ILOILO City – If you truly are a responsible pet owner, vaccinate your furry friends against rabies now, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 6 as the country marks the Rabies Awareness Month.
“Dapat ang imo ido pabakunahan mo gid, regular or every year,” said Dr. Pacifico Lumauag III, DA regional rabies coordinator.
Rabies primarily affects warm-blooded animals other than man, notably dogs, cats, rats, and bats, but which can be transmitted to humans by infected animals.
The rabies virus, which is present in the saliva of an infected animal, is passed to a human through a bite, or rarely, when the animal’s saliva gets in contact with a scratch or fresh break in the skin.
This year’s Rabies Awareness Month has the theme, “Maging responsableng amo, huwag hayaang gumala ang alagang pusa’t aso.”
How to become a responsible pet owner?
“Vaccinate them not only for rabies kundi pati na sa sa iban pa nga balatian like common viral diseases,” Lumauag reiterated.
A pet owner should also know how to limit the number of animals in custody.
“Sagod ka lang base sa masarangan mo,” Lumauag stressed. “Kon ang imo ido maglampas sa duha or tatlo, indi na dapat pagpabata-on. Dapat gina-control na ang pagdamo.”
The rabies coordinator encouraged pet owners to help in the information dissemination on dog ownership programs and campaigns of the DA and the Department of Health (DOH).
“Ang responsible pet ownership isa gid sa gina-promote sang Republic Act 9482, or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007.”
He made a rundown on other duties pet owners should fulfill as stated under Section 5 of the Act.
* maintain a registration card which shall contain all vaccinations conducted on their dog, for accurate record purposes
* submit their dogs for mandatory registration
* maintain control over their dog and not allow it to roam the streets or any public place without a leash
* provide dogs with proper grooming, adequate food and clean shelter
* within 24 hours, report immediately any dog biting incident to concerned officials for appropriate action, and place such dog under observation by a veterinarian
* assist the dog bite victim immediately and shoulder the medical expenses incurred and other incidental expenses relative to the victim’s injuries
What penalties a pet owner may face for any violation?
* Pet owners who fail or refuse to have their dog registered and immunized against rabies shall face a fine of P2,000
* Pet owners who refuse to have their dog vaccinated against rabies shall be liable to pay for the vaccination of both the dog and the individuals bitten by their dog
* Pet owners who refuse to have their dog put under observation after said dog has bitten an individual shall be meted a fine of P10,000
* Pet owners who refuse to have their dog put under observation and do not shoulder the medical expenses of the person bitten by their dog shall be meted a fine of P25,000
* Pet owners who refuse to put leash on their dogs when they are brought outside the house shall be meted a fine of P500 for each incident
* An impounded dog shall be released to its owner upon payment of a fine of not less than P500 but not more than P1,000
* Any person found guilty of trading dog for meat shall be fined not less than P5,000 per dog and subject to imprisonment for one to four years
* Any person found guilty of using electrocution as a method of euthanasia shall be fined not less than P5,000 per act and subject to imprisonment for one to four years
* If the violation is committed by an alien, he or she shall be immediately deported after service of sentence without any further proceedings.
Based on Lumauag’s personal assessment, “only 50 percent” of Western Visayans had a “truest concern” on dogs and other animals.
“Ang iban nagasagod man matuod sang ido pero tuyo nila amo nga magpa-breed kag magbaligya sa ulihi sang ila mga puppies para makwartahan,” Lumauwag lamented.
Out of the 950,000 dog population in Western Visayas, only 190,000 or 20 percent had been vaccinated, based on DA-6’s March 2021 record.
Lumauag is hoping for an increase in vaccination coverage until the end of the month.
The DA-6 has an ongoing information and education campaign in partnership with the city and provincial veterinary offices.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Lumauag is calling on the public to become responsible pet owners.
“Indi man pagdula-a ang responsibilidad mo sa ido. Ihatag man ang nagakaangay sa iya,” he added.
Among Filipinos, dogs account for 98 percent of rabies infection, cats account for the remaining two percent, according to DOH.
An infected dog can transmit the rabies virus even before it becomes ill, but it will invariably manifest signs and symptoms of rabies including change in behavior such as unprovoked aggressiveness and excitability, paralysis, and hydrophobia within five days, and die within two weeks, after it gets infected./PN
