THE provincial department of Agriculture and Rural Development says it’s pulling out all the stops to make sure that 70 per cent of the provinces’ dog population is rabies free. Last year the department embarked on a campaign offering free rabies vaccination in various communities. Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Themba Mthembu, said they have teamed up with various organisations including the SPCA.
“The current intensified inoculation, education and awareness programme, which includes partnerships, is due to a desperate need to concretise efforts and ensure greater accessibility to vaccines to communities. To date, we have lost four lives through dog and cat bites in the province. Three out of those four were children,” he said.
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Red Hill resident Bright Ntuli also reiterated the importance of vaccinating your dog for rabies. She has urged all dog owners to make sure they vaccinate their ‘four-legged’ friends.
“The government offers free vaccination for those who feel that private vets are too expensive. Every dog should be vaccinated, not only for the sake of the people around it but for the dog’s sake as well,” she said.
The Department’s Chief Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Dumisani Mtshali, said according to research, vaccinating 70 per cent of the province’s dog population can eradicate rabies in a short space of time.
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“We are currently able to vaccinate between 30-39 per cent of the dog population due to the cases of non-cooperation caused by negligence and myths in the communities. We have a challenge to dispel the myth, reach those lax members of the communities in order to reach 70 per cent,” he said.
MEC Mthembu went on to urge the public to vaccinate their pets. “A dog or cat bite is fatal. People must not wait until another death happens,” he said.
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