Bhutan Opens New Animal Shelter After Regional Rabies Milestone
A new RSPCA Bhutan shelter in Thimphu expands animal care as the country works to sustain its elimination of dog-transmitted human rabies.
Bhutan has expanded its animal welfare infrastructure with the opening of a new shelter in Thimphu, weeks after the country became the first in the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies as a public health problem.
Her Majesty Queen Mother Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck inaugurated the Nu 11.7 million (approx. USD 122,000) facility established by the Royal Society for the Protection and Care of Animals, known as RSPCA Bhutan.
The opening took place on World Rabies Day, observed annually on 28 September. Its timing connected the shelter’s work in rescue and rehabilitation with Bhutan’s continuing efforts to manage its dog population humanely and prevent rabies from returning.
Dedicated Facilities for Treatment and Rehabilitation
The new shelter has separate spaces for animals requiring different levels of care. Its facilities include a day-care centre, an intensive care unit and an incinerator shed.
In addition to receiving injured, abandoned and rescued animals, the centre will offer day-care services to pet owners. It will also provide longer-term accommodation for animals that cannot immediately return to the streets or be placed in another home.
RSPCA Bhutan will manage the facility. The organisation has worked in animal rescue and welfare since 1999, with activities that include sterilisation, vaccination and public education on responsible pet ownership.
Executive Director Tashi Payden Tshering said the organisation’s work developed partly from the need for a humane alternative to killing free-roaming dogs.
“That was the alternative we provided to the culling of stray dogs, ensuring we could prevent dog-mediated rabies la,” she said.
She also described the inauguration as bringing RSPCA Bhutan closer to its vision of a society in which humans and animals live together with mutual care and respect.
India-Funded Project Expands RSPCA Capacity
The shelter was financed through the Government of India’s Project Tied Assistance Fund, with the funding routed through the Royal Government of Bhutan.
RSPCA Bhutan also received assistance from government agencies and organisations including Project Dantak, De-suung and the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation.
Project Dantak is an Indian Border Roads Organisation initiative that has supported road construction and other infrastructure projects in Bhutan since the 1960s. De-suung is Bhutan’s national volunteer programme, whose members are commonly known as Guardians of Peace.
The additional infrastructure gives RSPCA Bhutan more space to rescue, medically treat and rehabilitate animals. It also strengthens its ability to care for animals that require extended treatment or cannot safely be released.
A Bull Raised Among Dogs Inspires a Book
The inauguration included the launch of Dongkola, the Dog Bull, a children’s book by Charmi Chheda based on the story of a bull raised among dogs at the RSPCA shelter.
Dongkola arrived at the shelter as a calf and spent his early life surrounded by dogs. The book follows his discovery that he is different from his canine companions after seeing his reflection.
“When I heard Dongkola’s story from the RSPCA, I was inspired and moved,” Chheda said. “He came to the RSPCA as a baby and grew up with the dogs, so he thought he was a dog too. But one day, he saw his reflection in the mirror and realised that he looked different and wasn’t like the other dogs. This book is also my gift to the RSPCA. One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the book will go towards the RSPCA shelter and the care and protection of animals.”
The book adds a public education and fundraising component to the shelter’s work. All proceeds from its sale will support the organisation and its animal care programmes.
Bhutan Reaches a Regional Rabies Milestone
The World Health Organization validated Bhutan’s elimination of dog-transmitted human rabies as a public health problem on 4 September 2026.
Bhutan is the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to receive this validation. It has recorded no human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies since June 2023.
The designation does not mean rabies has disappeared completely or that preventive work can stop. WHO validation requires a country to demonstrate that it has interrupted human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies for at least two years and has systems capable of preventing the disease from becoming re-established.
WHO’s assessment included a review of Bhutan’s technical dossier and a field mission conducted from 17 to 22 August 2026. The review team visited health facilities and laboratories, examined programme records and information systems, travelled to the Bhutan-India border and consulted officials and other participants.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the validation as another step towards the global target of ending human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030.
“I congratulate Bhutan on this historic achievement, which is another step towards our goal to end human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030,” he said.
One Health Connected Human and Animal Care
Bhutan’s progress was built around the One Health approach, which recognises the close relationship between human, animal and environmental health.
When a suspected rabies case is reported, human health and veterinary authorities work together to identify possible exposure, trace contacts and conduct field investigations when required. The approach also connects dog vaccination and population management with public awareness, disease surveillance and access to medical treatment after an animal bite.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, known as PEP, can prevent rabies after a person has been bitten or scratched by a potentially infected animal. Treatment includes thoroughly washing the wound, receiving a course of rabies vaccine and, when medically indicated, receiving rabies immunoglobulin.
Bhutan will continue providing universal, free access to PEP across its 20 dzongkhags, or districts. Mass dog vaccination, population management and integrated surveillance will also continue under the next phase of the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme.
The programme has involved the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, local governments, communities and De-suung volunteers. Technical assistance has come from WHO and the World Organisation for Animal Health, while financing has included support from the Bhutan Health Trust Fund and the Pandemic Fund.
Sustaining the Achievement
Bhutan remains vulnerable to the reintroduction of rabies, particularly across borders where the disease continues to circulate. The country plans to strengthen coordination with neighbouring Indian states while maintaining vaccination, surveillance and rapid response systems.
The new Thimphu shelter contributes to that work by combining animal treatment with sterilisation, vaccination, public education and responsible population management.
Its long-term value will depend on sustained funding, sufficient veterinary capacity and coordination with public health authorities. Together, these measures can help Bhutan protect its rabies elimination status while improving the treatment of animals in distress.
