VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has issued a regulation requiring people to register their dogs as part of the effort to fight rabies.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan gave approval to a rabies prevention project.

According to the plan, localities People's Committees will be responsible for monitoring dogs in their areas.

Local animal health departments and stations must have their own records about the numbers of dogs and the households that raise dogs.

Authorities at all levels have been requested to set up groups to catch homeless or stray dogs.

These dogs will be kept at local animal health stations. If their owner fails to collect the dog within 72 hours, the dogs will be euthanized.

The regulation also notes that if several animals are found to be infected with rabies and there is at least one death in a commune, the disease outbreak will be announced to neighbouring communes. The outbreak will be announced in a district if rabies are found in five of its communes.

When the disease occurs, animals in the area must be confined and monitored for at least 15 days. If the rabies outbreak spreads on a large scale then all of unvaccinated or stray dogs must be destroyed.

The project aims to monitor 80% of pets, 80% vaccinated pets and reduce the fatality rate from rabies by 30% compared to last year. In 2011, there were 110 deaths from rabies.

VNN/DTriNews