Sarawak gets tougher over rabies control

Amar Douglas Unggah Embas

KUCHING, Oct 2 (Bernama) – The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee is to propose new legislation to strengthen the rabies control and eradication programme.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the proposed Dog By-Law 2018 will contain measures to regulate pet management.

Uggah, who is chairman of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee, said several other measures will also be implemented.

“A bilateral meeting between the National Security Council and the Indonesian Security Authority will be held soon to discuss cooperation for more effective control of dog movement between Sarawak and Kalimantan, Indonesia, and removal of strays in the immune belt,” he said at a press conference after chairing a meeting of the committee here today.

He also said that the standard operating procedure (SOP) to carry out rabies control measures by the military and General Operations Force (GOF) at the Sarawak-Kalimantan border has been approved, while the local authorities are directed to enforce their by-laws, including licensing of dogs as well advising pet owners to keep their dogs indoors.

Uggah said the Resident of the Division and the relevant agencies will conduct roadblocks from time to time from Oct 6 to deter the movement of animals.

“It is an offence under the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999 to move your dogs from a rabies- infected area to other areas in the state. The penalty for this offence is a fine of RM5,000 and a jail sentence of three months or both,” he said.

He also said that it was an offence for dog owners to abandon their dogs.

Uggah said the stray dog population control will be intensified and pet owners are reminded to keep their pets within their compounds.

“I have issued the Anti-Rabies Vaccination Order and I have also directed the Department of Veterinary Services to intensify their vaccination programmes to cover also the rural areas in the state.

“If necessary, we will outsource vaccinators to achieve the 70 per cent or above vaccination coverage in order to provide herd immunity as well as to prevent enzootic transmission of rabies to human,” Uggah said, adding that as of today more than 85,000 dogs throughout Sarawak have been vaccinated.

He said it is estimated that there are about 300,000 dogs in Sarawak.

The Sarawak Health Department has also set up clinics in the Sibu, Kapit and Miri hospitals to treat dog bites.

Uggah said the authorities are serious in their efforts to eradicate rabies. He said a total of 10,509 dogs have been removed (put to sleep/killed), more than 100,000 vaccinations conducted, incurring a total expenditure of RM26 million on the rabies control programme in the state.

-- BERNAMA