TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1987
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PUBLIC URGED TO REPORT STRAYS
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THE PUBLIC WERE TODAY (TUESDAY) URGED TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-RABIES EFFORTS BY REPORTING STRAY DOGS AND SURRENDERING UNWANTED ANIMALS TO THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT.
THEY COULD DO SO SIMPLY BY CONTACTING THE DEPARTMENT'S RABIES CONTROL UNIT AT 3-624147 OR 0-902201, OR BY HANDING OVER THE ANIMALS TO ANY OF THE FOUR GOVERNMENT KENNELS SITUATED AT VICTORIA ROAD, HONG KONG ISLAND: AT SUNG WONG TOI ROAD, KOWLOON; AND AT SHA TIN AND SHEK WU HUI IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE DEPARTMENT'S SENIOR VETERINARY OFFICER, DR NORMAN CHENG, SAID THAT REGULAR STRAY SWEEPING OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT BY DOG CONTROL TEAMS HAD A STABILISING EFFECT ON THE LOCAL STRAY DOG PROBLEM. THERE WERE 12 980 STRAYS ROUNDED UP IN 1985 AND ANOTHER 15 218 IN 1986.
• HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL RISK POSED BY STRAY DOGS, THERE IS EVERY NEED TO RID THIS HEALTH THREAT SO AS TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THE DEADLY DISEASE.
+AND OUR TASK TO WIPE OUT STRAYS IN THE TERRITORY WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT FULL PUBLIC SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION, HE SAID.
DR CHENG SAID THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE STRAYS WERE THOSE LET LOOSE OR ABANDONED BY THEIR OWNERS. HE WARNED THAT ANY DOG OWNER WHO ALLOWS HIS DOG TO ROAM FREELY ON A PUBLIC THOROUGHFARE IS COMMITTING AN OFFENCE UNDER THE DOGS AND CATS ORDINANCE AND WOULD BE LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $5 000 AND SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT.
DESPITE THE RECENT RESCISSION OF THE RABIES INFECTED AREA IN 30 KWUN PO, SHEUNG SHUI, THE DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE ITS STRINGENT CONTROL MEASURES TO KEEP THE TERRITORY FREE FROM RABIES.
THESE MEASURES INCLUDE THE QUARANTINE OF IMPORTED DOGS AND CATS, THE COMPULSORY DETENTION AND OBSERVATION OF BITER ANIMALS) THE APPREHENSION OF STRAY DOGS, AND MOBILE INOCULATION SERVICES TO VILLAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
IN MAY, THE DEPARTMENT'S MOBILE INOCULATION TEAMS WILL VISIT SHA TIN, SAI KUNG AND YUEN LONG.
THE RURAL VILLAGES IN SHA TIN TO BE VISITED INCLUDE SAN TIN TSUEN, KAT TIN TSUEN, SHEUNG KENG HAU, HA KENG HAU, TIN SUM TSUEN, TAI WAI SAN TSUEN, PÅK TIN TSUEN, TUNG LO WAN, MO FAN TSUEN, TO FUNG SHAN AREA, SHEUNG WO CHE AND HA WO CHE.
IN SAI KUNG, THE TEAMS WILL BE VISITING VILLAGES OF TSENG LAN SHUE, TAI PO TSAI HANG HAU, SHUI PIN, SEUNG SZ WAN, SHEUNG YEUNG, HA YEUNG, MAU WU TSAI, MA YAU TONG, TSEUNG KWAN O, YAU YUE WAN, PO TOI O TAI HANG HAU, MANG KUNG ÚK, PAN LONG WAN, TAI WAN TAŬ
TAIWAN AND PIK SHUI SUN TSUEN.
THE YUEN LONG VILLAGES ARE TSEUNG KONG WAI, FUNG KONG TSUEN, SHEUNG PAK NAI, HA PAK NAI AND SHA CHAU LEI.
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