Over 1,800 dogs and cats will be vaccinated in Naivasha this week in an anti-rabies drive organised by two agencies.
According to Samuel Theuri, who works with Pan-African Animal Welfare Alliance, the three-day exercise targets low-cost estates in the area.
Speaking during the exercise in Karagita estate, he said the process is important even if no rabies incidences had been reported in the area, adding that prevention is better than cure.
“We have some vets from the US who are assisting us and after Naivasha we shall go to Taita Taveta,” he said.
Theuri’s organisation has partnered with the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA) in the drive.
“Many people are not aware about rabies and are treating the exercise with suspicion. We are calling on all dog and pet owners to bring them for vaccination,” he said.
Naivasha veterinary officer Enos Amuyunzu said several cases of dog bites had been reported in the area. He noted that they were aiming at vaccinating over 6,000 dogs and cats against rabies in the sub-county.
“This exercise will be carried out in all parts of the sub-county as rabies is a very dangerous disease that is spread by these animals,” he said.
KPSCA’s Juliet Tatton said that apart from vaccination, the animals will be de-wormed while those injured will also be treated.
“We are committed to the eradicating rabies in the country,” she said.