Letter: Rabid dogs in Bali

When I saw the article about the 30,000 cases of rabid dog bites in Bali (Rabid dogs roam holiday hotspot…, Aug. 3), I was concerned about the future of Bali as a vacation spot.

I was surprised that the government did not do what the World Health Organization told them to do; instead they killed thousands of innocent dogs, an act that that could have been prevented by conducting a mass vaccination. As an Indonesian, I am embarrassed to know that killing was on the government’s list in solving this case.

It shocked me as a vacationer and a dog lover to know that a famous vacation spot did not take the rabies epidemic more seriously. How are tourists going to enjoy their vacation in Bali, where they can spot dogs everywhere, possibly carrying the fatal virus? Or even other mammals such as bats and cats that might also be carrying rabies?

I am aware that Indonesia is still a developing country and conducting a mass vaccination would be a financial concern, but it is not the only way. It would have been more ethical for the government to raise money and conduct a mass vaccination on dogs rather than killing all of them.

It is important to save Bali from this critical condition so it can remain a vacation hot spot. Please make Bali a safer place to holiday and be ethical in how you treat the poor sick dogs. They have the right to live too.

Meliana
Surabaya