Unvaccinated dogs in Kelantan may be culled after April, says exco

Kelantan's executive councillor Hilmi Abdullah has warned that unvaccinated dogs in the state may be culled starting April to prevent the spread of rabies. This comes after a rabies death in Kedah and a stray dog attack on a child in Kelantan earlier this month. The local government has an anti-rabies vaccination order mandating dog owners to vaccinate their pets between January and April each year.

Successful vaccinated dogs would receive a numbered metal identification tag and be licensed by the local council. Kelantan's local councils, in collaboration with the veterinary services department, regularly conduct operations to capture stray dogs, with two out of five identified dogs so far being culled. This year, 21 dogs in the town of Bachok have been vaccinated, while samples from another 20 dogs are awaiting rabies testing.