Is culling the answer?

Following the discovery of two cases of the deadly disease in humans, the Bali government has ordered the veterinary department to destroy all stray dogs in the state.

All dog owners are also required to have their pets vaccinated and tagged. 

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has warned dog owners that their pets are at risk of being caught and killed if let loose outside private property.

However, the big question is whether destroying all strays will actually keep the disease at bay.

A World Health Organisation study showed that culling dogs has no effect on rabies transmission or overall stray population and can even be counterproductive. This is because new dogs quickly move into the area where killing has taken place to take advantage of the increased food resources and territory.

And this mixing of new dogs in the area may even increase the risk of rabies due to fighting over territory and mates.

However, vaccinating at least 70 per cent of the dogs in the area has been found to act as a barrier to transmission of the disease, eventually halting any outbreak.

Several studies, reports, and real-life examples have proved that dog vaccination is the most effective way to prevent rabies from spreading, and the best way to protect the human population.

During Bali’s outbreak in 2008, where there were two cases of rabies infection in humans, the authorities did not have enough vaccines, so mass killings of strays were carried out.

In 2010, the situation in Bali worsened with 11 human rabies cases a month. Because of the mass killings, the disease went out of control and spread drastically. A total of 82 deaths were reported and Bali had to seek help from international experts, who recommended vaccinating at least 70 per cent of the stray population.

The next year, in 2011, rabies incidence dropped to a single human case a month.

In the whole of 2013, just one person contracted rabies.

This goes to show  that vaccinating strays is a far more effective way of eradicating rabies than culling them.

The killing of dogs in Penang is not only expensive and ineffective, but also cruel. The state authorities in Penang have repeatedly ignored the outcry from both NGOs and the public to stop the senseless killings.

It can be extremely distressing – heartbreaking even – to members of the local community to have the dogs in their neighbourhood killed. I know many animal-lovers who feed and care for the stray dogs in their neighbourhood every day without fail. Many will spend their own money to feed the animals and nurse them back to health after injury.

Having the dogs they care for hauled up onto trucks, driven away and killed can be devastating.

The growing stray-dog population is indeed a problem, as are the periodic out breaks of deadly rabies. But the only solution is a mass dog vaccination programme and to neuter the adult stray population. It is also necessary to educate the public and promote responsible pet ownership. Vaccinate and neuter your family pets, and don’t abandon them.