Building community capacity

GARC is passionate about empowering individuals to become community coordinators and educators! As informed supporters working towards rabies elimination, these individuals can focus on promoting dog health and welfare within their communities.

Dog Health Champions: A global workforce for change

Within poor, rural communities there are typically two types of health workers: Community Health Workers and Community Animal Health Workers. Community Health Workers provide essential primary care in underserved rural areas. Community Animal Health Workers primarily focus on improving the health of livestock and increasing their productivity. At GARC, we ask: Who looks after domesticated animals like dogs?

To fill this gap, GARC launched the first global initiative focused on creating a network of Dog Health Champions in 2023! Our Dog Health Champions are trained community members who promote dog welfare, vaccination, and responsible dog ownership. To become part of our global workforce focused on rabies elimination, community members need to complete specific courses through the GARC Education Platform. The GARC Education Platform was specifically designed for communities with limited resources and is accessible to all because all GARC courses are offered at no cost to the end user, can be completed online at the graduate’s own pace.

There are two tiers to becoming a Dog Health Champion. There are specific courses to complete for each tier:

Bronze Dog Health Champion:

• Rabies Educator Certificate.
• Community Coordinator for Rabies Certificate.

Silver Dog Health Champion:

• Dog Welfare Certificate.
• Animal Handling and Vaccination Certificate.

To maximize our reach and impact, GARC partners with local organizations to tailor our training and resources to specific audiences and geographic areas. Do you want to know more about how we can help your organization through the GARC Education Platform? Contact us today.