An additional 60,000 doses of rabies vaccine received by the department of Livestock in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will improve the ongoing mass vaccination campaign for dogs and cats against rabies in the country.

This was revealed by the Director General Veterinary Services, Dr. Relebohile Mahloane in an interview on Tuesday.

According to Dr. Mahloane, following a good response from Basotho who took their dogs and cats for vaccination in different parts of the country, the initial 50,000 doses of the vaccine received from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), with financial assistance from the European Union (EU) last month, ran out at an early stage of the campaign.

He indicated that the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) came to their rescue and donated the 60,000 doses of vaccine. He pointed out that the vaccine will go a long way in ensuring that over 50 percent of the targeted 100,000 dogs and cats are vaccinated. He added that it will also help the department in achieving its mandate of the department which is to control diseases.

Dr. Mahloane acknowledged Basotho for taking their animals for vaccination as per the department’s call and thus contributing to the fight against rabies. He appealed to them to continue supporting the campaign as it will be ongoing throughout the whole month.