Let’s keep our town rabies free

Madam- The office of the state veterinarian hereby wishes to thank the Newcastle Advertiser and all other media that helped promote our Rabies Campaigns. There is no doubt that the communities do read the newspapers and listen to both the Newcastle Community Radio and Ukhozi FM and this has improved community awareness of the vaccination campaigns.
Once again the community has responded positively to the Annual Rabies Campaign in all the Newcastle Local Municipality urban areas.
Madadeni     – 5099 dogs and 672 cats vaccinated in the month of June 2013
oSizweni     – 3684 dogs and 653 cats vaccinated in the month of July 2013
Newcastle     – 4900 dogs and 422 cats vaccinated in the month of August 2013
During the month of May 2013 one dog was diagnosed with rabies in the Dannhauser local municipality, the dog had not been vaccinated.
A caveat to pet owners:
· Always ensure that any puppy or new dog that you acquire has had its rabies shots
· Avoid obtaining dogs from the coastal regions and from outside the province.
It must be repeated that the onus is on the pet owner to ensure that his/her pet dog/cat is fully vaccinated against rabies in accordance with the law. Under The Animal Diseases Act, Act 35 of 1984, all dogs and cats in the province of KwaZulu-Natal must be vaccinated every year. This immunisation is a free service provided for by the State through the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs.
In closing I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all pet owners for their support and co-operation during these rabies campaigns.
Let us all strive to make Newcastle and the whole Amajuba District a rabies free zone by ensuring that all dogs and cats are properly immunised.
Dr NH Green-Thompson
State Veterinarian
Amajuba District