Stray dogs still roaming Miri neighbourhoods, despite rabies scare

MIRI: Stray dogs can still be seen roaming around several housing estates and shoplots here, despite the mass anti-rabies vaccination exercises that have been going on over the past several weeks.

It is unclear if these stray dogs have yet to receive vaccination, or their owners let them loose.

Residents of local neighbourhoods especially those in Tudan, Senadin and Piasau have been expressing their frustrations over the situation on social media, reprimanding irresponsible dog owners for letting their pets wander outside their house compounds.

Abu Hurairah, a resident of Desa Senadin, says many of these wandering dogs are without the coloured collars and tags to indicate whether or not the animals have received anti-rabies vaccination.

“I believe the enforcement (to remove stray dogs) needs to be enhanced, to ensure that the public would be safe from rabies,” he said when met yesterday.

Sharing the same view, fellow resident Justin Lah believed that in view of some areas here having been declared rabies-infected, it is crucial for dog owners to keep their pets indoors.

“I can still see many old dogs wandering around the shoplots in Desa Senadin – there’s no action taken. The relevant enforcement authorities should be able to just pick up these wandering dogs and place them in the pound. However,

I believe the enforcement (to remove stray dogs) needs to be enhanced, to ensure that the public would be safe from rabies. Abu Hurairah, Desa Senadin resident

this should be done according to SOP ( standard operating procedures),” he said.

It is learnt that only 363 dogs were vaccinated during the second round of the free mass anti-rabies vaccination exercises at three locations in the city yesterday.

It is said that the number was below the target set by the divisional Natural Disaster Management Committee, which has secured 5,000 additional vaccines set for the exercise this weekend.

Divisional Veterinary Services Department officer Dr Sylmie AlHarir said as at 4pm yesterday, the vaccination team at Taman Awam Miri recorded the highest number of dogs vaccinated – at 164, followed by the activity at Lutong Basketball Court where 141 dogs were vaccinated, while the team at Taman Bulatan Miri in Piasau Jaya vaccinated 58 dogs.

On the year-to- date basis (since Jan 1 this year), this division recorded 9,248 dogs that had received vaccination against rabies.