KUCHING, Feb 18: Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said it was not fair for pet lovers to release their pet dogs in the streets especially in a city like Kuching which has been known as a clean and healthy city.
“A city like Kuching shouldn’t have stray dogs. All keepers of dogs should have their dogs within their compound. After all, these dogs are kept by them as pets and such, the dogs shouldn’t be wandering in the streets. That’s very cruel of their owners to let them roam the streets and cause menace to the public,” Masing said here today.
Masing reiterated his stance that in time when dogs are known to be the carrier of rabies, any stray dogs should be caught, if need be put to sleep.
He was commenting on recent news reports that Veterinary Department Malaysia planned to introduce a new strategy in giving anti-rabies vaccine to stray dogs.
Its Director-General Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizar said it would feed stay dogs with baits laced with the vaccine.
“We want to use this in areas with many stray dogs and those hard to go to areas. We will use it alongside existing strategies in the ongoing anti rabies operation. We are already in the process of buying these vaccine baits.
“Then we will conduct a study to see its impacts, how it can affect the dog immunisation and so forth,” said Dr Quaza during a courtesy call on deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah at his office here last Friday.
He assured continued support from his department in the fight in Sarawak even though he acknowledged that the state was doing well on combatting the rabies outbreak. —DayakDaily
