The City Veterinary and Agriculture Office reported about 20,000 dogs have been registered in Baguio pursuant to the city’s Responsible Pet Ownership Ordinance.
CVAO Veterinarian 1 Dr. Michael Takinan said most of those who had their pets registered preferred the dog tagging method while only one percent of the registered dogs underwent micro-chipping.
He said the registration of dogs is simultaneously being done with the local government’s anti-rabies vaccination drive not only in their main office but also in the different barangays to achieve the objective of having all dogs registered.
He called on owners of dogs to register their pets with the CVAO either through dog tagging or micro-chipping to ensure the local government will be able to achieve the goal of registering all dogs in the city.
Under the Responsible Pet Ownership Ordinance, dog owners are mandated to register their pets with the CVAO either through dog tagging or micro-chipping so that owners of stray dogs can immediately be identified by concerned barangay officials and personnel of the CVAO once they are found to be outside the premises of their residences.
Dog owners are required to pay P50 registration fee while the dog tag shall be shouldered by the owner.
He said there are groups of animal welfare advocates who are helping in the local government’s campaign for the registration of dogs by providing for free the dog tags.
For owners that opt for the micro-chipping as a mode of registering their dogs, Takinan said they must pay P450 inclusive of the registration fee and the microchip that will be embedded on the animal. He said the CVAO will continue to intensify efforts to convince dog owners to have their dogs registered. – PIO release