Lights out for Kupang dogs

Lights out for Kupang dogs

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: At least 170,000 dogs in East
Flores will be put to sleep after a health team discovered that
at least eight people had recently died of rabies.

"In order for this area to be free of the 'mad dog' disease,
all dogs have to be slain because this disease has spread quite
widely," the head of the provincial livestock office, TH. Salean,
said yesterday.

He said that a recent Ministry of Health team had confirmed
that the eight people who died after being bitten by a dog had
died of the deadly disease.

East Flores regent Henky Mukin said such a mass slaying of
dogs was necessary and that without drastic measures the disease
would sooner or later spread to surrounding islands.

"We anticipate that there will be protests from the community,
but there is really no other way. If we don't, more people will
die," he said as quoted by Antara.

"We understand that people may feel disgusted about this, but
which is better: killing the dogs or letting humans die because
of the rabies carried by the dogs?" he added. (mds)