Bali’s got a real dog problem, no doubt about it. Take a nice evening stroll on the beach and you’ll find Bali dogs begging for attention and food, or better yet, go on a run and you’ll be chased down by a gang of pups eager to play.
The sheer amount of stray dogs is a numbers problem alone, but factoring in rabies makes the situation even more dire.
The official account of rabies positive dogs is about 75, based on data spanning from January to September 2014, according to the Bali Times. These rabid dogs are spread throughout nine regencies and one city on the island.
Numbers are up from last year, almost doubling the 44 reported rabid dogs in 2013. The government will allegedly continue mass vaccination to address the epidemic—we hope it really is vaccination and not the culling that Bali is so infamous for!
Look out for dogs that are heavily salivating as a major warning sign for rabies. Dogs that look calm then quickly become aggressive and those afraid of water are also likely rabies positive, says Head of Animal Health & Animal Husbandry Nata Kusuma.
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