March 28, 2024

The City Veterinary and Agriculture Office is reminding the public to avail of free anti-rabies vaccination for their pets, as the city attempts to exceed its 2021 figures when 53,000 animals were inoculated.
CVAO head Silario Bested said vaccination is done the whole year from Monday to Friday either at the CVAO at Slaughterhouse Compound or by schedule in different barangays.
Anti-rabies vaccination for dogs and cats were conducted in barangays Loakan Apugan, Atok Trail, Imelda, Loakan Liwanag, and Loakan Proper last April 1 to 8.
Bested said the free vaccination, which is being done for many years now, is part of the program to eliminate rabies in the Philippines by 2030.
The city council earlier passed Ordinance 19-2021 or the Responsible Dog Ownership Ordinance which requires owners to perform acts for the welfare of the animals and the people.
Bested said the city continues to record low rabies cases, with only two animal rabies cases logged in 2021, and no human rabies case so far.
“Mas educated ang tao ngayon. Marami na ang nagpapabakuna ng kanilang aso. Last year, more than 53,000 ang nagpabakuna sa atin, iba pa ang mga nagdadala sa private veterinary clinics,” Bested said.
A dog that is at least three months old and above must receive the first dose of the anti-rabies vaccine and a booster shot every year.
Aside from vaccination, the ordinance requires registration of dogs and the putting of dog tags for easier identification of the animals as well as easier recovery and identification of owners when the pets are lost.
Registration fee is P50 per dog which also entitles the owner to a registration certificate.
Bested said more than 6,000 dogs are now registered with the CVAO. – PNA