Awareness lack shows in case of dog bites

M’LANG, North Cotabato—When a dog bites man, don’t kill it.

A case of a rabid dog biting at least five people in the village of Dugong, is highlighting the villagers’ lack of awareness about rabies.

Noa Sabel, village chair of Dugong, said five people had been bitten by the dog as they were walking home or performing their tasks.

Two of the victims, who suffered bites in the leg, are high school students.

Villagers killed the dog as it continued to attack. No one knew who owned the rabid dog, according to the village chief.

But the villagers should not have killed the animal.

According to health experts, a suspected rabid dog should be examined and observed first. If the dog dies, it means it is rabid.

All of the victims had been rushed to the Cotabato Provincial Hospital, where they were given their preliminary antirabies shots, according to Sabel.

It was the latest in the series of cases of dog attacks in the town this year.

In April, a 71-year-old woman was seriously injured after she was attacked by the pet dog of a family in Barangay Poblacion-B here.

Also in the same month, a 57-year-old man died after he was bitten by a rabid dog.

Authorities said the increasing number of stray dogs had contributed to the increasing number of cases of dog attacks here.

In Kidapawan City, dog attacks have been determined to be among the threats to the safety of residents and the increasing number of cases has alarmed the city government.

From January to October alone, 916 cases of dog bites had already been reported, according to Mayor Joseph Evangelista.

In response, the Kidapawan City Veterinary Office has further strengthened its campaign to capture stray dogs.

Dr. Eugene Gornez, Kidapawan City veterinarian, said while the number of dog bites had increased, there has been no death so far. Williamor Magbanua and Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao