City offers free vaccination for female dogs

CEBU, Philippines – The personnel of City Hall's Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DMDF) has offered free vaccination of female dogs in Cebu City if their owners allow that their pets be subjected to ligation.

City veterinarian Alice Utlang said the program is one way to encourage animal lovers to have their pets vaccinated to prevent the spread of rabies in the city.

Utlang said that at present, there are already four dogs in Cebu City that have been found positive of rabies. The dogs come from Barangays Guadalupe, Lahug, Kalunasan and Busay.

A 16-year old girl, a student of Florencio Urot Memorial High School in Barangay Mabolo, died last month days after she was bitten by a pet dog in Barangay Busay. The incident also prompted the city's veterinary office to intensify vaccination of dogs here.

A rapid dog will transmit the virus to another dog or any human being through a bite. The virus is usually excreted through the infected animal's saliva and the person bitten by animal may die if not attended to fast.

"Kon kadtong mga iro nga dunay rabies makakita'g bugno mataptan usab sila'g rabies," Utlang said.

Utlang explained they have gone slow in capturing stray dogs because they reportedly found out that victims of dog bites were bitten by pet dogs and not by stray dogs.

Utlang expressed appreciation to officials of Barangay Apas because only the barangay allocated P50,000 for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccines for its poor residents to use in case bitten by cats or dogs.

"Sa tanang mga barangay ang Apas ra ang nakahimo niini og ang kwarta gikan ra sa ilang share sa koleksyon sa registration sa mga iro sa ilang barangay. Angay kini nga sundon sa ubang barangay," Utlang said.

Utlang urged all barangay officials to spearhead the enforcement of the existing city ordinance and the national law that requires the dog owners to have their pet dogs registered and vaccinated. (FREEMAN)