The Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre (KAT Centre) was first conceived after Jan Salter, the founder of KAT, visited the organization Help in Suffering in Jaipur, India. Impressed with the way this and other animal welfare organizations have managed difficult street dog problems and eliminated rabies through Animal Birth Control (ABC) and widespread rabies vaccinations, Jan came back to Nepal convinced Kathmandu, Nepal can become a rabies-free, dog-friendly city. The KAT Centre was registered as a non-profit, charitable animal welfare organisation in 2003. The Centre officially opened its doors on 9 May 2004 and it has grown steadily since then.