Pet owners often unknowingly increase their risk of contracting diseases from their dogs through common habits like infrequent bathing, manually removing ticks and fleas, and sharing a bed.
Ward and commune People's Committees will establish specialized forces to apprehend stray dogs and cats, transferring them to the city's centralized animal shelters, based on local conditions.
Ho Chi Minh City recorded five rabies deaths in the first six months of the year, matching the total for all of 2025. All victims had not received rabies vaccine or anti-rabies serum after being bitten by dogs or cats.
Bitten by dogs while selling lottery tickets and ice cream, Ms. Phung and Mr. Thanh had to arrange money for rabies shots themselves, despite their low daily income.
Southern provinces recorded nearly 20 rabies deaths in the first six months of the year, mostly due to bites from free-roaming dogs and cats, and victims' complacency in not getting vaccinated.
Nearly 20 rabies deaths recorded in southern Vietnam during the first half of the year, with many cases missing life-saving opportunities due to reliance on folk remedies like "taking venom".
Minh Dat from Gia Lai asks: "I completed my rabies vaccination after a dog bite 10 years ago. Now, after being bitten by a stray cat, I'm told I need a full five-dose vaccination regimen again. Why is this necessary?"
Phuong Anh, 23, from Hai Phong, describes being scratched on the chest by her pet cat, resulting in minor bleeding. She asks if it is too late to get a rabies vaccine, as the cat disappeared on the seventh day and could not be monitored.
