MANGUPURA – Another case of dog bites has garnered serious attention from the local government in Legian Village, Kuta District, Badung Regency. On Monday (30/10), a tourist was reported to have fallen victim to a stray dog bite.

Ni Putu Putu Eka Martini, the head of Legian Village, confirmed receiving a report about a tourist being bitten by a dog. “We received a report that a tourist was bitten by a dog at Legian Beach. During the incident, the tourist, who was walking, was suddenly attacked by a dog, resulting in injuries to the leg,” quoted from NusaBali.

Following the attack by the stray dog, Eka Martini stated that the tourist promptly received medical attention. To ascertain whether the dog is rabies-infected, ongoing efforts are underway to locate the animal. Legian Village officials have also engaged with dog lovers, dog feeders, shelter owners, and the Department of Livestock and Fisheries of Badung Regency to determine the whereabouts of the dog.

“We have obtained the characteristics of the dog, and we are currently tracing its location. The course of action will be coordinated with the relevant authorities,” emphasized Eka Martini.

She asserted that dogs in Legian Beach are routinely vaccinated against rabies, particularly those owned by traders or residents. Residents are also advised not to release their dogs freely without vaccination. “Every vaccinated dog is given a collar tag, allowing the Legian Beach Task Force to identify and monitor dogs on the beach,” she added.

“This approach is our effort to prevent rabies cases in Legian. Unfortunately, due to the extensive Legian area, especially the Legian Beach public area, it is challenging to monitor dogs coming from outside Legian,” said Eka Martini.

“While cases of dog bites had momentarily subsided due to our collective efforts, they have suddenly reappeared. Frankly, monitoring dogs entering Legian from outside is a challenging task,” she expressed.