By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 4: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) will launch its first pilot project targeting stray dogs under the Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) programme, in a major step to strengthen rabies control and support Sarawak’s goal of becoming rabies-free by 2030.
Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the CNVR project was formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) during the recent Rabies in Borneo (RIB) 2025 Conference.
“This is our first CNVR pilot project. The four steps, capture, neuter, vaccinate, and return, will focus on stray dogs, and we must implement them properly.
“We will provide more detailed information to ensure everyone understands what this initiative entails,” he shared during his ShallWeeTalk live session today.
Wee revealed that between Sept 29 and Oct 3, a rabies-positive case was detected at 4½ Mile involving a stray dog, stressing the urgency of implementing preventive measures.
MBKS is currently looking into introducing new policies where dogs kept at construction sites must be vaccinated and neutered.
“In addition, we may impose a deposit system, and once this is completed, we will conduct checks to ensure that the dogs are either brought to another site or properly managed. This is the first preventive step,” he explained.
Secondly, Wee added that pet shops will only be allowed to sell cats and dogs that have been vaccinated.
He also urged pet owners to bring their dogs for vaccination and prevent them from roaming freely, warning that MBKS will soon carry out house-to-house inspections.
“There should be more than enough time for everyone to bring your beloved pets, especially their dogs, to get vaccinated. Please do your part. Together, we can support the State’s goal to eliminate rabies by 2030,” Wee said. — DayakDaily
