ILOILO City – Animal bite cases could potentially surge this summer as is usually the case each year in the months of April and May, according to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6. It pressed for responsible pet ownership.
Pets, particularly dogs and cats, must be leashed, said Ame Liz Mardoquio, coordinator of DOH-6’s Rabies Prevention and Control Program.
“Indi naton pagpalagawon aton mga ido,” she stressed.
DOH-6 also urged local government units (LGUs) to strictly enforce Republic Act (RA) 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 that calls for the control and eradication of human and animal rabies.
“There were 143 animal rabies positive cases in the region in 2018. If there’s an increase in animal bite cases we may not have enough anti-rabies vaccines,” said Mardoquio.
Section 5 of RA 9482 lists the responsibilities of pet owners, especially of dogs. These are the following:
* have their dogs regularly vaccinated against rabies and 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 dogs and not allow them to roam the streets or any public place without a leash
* be a responsible owner by providing the dogs with proper grooming, adequate food and clean shelter
* within 24 hours, report immediately any dog biting incident to the concerned officials for investigation or for any appropriate action and place such dog under observation by a government or private veterinarian
* assist the dog bite victim immediately and shoulder the medical expenses incurred and other incidental expenses relative to the victim’s injuries.
“We have to be responsible pet owners. If our dogs have no rabies, then there will be no human rabies, too,” said Dr. Elvie Villalobos, head of DOH-6 Infectious Disease Cluster.
Among the penalties (fines) imposed by the law on irresponsible pet owners are the following:
* failing or refusing to have their dogs registered and immunized against rabies – P2,000
* refusing to have their dogs vaccinated against rabies – pay for the vaccination of both the dog and the individual bitten by the dog
* refusing to have the dog put under observation after said dog bit an individual – P10,000
* refusing to have the dog put under observation and does not shoulder the medical expenses of the person bitten by the dog – P25,000
* refusing to put leash on dogs when they are brought outside the house – P500 for each incident.
Last year, DOH-6 recorded 93,520 animal bite cases with 17 human rabies deaths.
For the first two months of this year, the regional health office already recorded seven deaths due to rabies./PN
