SARAWAK DAP today questioned the rationale behind the shooting of stray dogs in the state if it has been ineffective in reducing the number of rabies infections.
“Why are the local authorities so eager to carry out their shoot-to-kill operations?
“Is their shooting merely a convenient way of getting rid of dogs from the community places?” asked central committee member Lesley Chong.
She called on the Sarawak government to immediately halt all such mass culling operations.
She stressed that the practice of blatantly killing strays has been proven to be ineffective in tackling the rabies problem in the state.
“The number of rabies cases are still high as reported by the local councils such as in Kuching.
“The local councils have all this while (been) carrying out public culling of strays, saying that they are killing these strays to stop the spread of rabies.
“However, since they are admitting that the rabies cases are still high, despite their mass shooting of the strays, why are they continuing with the blatant killing?
“Is it just a convenient way of getting rid of strays?” Chong asked.
She said the local authorities must put extra effort in the mass vaccination and neutering of strays and pets and organise more public campaigns to inculcate responsible pet ownership rather than taking the easy way out.
“Kuching recently hosted an international Asia-Pacific level veterinary associations seminar.
“During the seminar, participants from foreign countries shared how they had humanely reduced rabies cases and tackled stray populations via mass vaccination and neutering.
“Despite hosting this event which had provided the humane answer to tackling the stray population and rabies problem, Sarawak authorities still resort to the mass killing of strays.
“The hosting of such international events is meaningless if Sarawak does not even adhere to humane methods of dealing with strays,” she stressed.
She urged the state government to cease all public killing of strays and hold a brainstorming session with all animal welfare bodies to find a more humane way of dealing effectively and professionally with the rising problem of rabies and strays. – The Vibes, January 9, 2024
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