Get your household pet vaccinated for free at the state veterinary clinic
Household pet owners who do not have money to take their animals to a private veterinarian for vaccinations can visit the state veterinary clinic for these services free of charge.
POLOKWANE – Household pet owners who do not have money to take their animals to a private veterinarian for vaccinations can visit the state veterinary clinic for these services free of charge.
The state veterinary offices are situated at 27 Rissik Street and offer services in line with the Animal Disease Act, which includes the prevention of controlled diseases.
Dr Themba Malatse, a state veterinarian, explains what controlled diseases are: “controlled diseases are those that either affect humans or are of economic importance. Diseases that affect humans that we vaccinate against are rabies in dogs and cats, brucellosis or contagious abortions (CA) and anthrax in cattle. We also test for tuberculosis (TB) and CA on a five-year cycle per farm or dip tank. All these services are done free of charge by our office”.
According to Malatse, farmers need to contact their local animal health technician (AHT) for an appointment, and those who live in the Polokwane municipal area can contact the state veterinary offices at (015) 297 1347/2025 between 07:30 and 16:30 for an appointment.
“People need to call and make an appointment for farm visits, but dogs and cats should be brought to the office with prior arrangements with the office,” he says.
He adds that there is a mobile clinic that the clinic uses for vaccination campaigns outside the office.
“We also offer other services at a specified fee of R106. These services are issuing of export permits for taxidermists, export of meat products and movement of dogs across the border to Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland and Malawi. The fee of R106 is only valid until the end of March. For now, the vaccination of cattle is available to communal farmers, but rabies vaccination covers everybody at the state veterinary clinic.”
Malatse says testing for diseases is also available to all members of the public and for their office records on a five-year cycle, but not for commercial purposes.
