KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) will collaborate with Sarawak Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (SSPCA) and Save Our Strays (SOS) to carry out the Roaming Dogs Removal Operation in areas classified as “black areas” for rabies.

Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas told The Borneo Post a compromise has been achieved in their closed-door meeting on Friday to find solution between government agencies and the local NGOs to make Sarawak rabies-free.

“As you are aware, the operation will start tomorrow, (there are) a lot of negative response on social media. In response to those views on social media, I call for this meeting today between myself representing Disaster Management and Relief Commitee, Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, Veterinary Services Department, Save Our Strays and SSPCA to get an agreed strategy to continue the operation tomorrow,” he explained.

Despite the strong criticism from netizens and animal lovers, Uggah said the government will continue with the targeted removal of stray dogs that were found roaming and causing the spread of rabies.

“The operation is necessary in view of the various number of positive cases of rabies found around Kuching. That’s why the State Disaster and Relief Committee feel that more aggressive action is to be taken to do targeted removal of stray dogs as has been made in the announcement,” he stressed.

Uggah explained that in the meeting attended by SOS representatives Kitty Chin and Swee Sia and SSPCA leaders namely Datin Donna Drury Wee and Rebecca D’Cruz, two important issues have been agreed on.

“What was agreed today, number 1. The operation will carry on as scheduled. Number 2, it was agreed that dogs with double collars, which come under SOS’ capture-neuter-vaccinated-return (CNVR) programme will be handed over to SOS group, for them to retain, while the rest of the dogs will be handed over to Veterinary Department,” he said.

Uggah dismissed the allegation that the state government would carry mass culling of dogs throughout Sarawak.

“I must explain what was said in social media that we are culling dogs throughout Sarawak, is not what we announced. You see what happened is in our meeting last week, we divide the various area of Sarawak into white area – meaning area that is rabies-free, grey area where rabies were found positive sample but the number has reduced and black area where the samples of rabies increased – in this case, MBKS area can be considered as black area and therefore that is the reason why we need to carry out the programme that has been announced,” he explained.

Uggah warned dog owners who leave their pets to roam the streets with unvaccinated stray dogs that there will be no more warning issued, as such indifferent attitude towards their pets had led to the spread of rabies.

“We feel enough notice has been given to dog owners and also now we are working together with SOS and SSPCA and that why we hope the public would appreciate our intention and give the fullest co-operation in our effort to make Sarawak rabies-free,” he said.

When asked what was SOS’ main concern throughout the meeting, Uggah said the animal rights group spoke about their CNVR programme and their commitment to keep such dogs in a proper transit centre to prevent them from roaming the streets.

“SOS said double-collared dogs that come under their CNVR programme have no reason to be removed, because according to them these dogs are already immune, therefore they are confident they will not be carrier for rabies. So we compromised, we will hand them over to them so that they can keep them at their transit centre for observation. We don’t want to see the dogs berkeliaran (roaming),” he said.

Also present during the meeting were Department of Veterinary Services staff, led by the director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud.