Delta State government has begun a 12-week free vaccination of all cats, dogs and other pets in the state.
The exercise is in commemoration of the 2021 annual anti-rabies awareness and immunization.
Speaking during the flag-off of the exercise at the Veterinary Clinic in Asaba, Julius Egbedi, the state’s commissioner for agriculture and natural resources, who was represented by Ben Agamah in the ministry, said that the state government was committed to ensuring that pets, such as dogs and cats, were free from the highly contagious and zoologic disease.
Egbedi said since 2015 when the Okowa administration came on board, the advocacy had remained free of charge.
He said that the attention of the public had been drawn to the public health risk of rabies and the need for hygienic and decent accommodation as well as humane treatment of pets as measures of preventing the spread of zoologic diseases, such as hydatidosis, toxoplasmosis, hepatitis and others in pets.
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Speaking on the dangers of the disease, he said it was right for the public, particularly owners of the pets, to take advantage of the free vaccination to get their pet vaccinated from being infected.
The commissioner advised Deltans to take seriously cases of dog bites and report immediately to the nearest veterinary clinic or medical centre for proper investigation and treatment.
Also speaking, Charles Diai, the director of veterinary services, said that routine annual prophylactic vaccination of pets was the best remedy to prevent rabies in dogs and other pets.
Diai said that since there was no cure for rabies once the symptoms had manifested, it was ideal for pet owners to ensure that their pets were immunised against rabies annually.
