BY SAMUEL IGBAVBOA
The Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has commenced a State-wide free anti-rabies vaccination for dogs and cats in veterinary clinics across the State.
Declaring the exercise open, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Stephen Idehenre, emphasized the need to vaccinate pets like dogs, cats, monkeys, amongst others against Rabies. He urged pet owners in the State to seize the opportunity to vaccinate their pets free of charge, courtesy of the Edo State Government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture at the State Veterinary Clinics in their local government areas.
The Commissioner carried out the symbolic flag-off of the Anti-Rabies Vaccination exercise and after that other pets were vaccinated. He handed over Anti-Rabies Vaccines and Syringes to the Area Veterinary Officers representing the three Senatorial Zones of the State, namely: Edo Central, Edo North and Edo South.
Mr. Idehenre also used the platform to encourage pet owners to visit their various local government veterinary clinics to vaccinate their pets free of charge to prevent the spread of Rabies in the State
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Peter Aikhuomoghogbe, lauded the efforts of the State Government and FMARD for kicking off this year’s vaccination exercise. He disclosed that the vaccination exercise has also been extended to farm animals, which were vaccinated against Contagious Bovine Pluero Pneumonia (CBPP) and Peste-des Petit Ruminant (PPR). He added that adequate records must be taken and properly documented to track and gather the statistics of animals vaccinated in the State.
In his closing remarks, the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Thomas Haruna, thanked the stakeholders for their time and support in making the Anti-Rabbis Vaccination exercises a success. He stressed that the exercise has been ongoing in the State, and urged farmers and pet owners to visit the Ministry of Agriculture or the Veterinary Clinic in their locality to vaccinate their animals, adding that there are enough vaccines to go around.
A beneficiary, John Adelaja, whose five dogs were vaccinated, appreciated the State Government for the gesture, positing that vaccines from the government are trusted, and advocated that additional vaccines like Distemper should be included in vaccination exercise, as a way of encouraging pet owners in the State.
