The involvement of the entire community is needed.

Since the beginning of July, Lao Cai ward has recorded 27 cases of dog and cat bites requiring rabies vaccination. Although local authorities have intervened and implemented many rabies control measures, the practice of letting pets roam freely continues due to a lack of awareness from some pet owners.

Health workers at the Lao Cai Health Station, Lao Cai Ward, are raising awareness among residents about rabies prevention and control.

According to statistics from the Lao Cai Health Station, from the beginning of July until now, 27 cases of people exposed to rabies have been recorded in the Lao Cai ward. All cases have received counseling and full injections of antiserum and vaccine, ensuring their health and safety.

Comrade Vu Ngoc Cong, Head of the Lao Cai Health Station in Lao Cai Ward, said that the number of cases of dog and cat bites and scratches has increased recently, but this does not mean that there were fewer cases in previous years. This is due to more comprehensive statistics collected through various channels at the grassroots level. In particular, the schedule for administering rabies serum and vaccines to those bitten by dogs and cats is regularly updated. Therefore, in recent times, there have been no cases of rabies in Lao Cai Ward, and no outbreaks have occurred in the community. Along with this, local health officials have intensified activities to raise awareness about rabies prevention and control, and to prevent the illegal practice of letting dogs and cats roam freely.

Investigations into the 27 cases of dog and cat bites and scratches recorded recently reveal that some owners still do not comply with regulations, allowing their dogs and cats to roam freely, resulting in bites.

For example, LMT, born in 2013, residing in Group 16, Kim Tan Ward (formerly), was bitten by a neighbor's dog on April 7, 2025. On June 30, 2025, D.TK, born in 2020, was bitten by her grandmother's dog in Bao Yen Commune. Although the dog had received all necessary rabies vaccinations, K was still taken by her family to get a rabies vaccine.

Dogs are still being allowed to roam freely in Nhac Son Park.

According to observations by reporters from Lao Cai Newspaper, the situation of dogs roaming freely and without muzzles persists in public areas. Even in spaces where many people exercise, there are still dogs without muzzles roaming freely.

Some pet owners mistakenly believe their pets are very gentle and never bite anyone, but in reality, there have been many situations where dogs and cats suddenly bite people, and the owners are unable to control them.

It is impossible to determine whether the dogs roaming freely in public places have been vaccinated against rabies, but it is clear that allowing pets to roam freely violates the law and puts many people at risk of being bitten by dogs and contracting rabies.

Veterinary officers from the Lao Cai - Cam Duong Regional Veterinary Station are vaccinating dogs against rabies in Lao Cai ward.

Due to the prolonged hot weather in recent days, the risk of rabies outbreaks in pets such as dogs, cats, rats, and rabbits, and the potential for transmission to humans, has been raised. Therefore, Lao Cai ward has issued a directive to strengthen the prevention and control of animal rabies and the risk of rabies transmission to humans in the area; and has publicized a hotline number for residents to promptly report cases of animals infected or suspected of being infected with rabies to veterinary authorities and local government for timely action.

The ward's urban order inspection team is stepping up efforts to handle violations by dog ​​and cat owners who do not comply with regulations when letting their pets roam in public places.

According to statistics, Lao Cai ward currently has more than 3,400 dogs and cats, of which more than 3,250 have been vaccinated against rabies.

According to Comrade Vu Ngoc Cong, Head of the Lao Cai Health Station in Lao Cai Ward, people are now more fully aware of the consequences of rabies, so when bitten or scratched by dogs or cats, they go to medical facilities to receive rabies serum or vaccine.

Awareness of the importance of vaccinating pets against rabies and proper pet management has improved; however, some pet owners remain complacent and do not fully comply with relevant legal regulations.

Preventing and controlling rabies and effectively stopping the practice of letting dogs and cats roam freely requires the collective effort of the entire community.

Clearly, to effectively prevent and control rabies, stop the practice of letting dogs and cats roam freely, and prevent them from scratching or biting people, efforts from the authorities alone are not enough; strong involvement from the community is also necessary.

First and foremost, dog and cat owners must raise their awareness of responsibility for the safety of their own family members and those around them.

On the other hand, there also needs to be feedback, reminders, and condemnation from the community when pet owners fail to comply with regulations regarding dog and cat ownership. Only then can we truly protect the community from the risk of rabies.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/can-su-vao-cuoc-cua-ca-cong-dong-post649237.html