Animal Health Care Tops Provincial Vet Office’s 2017 Program Thrust

As 2016 draws to a close, the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) sees itself reaching out to serve more municipalities and implement programs on animal health care.

During recently concluded PVO’s program review at the Capitol Social Hall, animal health division chief Dr. Louie Maestrado pushed for continued support to the province’s program on animal rescue.

He emphasized the need for constant training for municipal agriculturists, the Philippine National Police, Bantay Dagat personnel, and other personalities involved in animal health to update all concerned in the latest in animal care and rescue measures.

“Through these trainings, we aim to create a quick response team for animal rescue and create awareness that animal life too is important to the ecosystem,” said Maestrado.

This year, PVO conducted four animal rescue training in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 7.

The two-day trainings focused on basic behavior of large sea animals like whales and giant sea turtles. The first day was allotted for discussions while hands-on exercises were done on the second day to test their knowledge and learning from the discussions.

In 2011, the Cebu Marine Animal Reserve Network (CMARN) was created with the Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office as lead department and Republic Act (RA) 10631 of Amended Animal Welfare Act of 1998 as the backbone.

RA 10631 guarantees the protection of all terrestrial, aquatic, and marine animals in the Philippines. It also defines animal welfare as the physical and psychological well-being of animals.

Prevention and treatment of disease of the animals is also guaranteed under the amendment as in the case of a giant sea turtle (pawikan) in Pamilakan, Bohol in October 2016.

PVO, with the help of the University of San Carlos Marine Biology Department, transported a sick pawikan to Cebu. It was taken to an animal clinic and was diagnosed with its lungs full of tumors.

Maestrado reported many animals rescued in Cebu Province, mostly pawikan, thus the need for a strengthened and sustained animal rescue program in Cebu. (Fides Palicte)

SOURCE: www.cebu.gov.ph