The recent rabies campaign brought the whole furry community together, and all breeds of all sizes got vaccinated for free.

The rabies campaign, initiated by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Gdard), was implemented after several cases of rabies were reported in the Krugersdorp area. All dogs and cats should be vaccinated once a year. The News decided to attend one of the sessions which was held at the Khosa Sports Club on Monday, 14 November.

“If your pet gets bitten by a jackal, or any other wild animal, or even a strange domestic animal, you should take it to be vaccinated immediately,” veterinarian Caitlin Sterley said.

People from all over brought their dogs and cats to get vaccinated and more than 400 animals were brought in. The most common dog that was vaccinated was the well known Yorkshire Terrier.

The staff made the process very easy by vaccinating the animals in the owners’ vehicles. This made the process quick and painless. The owner then received a certificate that declares that their dog or cat has been vaccinated. The vaccination does not have any side effects and the animal will not experience any pain.

The staff were very friendly and assisted the community with other problems as well. One dog owner brought his dog because he was not eating and had severe diarrhoea. Caitlin assisted the dog and gave him the needed treatment.

The staff urges residents to vaccinate their dogs and cats if they did not make use of the free vaccination campaign.

All veterinarians in Krugersdorp will still vaccinate against rabies but at a R50 fee.

To view more photos of the campaign, click here.

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