“I know of no pursuit in which more real and important services can be rendered to any country than improving its agriculture, its breed of useful animals, and other branches of a Husbandman’s cares.” (George Washington)

Maximum households in Jammu and Kashmir have livestock and poultry in their backyard. This not only provides dairy and poultry products for consumption by the family but also generates income. Moreover, holding livestock and land is considered as pride and prosperity.
Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) of the Indian Army has contributed immensely in this direction to bring harmony with an aim for improved soldier-citizen connect. Apart from being of value to the Armed forces, RVC has always come to aid of brethren Kashmiris by treating ailing animals and conducting ‘Veterinary Aid Camps’ in far flung areas where Veterinary support is not easily available. The specialist cadre inherent to RVC is a prime resource and is being effectively utilized for welfare of animals in the UT. RVC Units have been conducting Vet-aid Camps to establish physical connect with the livestock farmers and pet owners. On an average about 50 Veterinary aid camps are held at various locations in Chinar Corps Zone in a year and about five to six veterinary clinics are available round the year for aiding the livestock farmers. Even the migrating population of grazers are aided in these clinics and at veterinary-aid camps.RVC through its expertise Veterinary Services is able to serve all strata of the society, from the affluent pet owners to the poor who rear livestock for a living. Broadly they include pet owners, livestock and Sheep farmers and Veterinary and allied fraternities.
Intense deliberation to further aid the populace on Veterinary health care aspects led to conceptualisation of certain avenues, many of them have been tried at 54 Advance Field Veterinary Hospital, Haft Chinar, Srinagar and are found to be viable.
Ailment comes unannounced and provision of timely and continuous Veterinary aid is important. In a quest to serve the ailing animals the ‘Chinar Hooves and Paws Veterinary Clinic’at far flung nodal areas has been conceived. Four Veterinary Clinics at Haft Chinar, Chhatabal, Khundru and Khunmohhave been started. This not only established continued physical connect with the animal owners but also ensuredcontinuous Veterinary care till complete recovery to the animal. Taking a step ahead, Chinar Hooves and Paws Veterinary Aid Clinic at Haft Chinar is provided with state of art facilities of Veterinary laboratory and surgical and medical facilities and expertise. Veterinary clinic at Haft Chinar serves as a Specialised Veterinary Clinic to other satellite clinics.
Veterinary Vaccination Camps are being conducted in Srinagar at various locations, to protect animals against getting infected by diseases having ‘social mandate (Rabies and Foot and Mouth Disease)’. This is a novel method for connecting and educating the ‘Awaam’ of ‘Zoonoses’ and preventive measures to be taken.RVC units take care of the ailments and injuries of Ponies and Mules used at tourist and pilgrim destinations like Vaishno Mata and Amarnath at various clinics.
An effort to integrate veterinary resources of Indian Army, State Govt and Autonomous Institutes has been initiated by 54 Advance Field Veterinary Hospital. This is a major leap in capability enhancement for youth as well as for the budding veterinarians. The integration will not only provide quality Veterinary aid to ailing animals but also help to organise the Veterinary fraternity and initiate the concept of ‘Continuing Education’ for Veterinarians in the valley. Since 2005, 54 Advance Field Veterinary Hospital has been conducting capsule internship programs, lectures and demonstrations and hands on training programmes for budding veterinarians. Some events under planning are organization of veterinary aid camps in urban areas, technical conferences, pet shows and livestock management capsules for youth employment and entrepreneurship.
These will not only provide employment avenues to the youth but also lead to gainful engagement of manpower resource. Veterinary health care-based start-ups and entrepreneurship avenues can also be generated. Capsule courses on Sheep rearing and management, commercial Poultry rearing, Rabbitry management and Fisheries management are some of the avenues that can be taught to the youth. The technical expertise and knowledge on State and Central Govt schemes will be provided by respective departments. Capsule course to train youth on basics of Veterinary First Aid are run by various State and Autonomous institutes for employment of youth as assistants to Veterinarians. There are a sizeable number of pets in Srinagar and surrounding areas. Pet owners proudly flaunt their invaluable pets as a status symbol in their social circles. Interested youth can be trained to promote business proposals like pet shops, kennels, breeding, salons etc. Kashmiri youth have a slim and athletic physique, some of them are good horse riders. If provided formal training into horsemanship, they have the potential to excel in equestrian sport. Presently, there exists no footprint of the sport in Jammu and Kashmir, neither is there any participation from the state in the National Equestrian Sport. With initiation of equestrian sport in the state, and presence of Equines for tourist engagement, basic farriery training can result into a source of income. Many tourists are ‘Birding enthusiasts’ and youth with good knowledge of topography and biological habitats of birds are being organised into teams. These teams conduct the Birding tourism and this is conceived as an alternate employment avenue.
The Chinar Corps is always on the forefront to provide necessary assistance for positive developments in the Valley. The above-mentioned avenues are not exhaustive, Veterinary profession presents innumerable options for constructive engagement and gainful employment of the masses.