Experts counsel dog meat consumers, rearers on proper treatment

DOG meat consumers have been counselled to be wary of the type of dogs they eat since they stand the risk of being infected with rabies if they eat unvaccinated dogs.

They also advised those who keep or rear dogs but cannot vaccinate them appropriately to cease indulging in the dog-rearing business.

These counsels were given yesterday by a veterinary doctor, Dr. Uche Njoku of the Micheal OkparaUniversity of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State and a security expert/dog-rearer, Dr Cyra Obi, who is the Managing Director of Trustlink Ventures Nigeria Limited who also owns a subsidiary company, Trustlink Guards &Dogs Institute in Umuahia.

They spoke during the mass free-vaccination of dogs and awareness/public-sensitization on the need to do so to avoid and prevent the spread of rabies. Trustlink sponsored the event in conjunction with Tex American Investigative & Security Services Inc to mark this year’s World Rabies Day in the State.

According to the Veterinary Doctor: “Eating dog meat poses great danger because one may not know the dog’s history to know which one was appropriately reared by being vaccinated against rabies. Moreso as many dogs do come from outside, hence there is the likelihood of their being infected.”

Commenting on the risk of being infected with rabies, Dr Obi said that keeping dogs is not an easy task hence the keeper must involve professionals to prescribe the foods. He recalled that his company lost over 30 dogs worth millions on naira to food poisoning resulting from feeding them with poorly processed soya beans.

According to him, 1000 dogs were targeted for vaccination during the exercise while the sensitization and awareness campaign featured a dogs procession along the major streets of Umuahia, visit to the university, the state Police headquarters, government house, ministries among others.