Preventing rabies from affecting the tourism industry

Vung Tau City was recognized as a rabies-free zone in 2019. To date, the city has successfully maintained this status, with no reported cases of rabies in dogs and cats and no deaths caused by rabid animals.

The city has developed and implemented a plan for rabies prevention, which includes vaccinating dogs and cats and organizing efforts to catch stray dogs.

As of early 2024, there are over 5,000 households in Vung Tau that own dogs and cats, totalling more than 8,500 pets. The vaccination rate for these animals reached approximately 87% in 2023.

The city has also directed wards and communes to establish task forces to catch stray dogs and strictly handle cases of non-compliance with rabies prevention measures.

Each year, the city government directs local wards and communes to manage and create lists of households with dogs and cats or maintain records of these pets. At least twice a year, these records are updated and reported to the Department of Economics and the City Livestock and Veterinary Station.

Before organizing vaccination campaigns, Vung Tau City reviews, compiles, and updates information on the dog population to ensure timely vaccine supply.

In 2024, the main vaccination campaign is scheduled from March 21 to April 30. During the rest of the year, local wards and communes will conduct supplementary vaccinations for any missed dogs. As of March 27, 2024, a total of 1,291 dogs have been vaccinated.

Thanks to effective public awareness campaigns, residents of Vung Tau have become more compliant with regulations, such as not letting dogs roam freely. For example, Mr Truong Duc Vien from Ward 2 keeps his two dogs either in kennels or on leashes, and he has strictly avoided letting them run loose.

Ms Le Hai Van, Deputy Head of the Department of Economics of Vũng Tàu City, stated that the locality has established a team to catch stray dogs and organized dog-catching activities throughout the area. In 2023, the city directed the People's Committees of wards and communes to set up specialized teams for catching stray dogs and cats. This dual action aims to effectively tackle the issue of stray dogs throughout the city.

"If in 2020, the dog-catching team caught 20 dogs, handling 11 cases with nearly VND 8 million, by the end of 2023 and the first three months of 2024, the team only detected and caught 1 case", Ms Van informed.

Vung Tau is a tourist hub, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists. It is also an area with great potential for the development of maritime services, seafood economy, and oil and gas services for the whole country.

Therefore, maintaining Vung Tau as a safe area for rabies is of great significance, not only to protect human health but also to contribute to the economic development of the locality. This has been emphasized by Mr Tran Dinh Khoa, Secretary of the Vung Tau City Party Committee, in many meetings and directives.

Bai Truoc Park (Ward 1) is a popular destination for many tourists and local residents to exercise, relax, and check in. For a long time now, there has been no issue of stray dogs in this area. Most dogs are leashed and taken for walks by their owners. This park used to be a place where many tourists complained about the presence of stray dogs, posing a risk to safety.

Bai Truoc Park in Vung Tau has long been free from the presence of stray dogs thanks to the decisive actions of the authorities. Photo: Le Binh.

"I see that Bai Truoc Park and the streets in Vung Tau are now free from stray dogs. Most dogs are leashed, accompanied, and muzzled by their owners. This helps me feel somewhat reassured when walking on the streets and visiting the park for relaxation", shared Ms Huong, a tourist.

Recently, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Department of Health, held a working session with Vung Tau City on strengthening rabies prevention and control in the city. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Bui Quang Tuan, Deputy Head of the Provincial Livestock and Veterinary Bureau, highly praised the city's efforts in rabies prevention and control.

"We propose that the city continue to maintain the recognized rabies-safe area, strengthen propaganda activities to households, associations, organizations, and pet owners regarding rabies vaccination for dogs and cats, and strictly handle violations in rabies prevention", Mr Tuan said.

From the beginning of the year until the end of April 2024, Ba Ria-Vung Tau recorded nearly 500 people bitten by dogs and cats who had to receive rabies vaccinations. The province also recorded one rabies outbreak in dogs in the Chau Duc district and one suspected rabies outbreak in dogs in the Dat Do district.