Deadly disease that needs dog vaccination campaign

Many households in Kenya own a dog or cat. If these pet animals are not taken care of through vaccination they can contract the deadly rabies disease and infect humans. And when a person is bitten by a rabid dog and contracts the disease, it is a costly agonising journey.

In a bid to address the rabies menace and pet overpopulation challenge, the Nairobi City County organised a free rabies and sterilisation campaign in Ruai, Kayole and Kibera last week. Nairobi County Director of Veterinary Services Dr Daniel Karugu noted that the county is committed to fighting rabies in the city. During the drive, 1,231 animals were vaccinated comprising 911 dogs, 142 cats and 178 donkeys. Also 139 cats and dogs were neutered. The campaign targets atleast 5,000 animals.

It costs an average Sh100 to vaccinate an animal. Ruai Trap Neuter and Release Trust (TNR) founder Amy Rapp noted that rabies was a costly but preventable disease. “Rabies is an avoidable disease and has been eradicated in many countries through systematic, mass vaccinations of dogs,” Rapp said and lauded the anti rabies campaign that brought together a number of stakeholders targeting low income areas. 

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“The number of dogs and cats in Kenya, owned or stray, is unknown. What is known is the number of offspring a female can produce yearly. And looking around neighbourhoods, it is easy to see how the animals suffer through hunger, disease and abuse due to uncontrolled breeding and abandonment,” said Dr Desmond Tutu, a vet at TNR Trust. Other organisations that championed the project are Spay Sisters from Europe, Kenya Society for Protection and Care of Animals, Kenya Women Veterinary Association (KWVA), Kenya Small and Companion Animals Veterinary Associationand Brooke. Dr Maryline Karani, the KWVA chair noted that as part of animal welfare, the female veterinarians have joined hands to vaccinate dogs against rabies as well spay and neuter them.

Dr Ella Stekly, the founder and trustee of Spay Sisters, an animal charity, said: “The world today, from the western right through to the third world there are dog and cat overpopulation problems." Since June 2006, we thought we could make a small effort to save a few dog and cat lives and make a start in the education of the onlookers! Sterilising is not a cull but leads to a healthier existence by the control of reproduction.” Rabies is mainly caused through bites from dogs that carry the disease. One of the strategies to tame the menace is controlling breeding among cats and dogs. After the operation to control breeding, the animals become calmer, fight less, get fewer diseases and don’t produce vast quantities of kittens and puppies.