Anti-rabies campaign continues in Denpasar

DENPASAR: The Denpasar city administration will continue its campaign to prevent the spread of rabies, a high ranking official said Monday.

"The measures to prevent swine flu have not made us forget the real and ongoing threat of rabies," head of the Denpasar Animal Husbandry and Maritime Agency, Dewa Made Ngurah, said.

The agency is currently preparing the second phase of a free rabies vaccinations drive, which targets both domestic and stray dogs.

The city administration has allocated Rp 659 million (US$62,762) to finance the drive.

As many as 20,000 dogs were inoculated in the first phase of the vaccination drive.

Additionally, 600 stray dogs were culled to contain the outbreak.

Animal welfare activists have protested the mass culling, saying it is cruel.

The activists claim there are better ways to handle stray dogs.

The Bali provincial administration is preparing a bylaw draft to regulate the maintenance of rabies-carrying animals.

Rabies has killed nine people in Bali since it was detected on the island late last year. - JP