Bhutan inaugurates conservation centre to protect its native dog breed Changkhyi

Thimphu [Bhutan], August 4 : A conservation centre has been opened at Yuesipang in Thimphu to protect Changkhyi, the native dog breed of Bhutan, The Bhutan Live reported. Bhutan's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock on Friday inaugurated the centre.
Currently, the centre houses 55 Changkhyi dogs. With a 100 per cent sterilisation programme for stray dogs, the initiative aims to protect Bhutanese native dogs, according to The Bhutan Live report. 
The facilities in Changkhyi Conservation Centre include grooming, a kitchen, a store, an office, toilets, two units of caretaker’s house, a main dog cannel, and treatment and surgery rooms.
The government spent Nu 26 million on building the centre along with roads, drains and fencing supported by the National Waste Management and Stray Dog Population flagship programme.
The construction of the centre was started in June last year and it was completed in March, 2023. Currently, 16 males, 25 females, and 14 puppies live in the centre, according to the report. 
Kinley Dorji, Team Leader, NADPM & RCP said, "As we are doing 100 per cent coverage of free-roaming dog sterilisation, we thought that in future we might lose these dogs. Hence, we thought that it is better to conserve some so that in future if we require any free-roaming dogs from Bhutan we can readily take them out from these centres," according to The Bhutan Live report. 
Dorj furthe rsaid that the centre by conserving the native dogs can provide Bhutanese farmers with dogs to protect their crops from wild animals. The centre in cooperation with the National Biodiversity Centre will send blood samples to conduct genetic studies in South Korea.
As per the news report, if the dogs are not found to be native, they will take them to Nakulu dog centre. The Changkhyi dogs have raised or erect ears, raised tails, long snouts, strong limbs and tucked abdomens.
Kinley Dorji said that they are carrying out gene profiling to find out whether the stray dogs in Bhutan have got blood from any other dogs, particularly the Tibetan mastiff, and breeds which are imported from outside Bhutan."
Dorji further said, "So, we will make sure that what we have here is pure Bhutanese free-roaming dogs. In future, we can develop a breed which is only available and which is specific to Bhutan, The Bhutan Live reported. 
Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme has sterilised over 61,600 dogs in Bhutan. The programme has carried out 100 per cent sterilisation in 19 districts, except for Samdrup Jongkhar. 
Bhutan's Department of Livestock in cooperation with DeSuung began the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme in August 2021, with a goal to reduce dog bites and eliminate human deaths from rabies by 2030.