Rabies afflicts family in Pardo

CEBU, Philippines - A family in Barangay Pardo this city accused the City Pound personnel of carelessness and negligence, which allegedly resulted to rabies infection of their members, including their laundrywoman.

Lawyer Mario Ortiz, legal counsel of Antonietta Gabuya Fuentes, sent a letter to the City Council through Councilor Margarita Osmeña to bring to the council’s attention the incident which his client is blaming to the city pound staff.

Fuentes’ daughter, Donna, who is an animal lover, allegedly lost her pet dog on September 13. Few days after, she was informed by a tricycle driver in their place that the dog was among those impounded by the personnel of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries.

The dog was allegedly caught in the streets of Barangay Bulacao as the impounding was requested by Bulacao captain Jose Gabiana.

On September 15, Donna and her brother Derek reportedly claimed the dog after paying P500 fine and P150 for the anti-rabies vaccine.

Dr. Alice Utlang, city veterinarian said that the dog was supposedly vaccinated of anti-rabies on the day it was released but because the dog was found with unilateral purulent discharges on the right eye, the owners were advised to come back after seven days for the vaccination.

Utlang explained that unhealthy animal should not be given any vaccination because it will aggravate their condition. The pet owners were instead prescribed antibiotics that should be administered for seven days.

On September 19, during a party at the Fuentes’ house, the said dog bit the left foot of Antonietta. The following morning, the same dog attacked their laundrywoman and her two-year-old daughter.

Antonietta brought their laundrywoman and her daughter to the City Health-Animal Bite Department where they were prescribed with anti-rabies injection, which costs P4,860.

They were also prescribed with a different kind of anti-rabies vaccine that costs P6,000 per vial.

Antonietta needed to consume five vials, three vials for their laundrywoman and one vial for the child.

The dog eventually died on September 22 and was found positive with rabies according to the result of the biopsy conducted in Dumaguete City.

“It is so sad that the family have to dispose all the other dogs that were exposed to their impounded dog and to have the rest of the members of the family to be vaccinated with anti-rabies after their exposure,” Ortiz said in his letter to the council.

“The Fuentes family blames the city pound people for indiscriminately mixing their captive dogs and release those claimed by owners without warning them that their pets had been exposed to mad or sick dogs in the pound and without instructing them to quarantine their pets,” the lawyer added.

According to him, the family is under stress because they have already spent more than P60,000 for the treatment excluding the P5,000 medical assistance that Antonietta availed through the city’s medical program.

Ortiz’s letter was referred by the council to the city legal office and the DVMF during last Friday’s session. (THE FREEMAN)