Pet Owners Required By DVMF For Turned Over Animals

The Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicines and Fisheries (DVMF) has discouraged pet dog and cat owners from just turning over their pets to their office if they don’t like them anymore.

City Veterinarian Alice Utlang said one way to discourage pet dog and cat owners from turning over their pets to DVMF is to require them to pay P150 for the registration and vaccination fees, and to donate 10 kilos of pet food.

“Mao nay among gusto to discourage them to just give their pets away. Magpatuga-tuga og buhi unya kon dili na sila makaatiman ihatag na lang sa gobyerno. Unya unsa may ipakaon namo anang ilang iro? Gaabuso sa gobyerno, puno nami sa iro, kami ila himoong killer,” Utlang said.

Utlang said Section 6 of Republic Act 8485 provides that it shall be unlawful for any persons to torture any animal or neclect to provide them adequate care, sustenance or shelter, including the depriving of shelter and food.

She further explained that the city is strictly complying with the provisions of the law that prohibits the killing of dogs and cats as what the city personnel did during the past several years.

The DVMF personnel had stopped apprehending stray dogs, unless if the barangay officials would be the one who make the request. During the last few years, about 3,000 to 4,000 dogs are killed every year.

Utlang had found out that those dogs that had been found positive of rabies in Cebu City were not stray dogs, but they were pet dogs. “Luoy kaayo ang mga iro nga atong lang pangdakpon ug patyon nga dili man diay sila ang nagdala og rabies,” said Utlang.

The law requires the owners of dogs to have their pets immunized with anti-rabies vaccine and to impose P25,000 fine against them if they will not shoulder the expenses of medications of persons bitten by their pets.

“Ang balaud mosilot ‘sab og P2,000 nga multa kon dili mopa-injection og anti-rabies vaccine sa ilang mga iro,” said Utlang.