Officials at the Guyana Live-stock Development Authority (GLDA) on Wednesday evening impounded several dogs which entered Guyana illegally, breaching quarantine regulations.
The exercise which was headed by GLDA Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dr. Dwight Waldron saw five dogs transported from Cuba without an import permit being seized, GINA said yesterday.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture George Jervis condemned the illegal importation of animals.
“These are not rules which are implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture willy-nilly. These are rules which remain important. There is a reason we (GLDA) insist on animals being quarantined and that is to ensure they are not infected as these infections can then be transferred to other animals and humans, Jarvis said.
Three of the dogs have since been euthanised, while the other two which were over four months are presently at the Quarantine Station at Timehri, GINA said.
The law states that any animal entering Guyana must be accompanied by a medical certificate and an import permit issued only by the GLDA.
The animals upon examination were also discovered to not have been given the rabies vaccination without which they would have posed a serious threat to other animals as well as humans.
