XN000022-1979-05-05 — Page 2

SATURDAY, MAY 5, 1979

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RABIES AWARENESS CAMPAIGN *****

THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT IS TO CONDUCT A CONCERTED RABIES AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR TWO WEEKS STARTING FROM MONDAY,

DURING THE CAMPAIGN OFFICERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT WILL INOCULATE DOGS AGAINST RABIES AND ISSUE LICENCES VALID FOR THREE YEARS. THEY WILL ALSO ACCEPT ANY UNWANTED DOGS VOLUNTARILY SURRENDERED BY OWNERS.

THE CAMPAIGN WILL START AT TUEN MUN ON MONDAY AND FINISH AT TAI PO ON MAY 18.

THE DEPARTMENT'S VETERINARY OFFICER (HEALTH), MR. NORMAN CHENG SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) THIS WILL BE THE FIRST CAMPAIGN CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT SINCE THE DOGS AND CATS (AMENDMENTS) REGULATIONS WERE INTRODUCED LAST YEAR.

+ THE NEW REGULATIONS EXTEND THE VALIDITY OF A DOG LICENCE TO THREE YEARS TO FALL IN LINE WITH THE EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF THE ANTI-RABIES VACCINATION, HE SAID.

+SINCE MAY 1977, BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE OF RABIES ELSEWHERE, 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 FOR VACCINATION.

+AFTER THE MAJOR TERRITORY-WIDE CAMPAIGN TWO YEARS AGO, THERE HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF MINI-CAMPAIGNS CONCENTRATING MAINLY ON THE URBAN AREAS. NOW IT IS TIME TO EXTEND OUR EFFORTS TO THE NEW TERRITORIES, SAID MR. CHENG.

DOG INOCULATION AND LICENSING TEAMS WILL SPEND ONE DAY AT EACH OF THE DISTRICTS (TUEN MUN, HUNG SHUI KIU, HA TSUEN, YUEN LONG, KAM TIN, SAN TIN, KU TUNG, SHEUNG SHUI, FANLING AND TAI PÓ) DURING THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD.

THERE WILL BE ONE STATIONARY UNIT IN A CENTRAL LOCATION IN EACH MAJOR TOWN AS WELL AS A MOBILE UNIT WHICH WILL CALL AT SMALLER VILLAGES IN EACH DISTRICT.

MR. CHENG SAID ALL VILLAGES HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE CAMPAIGN THROUGH LEAFLETS AND POSTERS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH SCHOOLS, RURAL COMMITTEES AND DISTRICT OFFICES BY AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION OFFICERS.

HE SAID THERE WILL ALSO BE MOBILE VANS BROADCASTING THE LOCATIONS AS WELL AS RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS EACH DAY OF THE

CAMPAIGN.

/+IT IS DIFFICULT