Sunday 14 March 2010

Rabies is a Threat? That Character from "Maid Marian and Her Merry Men"? I Knew It!

Rabies Outbreak (1976) - Public Information Film



Although Rabies never really gets talked about much these days, it's still a serious infection, it's just that us, western spoiled-types are all vaccinated, as well as domestic warm-blooded animals and livestock. Old news, maybe but, if you live in a poor country in Africa or Asia, you can still be killed from it. It's fatal from the word go. That doesn't mean this overly-charged PIF isn't immune from some of the classic scaremongering that was going on in PIF's in those days. You can get rabies from basically any mammal, but why is so much to blame on the dogs? This PIF warns of all domestic animals being a danger, but 1 poor dog is the centre of the piece, revered like a killer. Dogs get most of the stick because, out of the 2 domestic mammals that are allowed to roam freely, not from a farm, cats are more controlled in their behaviour, although not perfect. Dogs like to put just about anything into their mouths out of curiosity or whatnot.

The situation of the film, poses like it's a nuclear fall-out zone. Rabies areas are cordoned off, all foxes are to be killed, no free moving of mutts and felines and worst of all, no cat shows and dog shows! Better off without them actually. The dog featured, faces execution as non-verbally told by the PIF.

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