Dogs and cats off the streets

JAKARTA: To prevent a possible rabies breakout, the North Jakarta animal husbandry and veterinary agency has been busy rounding up stray cats and dogs.

The agency's director, Sugiman, was quoted by beritajakarta.com on Monday as saying that the effort was being made as his agency occasionally received reports of people being bitten by rabid dogs, although there had been no significant rise in the number of rabies victims.

Sugiman further said that the captured animals were sent to Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta, where fit and healthy ones would be caged or given to any residents interested in adopting them as pets. The unfit animals would be put down by lethal injection.

The agency has rounded up some 20 cats and 50 dogs since March, mostly in the districts of Ancol, Pademangan, Cilincing, Koja, Warakas and Tanjung Priok. -- JP