19 Residents Bitten by Dogs in Banyuning, Council Urges Increase in Veterinary Doctors
The Commission IV of the Buleleng Regional House of Representatives has urged the Buleleng Regency Government to increase the number of veterinary doctors to strengthen the handling of contagious animal diseases, including rabies. The push emerged after 19 residents in Kelurahan Banyuning were bitten by dogs in April.
Nyoman Dhukajaya, secretary of Commission IV, said the number of veterinary doctors in Buleleng is not yet ideal. He noted the area covered by the veterinarians is wide and the workload of animal health services in Buleleng is high.
“The dog bite cases must be treated seriously because they have the potential to be a zoonotic disease, namely rabies. Management requires adequate veterinary manpower,” Dhukajaya said during a supervision visit to the Department of Agriculture, Food Security, and Fisheries of Buleleng on Tuesday (19 May 2026).
Currently, the regency has 21 ASN-status veterinary doctors. They consist of 18 veterinarians stationed at Puskeswan and three at the department office. According to Dhukajaya, this number does not match the coverage of services in 148 villages/urban communities in Buleleng.
Aside from livestock and pet health, the vets are also tasked with supervising zoonotic diseases such as rabies and Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). Ideally, he said, Buleleng would need around 36 on-the-ground veterinary doctors so health services for animals and disease surveillance can operate optimally.
“Don’t let the veterinary doctors focus only at Puskeswan. Our needs are large for both livestock handling and zoonotic diseases like rabies,” he added.
Dhukajaya also urged the Buleleng government to strengthen rabies prevention through mass vaccination, sterilisation of stray dogs, and public education so residents routinely vaccinate their pets and do not release dogs freely.
Head of the Department of Agriculture, Food Security, and Fisheries of Buleleng, Gede Melandrat, assured that rabies control is routinely conducted. However, he stressed that rabies management cannot be borne by the government alone.
Melandrat said education and vaccination efforts related to rabies are ongoing. Regarding the case of 19 Banyuning residents bitten by dogs, he could not confirm whether the dog was infected with rabies as the animal has not been located.
“The dog has not been found as yet. We are still asking the local community leaders and traditional village councils to keep searching. However, the victims have already received vaccination,” Melandrat said.
According to Melandrat, dogs infected with rabies typically die within three to four days after showing symptoms. He also urged residents to report cases of dog bites promptly.
“If you are bitten, go to the nearest community health centre because all Puskesmas provide VAR,” he explained.
Kelurahan Banyuning is one of the priority areas for rabies management due to the high incidence of dog bites. On 23 May, the Department of Agriculture, together with the Indonesian Veterinary Doctors Association, will hold a mass rabies vaccination in the area.
“If residents do not attend vaccination posts, we will also go door-to-door. But that would be more challenging,” Melandrat concluded.
(iws/iws)