On Sunday the 2nd October Kloof and Highway SPCA Clinic team hosted a Rabies Clinic.
It was wonderful to see the public coming through with their pets and over the period of 2 hours 290 dogs and cats were vaccinated against rabies.
The staff also took the opportunity to educate pet owners on the importance of vaccinations as well general education on puppy training, diet, and behavioral issues.
The Theme for this year’s World Rabies Day was – Rabies: One Health, Zero Deaths. Coming together is key to disease elimination. Rabies exemplifies the interconnection between the health of humans, animals and the environment. Rabies is currently a very serious problem in South Africa, with outbreaks in animals occurring in all nine provinces. High-risk dog rabies cycles are present in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and on the Free state-Limpopo border. Hot spots for KZN Veterinary Services are Durban (180 cases this year so far) and the KZN Coast of rural communities (323 cases with 2 human deaths so far this year).
There has been a drastic increase in the number of positive cases in KwaZulu-Natal and in-between the period of January 2022-August 2022. Our Kloof and Highway SPCA has had 51 Rabies positive cases pf the 180 total cases so far. Hammarsdale is an area where there is an increase in numbers that are expected to grow considerably in the future. We urge all pet owners to ensure that their pets are vaccinated against Rabies, it is a legal requirement to ensure that this is done. There is no cure once the Rabies virus is contracted. Rabies vaccinations need to be done annually to ensure the vaccine remains effective, and thereby not only protects your four-legged companions but also your immediate family and community.
