In a kneejerk reaction to six suspected human rabies fatalities, the island’s authorities have killed over 1,000 dogs. This number could rise dramatically.
The animal suffering is acute. Strychnine is being used to poison some of the dogs, leaving them conscious and convulsing until they eventually suffocate.
People are suffering too – the vast majority of victims are pets that are allowed to roam freely.
Stop the cull, prevent rabies
Reliant on tourism, Bali must prevent the spread of rabies. But a dog cull does not attack the root cause and cannot safeguard human health.
The World Health Organization recognizes that the most effective way to eradicate this fatal disease is mass vaccination of dogs alongside rabies prevention education.
This has been proven to eradicate rabies in many countries; mass killing has consistently failed.
The Bali Rabies Forum, a coalition of animal welfare groups including WSPA, has developed recommendations on humane, effective rabies prevention for Bali. But this cannot work without the commitment of the authorities.
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