KUCHING, Dec 16: The ongoing battle with rabies continues in Sarawak and the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS) was at the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) shelter over two days to assist with the vaccination of dogs at the latter’s premises.
SSPCA president Datin Donna Wee said this was the third year that DVSS has sent their teams to SSPCA to assist with the vaccination of dogs.
“Two DVSS vaccination teams were at the shelter and over the two mornings 139 dogs were given their vaccinations, the majority receiving booster shots whilst four received their first dose.
“Besides vaccinations, 40 dogs were selected for microchipping. These dogs will become part of a Rabies Serum Titre Test Study, a collaboration between the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM), University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), SSPCA and DVSS.
“This Serum Titre Study measures the antibodies in the blood and serves to indicate whether the dogs develop immunity to rabies one month after vaccination, and to what degree. This means that the DVSS will have to take blood samples from the 40 microchipped dogs and send these samples for testing to see the actual degree of immunity to rabies.
“The dogs were microchipped to ensure that the blood from the same dogs are taken each year as this study will be carried out for four consecutive years,” Wee said in a statement issued here today.
Wee also reminded all pet owners that it is their responsibility to have each and every one of their dogs vaccinated against rabies annually.
“Microchipping is now available from the DVSS from the Ministry of Local Government, and this should be encouraged to go hand in hand with the council licensing exercises.
“The advantages of microchipping for pet owners is that if your pet is lost, and if it is scanned for a microchip, the unique serial number of each chip will allow the councils to trace the owner of the lost pet easily. It is also easier for you to keep track of which pet has up to date vaccinations, by writing their microchip number on their vaccination card when they receive their annual jabs,” said Wee.
Wee said, SSPCA currently houses around 400 animals and all of these are animals are looking for loving homes and are available for adoption. Every animal up for adoption has been neutered and vaccinated against rabies, as well as having received the core vaccinations which every pet should get.
“If you wish to donate to SSPCA in cash or in kind, please check out their Facebook page, where they give public updates on what the shelter needs, as well as which animals are ready for adoption. You can also make easy donations by scanning their Sarawak Pay QR code that is on their page,” added Wee. -DayakDaily
