F

ormer movie star Brigitte Bardot has registered her strong protest against the Bali provincial administration for exterminating dogs after the recent outbreak of rabies on the island.

Through her Paris-based Brigitte Bardot Foundation she said: "My foundation has been overwhelmed by calls and emails denouncing the horrible poisoning with strychnine of stray dogs and cats in what is known to be a paradise for tourist. I beg you to stop this most cruel way of trying to solve the rabies problem and seek the help of the local animal welfare organization and international experts in the field of rabies control."

In addition to Bardot's letter, dated March 19, 2009, the administration also received protest letters sent by animal rights organizations from various countries.

"So far we have received 50 letters from organizations around the world saying that they are against the dog extermination program to prevent rabies from spreading across the island," Putri Jayaningsih, head of the Bali veterinarian office's monitoring, prevention and management of animal health department.

"I will deliver these letters to Governor Made Mangku Pastika to be reviewed," Jayaningsih said.

She added that many organizations in foreign countries did not have clear information on the current situation in Bali.

"There are hundreds of stray dogs hanging around on Bali's streets in urban and rural areas," she explained.

According to data from the Yudisthira Swarga foundation, there are an estimated 540,000 dogs or 96 dogs per square kilometer. Bali's population is 3.2 million people. In Badung regency, the area most affected by the rabies outbreak, there are around 40,000 dogs.

During the current rabies outbreak, the administration has eliminated 5,040 dogs, including 1,925 dogs in Badung regency and 492 in Denpasar.

In an attempt to free the island of rabies, dogs suspected of carrying the disease are captured and then fed food laced with strychnine.

"The process takes around five minutes to complete," she said.

She admitted that it is very difficult to control the rapid growth of dog populations on the island.

"We will continue giving vac-cinations and control health conditions of mostly stray dogs," she said, acknowledging that a lack of human resources and funding has hampered the administrations attempts.

In Bali, not all suspected dogs are exterminated using poison.

Many villages have refused to take part in the program. Some villages are conducting their own prevention programs.