MAN BITTEN BY DOG HE SAVED

The dog was choking on its leash after becoming entangled in it

ADOG owner at a mass vaccination programme in Sungai Maong was bitten by another animal that he tried to rescue yesterday.

Teo Chia Ching, 20, had brought his dog for vaccination when he spotted a dog, which was tied to a lorry, choking on its leash as it was caught entangled in it.

“I rushed to the dog’s rescue and tried to loosen its leash. But, I guess the dog was surprised by my sudden approach, and bit the fingers on my left hand.

“I had no time to think about whether it would attack me or if it was infected with rabies.

“I only knew that if I didn’t rescue it, it would die,” he said.

A medical officer washed Teo’s wound with water and his mother brought him to Sarawak General Hospital for further treatment.

Apart from that incident, the mass vaccination programme at the Taman Indah basketball court went smoothly, with 2,667 dogs vaccinated.

Though the campaign was scheduled to begin at 10am, pet owners came as early as 8.30am, queuing to register their dogs for vaccination.

A pet owner identified as Kuan said she adopted her dog three years ago from a friend.

“Although he is just a local breed, he’s part of our family. We love him very much and take care of him like he is our own child.

“We keep him in the compound of our home. We don’t let him roam around the street with other strays since our area had been declared as rabies-affected,” said the housewife.

Another pet owner said she woke up earlier than usual to get her pets ready.

“The weather is hot and we expected a long queue and traffic jam. So, I packed some snacks, water, toys and a fan for my Poodle and Maltese,” said Mona Wee, 45.

She said she was thankful that the government was providing vaccinations.

“I have been checking around (some) towns to get the vaccinations but most of the private veterinary clinics don’t have the stock,” she said.

The Sarawak Natural Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said 21,609 animals — 13,969 dogs, 7,595 cats and 45 other animals — have been vaccinated.

It said there had been 1,156 cases of people being bitten by dogs since April 1, with 678 people being given treatment. It added that 81 cases were reported yesterday alone.

The rabies outbreak in Sarawak, first detected in Serian, has claimed the lives of four children aged between 4 and 7, and a 52-year-old man.

The virus, believed to have been brought in by infected animals from West Kalimantan, had spread from Serian to Padawan, Kuching and Bau within a month.

I had no time to think about whether it would attack me or if it was infected with rabies. I only knew that if I didn’t rescue it, it would die.

TEO CHIA CHING

Dog owner