March 2025: GARC Data Platform Featured User

15 Mar 2025

It is a privilege to announce that the featured GARC Data Platform user for March 2025 is Thailand-based Soi Dog Foundation. As an organization that runs one of the largest Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return (CNVR) programs globally, comprehensive real-time programmatic data is paramount. Since 2023, the Global Alliance for Rabies Control has been supporting Soi Dog Foundation with the use of the GARC Data Platform that allows them to capture, visualize and analyze the data needed to plan and coordinate their sterilization and vaccination campaigns across one third of the entire country (25/76 provinces).

Below are some interesting figures relating to Soi Dog Foundation’s use of the Platform in 2024.

Number of animal vaccinations tracked: 185,178.

Number of dog neuters tracked: 94,114.

Number of dog spays tracked: 91,753.

Number of animal sterilizations tracked using GARC tools since 2023: 261,586

Soi Dog Foundation Thailand location of sterilized dogs using the GARC Data Platform
Soi Dog Foundation: Locations of 21,434 dogs sterilized tracked during a house-to-house sterilization campaign in only one of the 25 provinces where Soi Dog work in Thailand (Pathum Thani province) in the 12 months prior to publication.
Soi Dog Foundation Thailand chart of dogs sterilized by age and sex using GARC tools
Soi Dog Foundation: Number of dogs sterilized in the 12 months prior to publication

 

We asked Dr. Tuntikorn Rungpatana (more commonly known as Dr. Oob), Soi Dog's CNVR Director, some questions about their use of the Platform.

1. Briefly explain what rabies-related work you do?

Thailand-based Soi Dog Foundation delivers one of the largest CNVR programmes in the world today, with a focus on free-roaming dogs. Free-roaming  dogs are common in Thailand and have the greatest opportunity to breed and produce litters of unwanted puppies. They are also at the highest risk of rabies transmission if unvaccinated. Beginning in the island province of Phuket in 2003, Soi Dog's CNVR program now comprises 19 teams who are active across one third of Thailand's 76 provinces. As of Dec 31, 2024, almost 1.4 million free-roaming animals have been spayed/neutered and vaccinated (equating to an average of 67,000 animals per year!). 

2. What benefits have the GARC Data Tools provided you?

The GARC platform is quite flexible and allows us to record data and make adjustments in real time. Moreover, all information will be saved in the database and can be exported for analysis, helping us to implement an effective ongoing strategy.

3. Which of the GARC Data Tools have been most beneficial to your work and why?

We prefer the Vaccination and Sterilization Tracker (VST) tool as it can link our data from every location in the CNVR program, no matter where the data comes from. Whether on the ground, at one of our mobile clinics or from the office desktop, everyone can access the data to follow the daily situation.

 

GARC wishes to thank Soi Dog Foundation for their ongoing use of the GARC Data Platform.

If you are working towards rabies elimination and you are not part of our growing network of Platform users, why wait any longer? You can benefit from improved data collection and visualization – while also engaging with potential donors in a more meaningful way – in a few weeks.

Alternatively, if you are already an active user of the Platform, let us know by sending us an email and you could be featured too!

Soi Dog Foundation Thailand preparing for dog vaccination using GARC tools
Soi Dog Foundation Thailand dogs in street during campaign using GARC tools