10,000 stray dogs in Penang

Amazingly while Penang has 7,500 licensed dogs, it also has 10,000 stray dogs.

Another bad news, the state department of veterinary services (DVS) has only 3870 doses of anti-rabies vaccine.

However Dr Afif Bahardin, state rural development and health committee chairperson, claimed that all licensed dogs have been vaccinated but alas, not so with those 10,000 strays.

The state has put an alert to stop entry of dogs from Perak and Sarawak. But how has the state allowed so many strays to be around in Penang?

I know, those Dog Lovers won't allow the government to cull them but have and will raise Cain if the state does.

stray dogs may be innocent but not those humans who left them to be come strays and those who stop the state government from responsible culling  

But have those Dog Lovers taken any proactive action to attend to the rabies problem other than to show their compassion for strays and their irresponsible anger at the state government for wanting to cull strays?

I am a dog lover and have kept many dogs while growing up and working in Malaysia, from mongrels to German Shepherds to even a Papillon. In Australia I kept 2 Border Collies (adopted from RSPCA). I vaccinated all of them and did not allow them to become strays.

Border Collie 

Papillon 

German shepherd (Alsatian) 

But very responsible citizen must be mindful that rabies are spread by dogs, cats, rats and wild animals that bite, like musang (civet cat). But the two animals most likely to affect humans would be the cat and dog.

musang 

We must do something about those 10,000 strays to ensure our families are protected not only from rabies but also dog bites which are equally dangerous. The exercise must also include stray cats which are equally unhealthy for children.

We cannot allow those Dog Lovers to dictate to us on state health policies.