Rabies is a serious problem in Bali, a major tourist destination. The situation has prompted the Bali administration to take a proactive approach to eradicating the disease, especially among stray dogs.
According to the province’s animal health division of the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Agency, there are around 500,000 dogs in Bali. The agency aims to conduct a mass vaccination of 465,000 dogs. However, the problem lies in the fact that only 5 percent of dog owners look after their pets properly. More than 70 percent of the dog population in Bali comprises pets but their owners let them roam freely without proper care. While 25 percent of the dogs are strays.
The administration has taken a number of actions including providing free rabies vaccines for five months in nine districts in Bali and by controlling the dog population.
The anti-rabies team has been assigned to register dogs, vaccinate them and mark dogs that have been vaccinated. This action is being performed to properly determine the number of dogs in the province