Canine Control and Care (CCC) Trust, a flagship CSR initiative of Bajaj Auto Limited, Marks 10th Anniversary with ‘Zero by Thirty’ Program to Spread Awareness about Rabies Prevention

Pune(S.N), 14th october 2025: Canine Control and Care (CCC) Trust, a flagship CSR initiative of Bajaj Auto Ltd., marked its 10th anniversary by launching ‘Zero by Thirty’ (ZBT), a nationwide awareness program aligned with the global mission to eliminate dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030.

Zero by Thirty (ZBT): Awareness Through Education

Launched in 2024, ZBT is CCC’s free training program designed to teach children and adults how to:

• Preventing dog bites
• Understand dog behavior
• Take immediate action after a bite, including wound care and completing anti-rabies vaccine doses

In just a few months, ZBT has trained over 2,500 students, teachers, and professionals across Pune and PCMC, with sessions also delivered online nationwide. Schools are a special focus area, since children are among the most vulnerable to dog bites.

Speaking at the anniversary launch, Deepa Bajaj, Founder Trustee of CCC said, “Rabies is entirely preventable, yet awareness about the life-saving anti-rabies vaccine remains dangerously low in India. With our Zero by Thirty program, we are empowering communities to stay safe around dogs and understand why vaccination is critical. Humane, evidence-based dog population management, combined with widespread vaccination, is the only way to eliminate rabies  and CCC is committed to making this vision a reality.”

CCC’s Impact on Pune

Since its inception in 2015, CCC has become one of India’s largest citywide NGOs dedicated to stray dog animal birth control and rabies prevention:

• Sterilized and vaccinated over 1,00,000 stray dogs free of cost
• Administered anti-rabies and 9-in-1 (multi-disease) vaccines to all sterilized dogs
• Follows the ear-notch system for safe, visible identification of sterilized dogs
• Conducted mass anti-rabies vaccination drives with volunteers for building herd immunity in stray dogs and rabies prevention

These efforts have helped stabilize the stray dog population, build herd immunity, and reduce the risk of rabies transmission in Pune and surrounding areas.

Rabies is a 100% vaccine-preventable disease, yet India continues to report human deaths due to low awareness and delayed treatment. According to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 54 suspected rabies deaths were reported in 2024. Raising awareness about rabies and ensuring vaccination for both dogs and humans has never been more important.

Globally, leading organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) are working under the collective “Zero by 30” mission. Supporting this global vision, the Government of India launched the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) in 2021, focusing on sterilization, vaccination, and public awareness.

Beyond Awareness - Vaccination & Responsible Ownership

CCC’s program also highlights:

• Mass dog vaccination and sterilization as the foundation of rabies control
• The importance of human vaccination (pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis) for reliable immunity
• The role of responsible pet ownership in reducing stray dog numbers — including sterilization, vaccination, and supervision of pet dogs,

Quick Guidance for Citizens

• If bitten by a dog: Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running tap water for 15 minutes and immediately begin anti-rabies vaccination.
• For prevention: Avoid sudden movements around dogs, never disturb sleeping or feeding dogs, and teach children safe behavior around animals.

Toward a Rabies-Free India

Rabies is fatal once symptoms appear, but completely preventable with timely vaccination and education. With initiatives like ZBT, CCC is translating global commitments into local action - working to make a rabies-free India by 2030 a reality.