Bali marks Tumpek Uye with free community rabies vaccinations

Denpasar — Bali’s provincial and local governments marked the 2026 Tumpek Uye observance on Saturday, 5 September, with free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and monkeys at community sites across the island, as part of a wider push to curb animal-borne transmission of the disease.

The provincial Agriculture and Food Security Office coordinated a mass vaccination drive for hewan penular rabies (rabies-transmitting animals) through banjar, village and kelurahan-level activities.

According to provincial officials quoted by local media, owners were asked to bring healthy pets, particularly dogs, cats and monkeys, to community vaccination points, where injections were provided free of charge.

The campaign’s public messaging stressed that the vaccine was safe and that vaccinating pets would help keep families safe, with the slogan “Vaksinasi ini gratis, vaksin aman, hewan sehat, keluarga selamat,” reported ahead of the event.

How the programme ran on Tumpek Uye

Media reports said the provincial campaign was held simultaneously across Bali’s regencies and cities on 5 September 2026, using local banjar, desa and kelurahan sites rather than a single central clinic.

Residents were advised that vaccinations would begin from around 08.00 WITA at community locations, with activities continuing until the day’s programme was completed.

Requirements highlighted by officials included that animals must be healthy before vaccination and, for dogs, able to be controlled during the injection and fitted with a collar afterward.

Alongside the provincial activities, individual local governments ran their own Tumpek Uye health services.

In Denpasar, the city’s Agriculture Office and local partners offered integrated animal-health services at Taman Catur and Pura Agung Jagatnatha, combining rabies vaccination, general health checks and free sterilisation for dogs and cats.

Badung Regency’s Agriculture and Food Office provided free rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats at Mangupura Vet Care, with additional requirements such as animals being at least three months old and not pregnant or nursing.

Rabies situation and vaccination coverage

Provincial data cited in a national media report showed that by July 2026 Bali had vaccinated 282,683 dogs, equivalent to 49.51 percent of the estimated dog population of 570,976.

Separately, provincial agriculture officials reported that average canine rabies vaccination coverage had reached about 57.40 percent of the estimated population in 2026, and said vaccine stocks were sufficient through the end of the year.

Earlier official and media reporting pointed to thousands of bites from rabies-transmitting animals in Bali and several deaths in 2025 and early 2026, underscoring why authorities continue to promote mass vaccination to reach at least 70 percent canine coverage — the benchmark commonly cited for interrupting transmission.

Notes for tourists travelling with animals

The Tumpek Uye rabies vaccination campaign was framed as a community and religious observance rather than a change in border or airline requirements.

Available provincial and local reports did not announce new entry rules for pets or specific arrangements for visiting foreign owners beyond the general free-vaccination offer at community sites.

Travellers bringing animals to Bali are therefore advised to comply with existing airline, quarantine and documentation rules from their country of origin and Indonesian authorities, and to treat participation in local campaigns as an additional preventive measure rather than a substitute for required travel health certificates.

Local governments in Denpasar, Badung and other areas have indicated that rabies vaccination services are offered routinely, including on special dates such as Tumpek Uye and World Rabies Day, so owners already residing in Bali can seek follow-up doses through municipal animal-health programmes.

Religious and cultural context

Tumpek Uye, also known as Tumpek Kandang, falls on Saniscara Kliwon, Wuku Uye in the Balinese calendar and is traditionally dedicated to animals.

In 2026, provincial authorities and community groups used the occasion to pair ritual activities, such as prayers and ceremonies at Pura Luhur Batukau in Tabanan and other temples, with practical conservation and animal-welfare actions including rabies vaccination and dog sterilisation.

Officials presented the combined programme as an effort to protect both animals and people while encouraging more harmonious relations between communities, the environment and wildlife.

Sources

• Detik Bali
• Tribun Bali
• Bali Post
• JPNN Bali
• Media Indonesia
• Duta Bali News
• Lokalfinds blog (citing Bali provincial health and agriculture data)
• Ground News (Tumpek Uye conservation summary)