Owner of rabid dog should take the blame

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries refuses to take the blame from a family in Bulacao whose pet dog was infected with rabies after it was impounded.

City veterinarian Alice Utlang instead blamed the family of Antonietta Gabuya Fuentes for their alleged negligence and failure to abide by the City Ordinance 1802 which mandates all dog owners to register their pets and have them vaccinated.

Aside from the owner's failure to register their dogs, Utlang said that the Fuentes family also violated Section 5 of the Republic Act 9482, the anti Rabies Act of 2007, which says that it is the responsibility of the owner to maintain control over the dog and shall not allow it to roam the streets or any public place without a leash.

The same section mandates the owners to have their dogs regularly vaccinated against rabies.

Fuentes, through her lawyer Mario Ortiz, earlier asked the City Council to take appropriate action against the alleged negligence of the city pound personnel.

Fuentes said their dog acquired rabies because it was mixed with other stray dogs when it was impounded in September. City pound personnel impounded the dog after it was caught roaming on the street.

Fuentes claimed the dog on September 15 after paying the P500 fine and P150 for the anti-rabies vaccine.

Utlang however said the dog was released without the anti-rabies vaccine shot because the animal was found to have unilateral purulent discharges on the right eye. The owners were instead advised to come back with the dog after seven days for the vaccination.

However, Fuentes was bitten by the dog four days after its release from the city pound. The dog also bit their laundry woman and her two-year-old daughter.

Few days later the dog died and was found positive of rabies.

Fuentes blamed the city pound personnel for the rabies affliction because of their alleged negligence.

But Utlang said there is no basis to the allegations. "Our city pound, notwithstanding its dilapidated structure, has followed an established protocol in the receipt of impounding dogs. We have observed the one dog per cage policy," Utlang said. (FREEMAN)