SIBU, May 11: Sibu has recorded a worrying 235 dog bite cases from January to the first week of May this year.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting said that all 31 residential areas under the council recorded cases.
“The highest number of cases was recorded in Ulu Sungai Merah, with 28 cases in 17 weeks, meaning from the first week of January to the first week of May this year.
“These statistics are issued by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) and SMC takes these figures seriously,” he said at a press conference today.
He added that these cases could contribute to the number of confirmed rabies cases if the dogs are not vaccinated.
Therefore, he urged the public to be more responsible regarding their pets.
“Many people have contacted us, complaining that there are many stray animals roaming in their residential areas.
“Actually, they are not stray dogs, but pet dogs with owners,” he emphasised.
Ting also reminded people not to let their dogs roam freely and to keep them in their house compounds as responsible pet owners.
He wants the public to cooperate with SMC to curb this problem since SMC only has a total of five members who are responsible for catching stray dogs.
He explained that Sibu covers a large area, and it was quite impossible for the five members to be able to take care of the entire SMC area.
Meanwhile, Ting also revealed that Sibu recorded a total of nine dengue cases as of the first week of May. — DayakDaily
