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Cebu News

DVMF discontinues cats and dogs day

Iris Hazel Mascardo - The Freeman

CEBU, Philippines —  To address what it described as the  abuse  of Cebu City s public veterinary services, the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) has announced the cancellation of its weekly city-wide  Cats and Dogs  Day.

In a statement to reporters on Sunday, April 13, DVMF Chief Dr. Alice Utlang said that the city had been holding an  Iro and Iring Day  every Thursday and Friday, offering free services to dogs and cats, particularly spaying and neutering procedures.

However, Utlang said they have recently decided to discontinue the program and instead deliver the services directly to the barangays.

 Kay mas maayo pa didto nga klaro gyud kaayo nga ang mga iro nga gidala taga Cebu City,  said Utlang.

She explained that the decision came after learning that non-Cebu City residents were taking advantage of the services, depleting supplies and creating an unfair situation for legitimate city residents.

Utlang noted that the impact has already been felt, as the DVMF now struggles to source replacement supplies. There were even instances where the department had to borrow from other clinics just to sustain their operations.

 Nya pagka himan himan daghan diay nga atong gikapon, gi ligate didto sa atong office, iro, dili taga city, so unfair kaayo,  she added.

Utlang described the situation as an  abuse  of Cebu City s resources.

The issue came to light after reports surfaced of a provincial animal rescuer availing of the city s free services. Another report revealed that some Cebu City residents were bringing in pets from outside the city to benefit from the program.

By shifting to a barangay-based approach, Utlang said they hope to coordinate with local officials to profile eligible recipients of the services. She emphasized that the city government has allocated P5 million for veterinary drugs this year.

She also encouraged other Local Government Units (LGUs) to establish similar pet service programs to prevent non-residents from relying on Cebu City s initiatives.

On her social media page, Utlang further announced that the schedule for barangay-based spay and neuter services will be determined by the number of rabies and high bite cases in each area.

So far this year, eight rabies cases have been recorded. The DVMF logged a total of 27 rabies cases for all of 2024.

Utlang said they take these figures seriously, underscoring the department s commitment to eliminating rabies in Cebu City. She also mentioned that vaccinators have been trained to support the city s efforts in promoting responsible pet ownership.  (CEBU NEWS)

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