XN000022-1980-01-27 — Page 8

7

-

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 1980

THE DEPARTMENT'S SENIOR VETERINARY OFFICER, MR THOMAS K.S. YIP, SAID TODAY THE CAMPAIGN MESSAGE WOULD BE MAINLY DIRECTED TO CHEUNG CHAU, SHAU KEI WAN, ABERDEEN, TAI PO AND TUEN MUN WHERE SOME 4 500 VESSELS ARE EXPECTED TO BERTH. MANY OF THESE VESSELS WOULD HAVE DOGS ONBOARD.

+THE KEEPING OF DOGS IS COMMON ON LOCAL FISHING VESSELS AND THESE DOGS ARE SUBJECT TO THE SAME LEGAL CONTROLS AS DOGS ON LAND. THAT IS, THEY MUST BE INOCULATED AGAINST RABIES AND LICENSED AT THE AGE OF FIVE MONTHS AND AGAIN AT INTERVALS OF THREE YEARS THEREAFTER, SAID MR YIP.

LAST YEAR THE DEPARTMENT LAUNCHED A SUCCESSFUL ANTI-RABIES CAMPAIGN AIMED AT VILLAGERS IN THE NORTHERN NEW TERRITORIES WHEN SOME 1 000 DOGS WERE INOCULATED AND LICENSED IN A TEN-DAY PERIOD.

MR YIP SAID RABIES IS A FATAL DISEASE COMMUNICABLE FROM ANIMAL TO MAN.

+OF ALL ANIMALS, THE DOMESTIC DOG, BY VIRTUE OF ITS INTIMACY WITHIN THE HOUSEHOLD, PRESENTS THE GREATEST DANGER TO MAN.

+ IT IS THEREFORE MOST IMPORTANT THAT ALL DOMESTIC DOGS, WHETHER ON LAND OR AT SEA, ARE PROTECTED AGAINST THIS DISEASE AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO THIS IS TO HAVE THE DOG INOCULATED AGAINST RABIES, HE SAID.

FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF FISHERMEN WHO KEEP DOGS ON THEIR VESSELS, THE DEPARTMENT IS ARRANGING FOR DOG INOCULATION AND LICENSING TEAMS TO VISIT EACH OF THE MAIN PORTS DURING THE TWO WEEK PERIOD.

THE TEAMS WILL BE AT THE CHEUNG CHAU PRAYA ON JANUARY 31 AND FEBRUARY 1- AT THE SHAU KEI WAN WHOLESALE FISH MARKET ON FEBRUARY 4 AND 5- THE ABERDEEN WHOLESALE FISH MARKET ON FEBRUARY 6. 7 AND 8- THE TAI PO FISHERIES OFFICE (TAI PO KAU PIER) AND YUE KOK TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA ON FEBRUARY 11 AND 12- AND THE CASTLE PEAK WHOLESALE FISH MARKET ON FEBRUARY 13 AND 14. THE HOURS OF OPERATION EACH DAY WILL BE FROM 10 AM TO 4 PM.

MR YIP SAID THE CAMPAIGN WAS NOT CONFINED TO THE FISHERFOLK DOG-OWNERS ON LAND COULD ALSO USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR DOGS INOCULATED AND LICENSED BY THE VISITING TEAMS.

THE INOCULATION IS FREE, BUT THE CHARGE FOR EACH DOG LICENCE IS $15 AND THE VALIDITY OF BOTH INOCULATION AND LICENCE IS THREE YEARS.

+FAILURE TO HAVE YOUR DOG LICENSED AND INOCULATED IS AN OFFENCE AND THE MAXIMUM PENALTY IS $1 000 AND SIX MONTHS IMPRISONMENT, SAID MR YIP.

18 .....