KUCHING: A rabies vaccination drive will be held for residents in the Bampfylde-Crookshank-Rodway Road area here next month.
The drive, which is open to both dogs and cats, was initiated by three residents of the area themselves, namely Cynthia Chin, Lorna Chong and Kathleen Kiew, in collaboration with Save Our Strays (SOS) Kuching and Animal Central Veterinary Clinic.
“We want to create a more civilised community that not only cares for their pets’ safety but also human lives. As pet-owners, we have the responsibility to keep our cats and dogs safe,” stressed Chin during a press conference held at Tristan Coffee and Roastery here, yesterday.
The drive will be held on two Saturday afternoons, August 17 and 24, from 1.30 to 5.30pm. During this time, Animal Central Veterinary Clinic will make house calls at no extra charge to residents that have signed up to carry out the vaccinations.
“If this vaccination drive receives good response, we would not mind extending it,” she added.
The costs of the vaccinations are partially subsidised by SOS Kuching.
During the programme, a rabies vaccination will cost RM45 per dog or cat. In addition, a core vaccination to protect against other diseases will also be available at RM30 for dogs and RM25 for cats. Pneumonia vaccinations are also available for dogs, costing RM39.
Chin stated that flyers had been distributed to approximately 80 houses last Saturday (July 20), and thus far only four houses have responded. They encouraged more residents to participate in the drive.
“We want to make sure that, if not 100 per cent, then at least 90 per cent of pet-owners in this area vaccinate their animals so that over time we are no longer a red zone,” said Chin.
According to Chong, the Bampfylde-Crookshank-Rodway Road area was declared a rabies red zone last month and she mentioned that due to this status, the local authority has been going around their neighbourhood to capture dogs, some of which she felt were ‘innocent’.
“This is something that we do not want to happen because we love our pets,” said Chong.
Chin revealed that the government authorities had recently conducted a house-to-house vaccination programme in their area, but unfortunately this had been done at a time when most of the residents were at work.
“We want to support what the government is doing in efforts to eliminate rabies,” stated Chin.
The residents were inspired by the efforts of Green Heights-Borneo Garden community, which had organised a vaccination and neutering drive in May initiated by Suziana Ismail, and they decided to take a leaf from their book.
Chin commented that another pressing issue is the rampant dumping of unwanted animals in the Bampfylde-Crookshank-Rodway Road area, which only exacerbates the problem at hand as uncontrolled breeding then ensues, creating more stray animals in the vicinity.
She also emphasised the importance of vaccinating pets against the disease once a year, and to give them rabies boosters if they have been bitten by other unknown animals. She urged more communities to follow suit by initiating vaccination drives to complement the efforts of the government.
“If the response is positive, we could also hold these drives on a bigger scale in the future — perhaps even with neutering included,” Chin said hopefully.
For more questions or to confirm participation, interested parties can contact 010-977-7988 (Lorna Chong).
