KUCHING: Pet owners have been once again reminded to have their animals vaccinated against rabies as the disease is still prevalent in Sarawak.
Public Health, Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister Michael Tiang said all dogs, including puppies above the age of four months, must be vaccinated once a year.
“Only after achieving a vaccination target of 70 per cent of the total dog population in Sarawak being vaccinated, can we hope to break the chain of the rabies virus and contain the disease,” he said in a statement today.
He also urged owners to get their dogs licensed with the local authorities as it is mandatory under by-law 3 (1) of the Local Authorities (Dog Licensing and Control) By-Laws 2018.
“Owners who do not license their dogs with the local councils can be fined, not exceeding RM5,000 as provided under by-law 3(3),” he said.
Besides, Tiang also said pet owners are encouraged to get their licensed dog microchipped as stated under by-law 4(4).
He said microchipping, which is optional, will be part of the mass vaccination programme, besides licensing and vaccination under the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS) and local authorities.
More information on the mass vaccination programme can be obtained via the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS) Facebook page, DVSS official Facebook page and local authorities website.
To date, he said there are 24,241 licensed dogs throughout the state and of the number, 2,104 dogs have been microchipped.
“Once we are free from rabies, and should your dog get lost or picked up by the councils, authorised personnel will be able to scan the dog for the microchip number (if any) for your contact information to be retrieved from the data centre to enable to identify the dog and its owner,” he added.
Tiang also reminded the public that should they get bitten by a dog, they should immediately wash the wound thoroughly for a minimum of 15 minutes with soap and water, detergent, povidone iodine or other substances that could kill the virus.
“Thereafter, immediately go to the nearest hospital for further treatment. The public should not miss any appointments with the hospital because this is crucial to prevent rabies or any other infection from recurring.
“Rabies vaccine dosage treatment administered by the hospital must be completed by any affected individual,” he added.
