Restrictions lifted on rabies kennels

FOLLOWING A joint investigation with the Health Protection Agency, (HPA) into the rabies biting incident two weeks ago, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (DEFRA) has now lifted restrictions on the specialist quarantine facility Chingford Quarantine Kennels where the incident took place.

A DEFRA spokesperson commented: ‘A full tracing exercise for animals and humans that may have been in contact with the infected dog was concluded.’

Rabies was confirmed at the facility on 25 April, in a dog which subsequently died of the disease. Before its death it had bitten 3 workers at the kennel.

One of those bitten was Kim Cooling, founder of animal rescue charity Animal SOS Sri Lanka. The infected puppy was one of eleven dogs that Kim had imported from Sri Lanka. She and two workers at Chingford Kennels, (part of the Goddard Veterinary Group) have been treated against rabies and have displayed no symptoms.