university halls. The circumstances varied from team to team. Pet owners could bring their animals directly to the vaccination stall. Stray animals, meanwhile, required volunteers to search, approach, catch and handle them safely. Students helped with animal handling, vaccination and communication with owners, relying on one another whenever situations became difficult. For the volunteers, the work offered a practical lesson in animal welfare. Preventive healthcare cannot always be extended to animals through conventional arrangements. Sometimes, healthcare has to be taken to them. The experience also showed what cooperation can achieve. Veterinary professionals, students and animal welfare volunteers each played a role in making the campaign possible.
Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease affecting both humans and animals. Once clinical symptoms appear, it is virtually 100 per cent fatal. Dogs account for up to 99 per cent of human rabies transmission, making dog vaccination a crucial part of prevention. 
It is also mentionable here that the programme was accompanied by a small discussion on the role of vaccination and awareness in reducing fear of animals and promoting safer interactions between people and animals etc. It was stressed that knowledge can replace fear with responsible behaviour. Understanding animal behaviour, recognising risks and knowing how to respond to unfamiliar animals can help make communities safer. Protecting people and caring for animals-- both can be done simultaneously if there are responsible practices, accessible veterinary services and informed communities. 
We know that tray animals that usually lack adequate food, medical treatment and consistent care. So, the vaccination programme was part of a wider commitment to improving animal welfare and strengthening the relationship between humans and animals. The contrast between owned and unowned animals was visible throughout the day. Some animals arrived with owners who had brought them for preventive care. Others depended entirely on volunteers for access to vaccination.
For stray animals, there is often no individual consistently responsible for their medical needs. Reaching them therefore demands additional time, resources, coordination and community involvement. Vaccinating the 46 stray animals at the programme represented a practical attempt to bridge that gap. Protecting them also contributes to the broader effort to reduce rabies transmission. 
ASB teams are continuing vaccination activities throughout the week, taking the programme to different university halls and campuses. The hall-based initiative has already reached Ishakha Hall, with further activities planned. For the student volunteers, the campaign has involved much more than administering vaccines. It has meant approaching frightened animals, communicating with pet owners and working together in situations that can change without warning. For pet owners, it has offered access to preventive care. For stray animals, it has provided protection that might otherwise have remained out of reach. And for the wider university community, it has brought veterinary knowledge and animal welfare into closer contact. 
Rabies prevention cannot depend on a single day. It requires sustained vaccination, responsible animal ownership, public awareness and cooperation. It requires coordinated action involving veterinary services, public health authorities, animal welfare organisations and communities.
At BAU, all types of animals-- with owners or without owners-- received the same protection. And as the campaign continues across the campus, the message behind “Stronger Together” remains upheld. But, indeed, a safer future will depend not only on vaccines, but also on our collective responsibility and willingness to care for animals that might otherwise be left behind.