Preventing rabies from pets

Many localities are implementing free rabies vaccination programs for dogs and cats to prevent rabies, protect public health, and raise awareness among pet owners.

Dogs and cats belonging to residents in Hon Dat commune are being vaccinated against rabies free of charge. Photo: MI NI

Binh Son commune has just launched a free rabies vaccination campaign for dogs and cats in all hamlets. The commune has been allocated 600 doses of vaccine, focusing on high-risk areas, areas with previous outbreaks, or areas near existing outbreaks. Mr. Nguyen Tien Doat, the veterinary officer at the Binh Son Commune General Services Center, said that the center has established mobile vaccination teams to go to each hamlet and each household that owns dogs and cats to administer vaccinations. They are also distributing leaflets to educate people about the dangers of rabies, the responsibility of managing pets, not letting dogs and cats roam freely, and the importance of regular vaccinations. “A high vaccination rate contributes to creating community immunity in the animal population, limiting the risk of rabies outbreaks and spread, and protecting people's health,” Mr. Doat said.

Mr. Nguyen Van Giau's family, residing in Binh Thuan hamlet, Binh Son commune, owns one dog and three cats. After receiving free rabies vaccinations from veterinary officers at their home, Mr. Giau shared: “Although I know rabies is dangerous, because my family owns many dogs and cats, catching and transporting them for vaccinations is difficult. Having veterinary officers come to our house to vaccinate them for free, my family is very happy; it saves us both time and money.”

However, many households still have a complacent attitude, thinking that pet dogs and cats have little contact with disease sources, so they haven't paid attention to vaccinating their pets against rabies. Ms. Huynh Thi Phuong, residing in Binh Thuan hamlet, Binh Son commune, said: "My family owns three dogs, but we didn't vaccinate them against rabies before because we thought pets rarely go outside and wouldn't get sick. Thanks to this free vaccination campaign and the veterinary officers' awareness campaign, I now know that rabies is dangerous and can be fatal. My family will continue to take our dogs for booster shots as recommended."

In Hon Dat commune, rabies vaccination for dogs and cats is being implemented in all 25 hamlets. To ensure the completion of the plan to vaccinate 1,000 doses of vaccine allocated in the first phase of 2026, the Hon Dat Commune General Service Center has developed a specific vaccination schedule for each area, and is coordinating with hamlet leaders to review and compile statistics on the number of dogs and cats being raised by households. Mr. Pham Huu Dich - Secretary of the Party Branch and Head of Duong Hon Hamlet, Hon Dat commune, said: “As soon as we received the plan from the center, the hamlet widely informed each household raising dogs and cats to encourage participation in the vaccination. During the implementation process, people in the hamlet actively cooperated with veterinary officers to catch their pets for vaccination, achieving safe and effective results.”

The family owns three rather aggressive dogs for guarding the house, and they rarely interact with strangers. So, upon receiving the local notification, Mr. Nguyen Cong Ky, residing in Duong Hon hamlet, proactively restrained and kept the animals in place so that veterinary officers could safely and easily administer the rabies vaccine. "I know rabies is very dangerous, so having the dogs fully vaccinated gives my family more peace of mind," Mr. Ky said.

During this vaccination campaign, the relevant authorities, in coordination with local governments, reviewed and updated the number of dogs and cats being kept by residents in the area. This serves as a basis for veterinary officers to build a database for managing the dog and cat population, tracking vaccination schedules, and reminding people to get vaccinated regularly when the vaccine's protective period expires. At the same time, it aims to gradually raise people's awareness and responsibility in raising and managing pets, contributing to the protection of public health.

MINI

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/ngan-benh-dai-tu-vat-nuoi-a487509.html