XN000022-1978-02-17 — Page 4

- 3 ·

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1978

VALIDITY OF DOG LICENCES EXTENDED TO THREE YEARS

*****

THE VALIDITY OF A DOG LICENCE HAS BEEN EXTENDED FROM ONE YEAR TO THREE YEARS UNDER THE DOGS AND CATS (AMENDMENTS) REGULATIONS 1978 GAZETTED TODAY.

THE LICENCE IS NOW VALID FOR THE SAME PERIOD AS THE ANTI-RABIE|| INOCULATION WHICH IS COMPULSORY FOR ALL DOGS IN HONG KONG,

THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR. TED NICHOLS, SAID TODAY THAT THE AMENDED REGULATIONS WERE APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON TUESDAY AND THE AMENDMENTS WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR OWNERS TO HAVE THEIR DOGS INOCULATED AGAINST RABIES AND LICENSED AT THE SAME TIME.

HE SAID, THE CHANGES IN THE REGULATIONS ALSO FIXED THE LICENSING FEE AT $15 FOR THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD FOR BOTH URBAN AND RURAL DOG OWNERS.

MR. NICHOLS SAID THAT DOGS INOCULATED AGAINST RABIES AT ANY TIME DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS ARE COVERED UNDER THE NEW AMENDMENTS AND DO NOT HAVE TO BE RELICENSED UNTIL THE INOCULATION IS DUE FOR RENEWAL

THE REGULATIONS ALSO EXTEND THE AGE AT WHICH A DOG SHOULD BE INOCULATED AND LICENSED FROM THREE TO FIVE MONTHS. RECENT FINDINGS INDICATE THAT DEFERRING INOCULATION UNTIL FIVE MONTHS OF AGE, RESULTS IN A MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE FIRST-STAGE INOCULATION.

+SHOULD RABIES BE ACCIDENTALLY REINTRODUCED INTO HONG KONG, THE MOST LIKELY TRANSMISSION TO THE HUMAN POPULATION WOULD BE THROUGH AFFECTED DOGS, MR. NICHOLS SAID.

✦

+FOR THIS REASON, HE SAID, THE DEPARTMENT OPERATES A CONTINUAL PROGRAMME FOR CATCHING AND DESTROYING UNCONTROLLED AND STRAY DOGS, AND IN SPITE OF THE DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED, IT SUCCEEDS IN CATCHING ABOUT 630 DOGS A MONTH,

+SINCE MAY 1977, THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN CONDUCTING A SERIES OF RABIES AWARENESS AND LICENSING CAMPAIGNS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG. THESE CAMPAIGNS HAVE SO FAR RESULTED IN SOME 25,000 DOGS BEING VACCINATED AGAINST RABIES - ABOUT 13,000 MORE THAN THE USUAL ANNUAL AVERAGE.

+TO ENSURE THAT REGULAR INOCULATION IS CARRIED OUT, DOGS ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO BE LICENSED. BUT EXPERIENCE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT NOT ALL DOGS ARE BROUGHT IN FOR INOCULATION, PARTICULARLY WHERE THE DOGS DO NOT NORMALLY LEAVE THE OWNERS' PREMISES.

+BECAUSE LICENCES HAVE BEEN VALID FOR ONE YEAR ONLY, EVEN FEWER DOGS ARE BROUGHT BACK FOR INSPECTION AND RELICENSING, THUS MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO CHECK WHETHER DOGS ARE RE-INOCULATED ON TIME.

/+THE FACT