Town in southwest China culls all dogs after woman dies from rabies
Victim was a dentist who was bitten by her pet husky, but refused treatment fearing treatment would affect her pregnancy, according to news report
A small town in Meishan city, Sichuan culled more than 240 dogs after a woman died from a bite, the West China City Daily reports.
The slaughter started on Thursday, a day after it was confirmed that the victim died from rabies, authorities of Xiuwen town said.
Law enforcement officers in gloves beat the dogs to death with long poles. The animals’ bodies were transported to disposal site by government staff wearing face masks.
The woman, a dentist, was bitten by her own pet Husky in July and died in January. She refused to go to hospital because the dog had been vaccinated. She also feared the treatment might affect her pregnancy.
The township government said three people have died from rabies in the past eight years. Because about 20 per cent of vaccinated dogs can still carry the rabies virus, officials decided to cull the entire canine population within 3km of the town.