SIBU: Excessive ownership of pet dogs in one household without proper control can pose a risk to the local community, said Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Michael Tiang Ming Tee.
He said there were reports that some residents in certain areas were keeping up to 20 to 30 dogs in one household, besides letting the animals roam freely without proper vaccination.
“I have received complaints that there are houses in this area that are keeping too many dogs, and more worryingly, they are not sending their pets for rabies vaccination. This is dangerous to the public,” he told reporters at the Free Rabies Vaccination Campaign organised by the Sibu Chinese Community Leaders Association at Ulu Sungai Merah here today.
According to the Pelawan Assemblyman, this situation not only violates the responsibilities of pet owners, but also contradicts the government’s goal of eliminating rabies in Sarawak.
In this regard, he urged local authorities to take stern action against irresponsible owners, especially those who keep more than the appropriate number of dogs and do not control the movement of the animals.
“I hope the local authorities can take permanent and strict action, either by catching dogs that are left roaming or taking legal action against their owners.
“It is very inappropriate to keep more than three dogs in one house without proper control,” he stressed.
At the same time, Tiang also stressed that based on the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999, rabies vaccination of pet dogs and cats is mandatory, and owners can be subjected to legal action if they fail to do so.
He also expressed concern over the increase in pet bites and scratches, which recorded more than 60,000 cases since 2017, in addition to touching on the tragic case of a boy who died from rabies infection caused by a cat scratch earlier this year.
“Let’s not wait until there is a loss of life before we act. Rabies can be prevented with simple steps, namely annual vaccination of pets,” he said.
In the meantime, he called on the community to raise awareness on the matter and promote the campaign to those who are still unaware of it.
Tiang explained that non-governmental organisations, local authorities and veterinary departments organise free campaigns such as this periodically to combat rabies in local areas.
This free vaccination campaign, he added, is carried out in collaboration with the Sibu Division Veterinary Services Department, community leaders and local authorities as an ongoing effort to achieve the target of ‘Zero Rabies by 2030’.
