Call to act against stray dogs over rabies scare
SIBU: A Sarawak assistant minister has called on local authorities in the state, which is facing a rabies outbreak, to act against stray dogs in the effort to prevent people getting bitten by the canines.
Assistant Minister of Housing and Public Health Dr Annuar Rapaee, interacting with the public on the Nangka State Assemblyman’s Facebook account Wednesday night, agreed to a call for an integrated effort to solve the problem of stray dogs in residential areas.
In the wake of the rabies outbreak in Serian that resulted in the deaths of two young siblings, netizens have expressed fear of dog attacks. Dr Annuar advised the people to keep their residential areas clean and free of food waste.
“We have deliberated on this. We agree that stray dogs need to be eradicated. But this will create a vacuum for other dogs to come if the food waste is still available for them. Dogs are very territorial,” he said, and added that the efforts needed both the authorities and public to work together.
The Nangka assemblyman also said that at the moment, the highest number of dog attacks occurred in Sibu but he did not disclose any figures.
Annuar said vaccination of cats and dogs was being carried out within a 10-km radius of the rabiesinfected village of Kampung Paon, Sungai Rimu Bakung, in Serian.
Only those humans who have been bitten by cats or dogs suspected to have rabies would be vaccinated while efforts were also being made to prevent the disease from spreading elsewhere, he said.
Netizens also shared with Annuar the areas where a lot of stray dogs could be found in Sibu, such as in Jalan Permai, the Desa Satria residential area, Kampung Datu Baru, Jalan Bandung, Bukit Lima Park and the Sibu Jubilee Park. — Bernama