Mandaue City to step up animal welfare services

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Veterinary Office is planning to enhance its animal welfare services, with a focus on controlling the stray population.

City Veterinarian Dr. Karen Merilles said that impounded dogs and cats will either be rehomed, neutered, or released back into the community.

Merilles added that, aside from penalizing irresponsible pet owners, they are giving rescued cats and dogs a chance to be rehomed or reintegrated into the community.

According to an animal welfare group source, rehoming a dog or a cat “involves finding a new, suitable home for them that can no longer stay with their current owner. The goal is to ensure the animal's safety and well-being in a new home, rather than abandoning it or sending it to a shelter.”

Merilles explained that rescued animals will undergo sterilization—female animals will be spayed while male animals will be castrated. Some of them will be rehomed, while others may be returned to selected communities.

Interested adopters may visit the City Veterinary Office to undergo proper coordination and processing. The office has also identified strategic communities where animals can thrive, she said.

Merilles assured the public that animals would not be released outright; their reintegration will be carefully planned based on the readiness of the community.

She cited, for example, a mall in Mandaue City where an organization can help look after the animals, making it possible for them to be placed there.

These steps are part of our humane approach to controlling the stray population. “We have to make a better plan for these animals, especially for their welfare,” she said.

At the same time, Merilles reminded animal owners to maintain discipline. “They should be responsible. Dili lang kay buhi-buhi and then biyaan ra nila,” she stressed, adding that stray animals often suffer on the streets.

She also noted that strays pose risks to motorists and contribute to road accidents in the city. Unfortunately, some pet owners neglect their animals even when they get injured or run over.

“It’s very unfair for these animals. Once you start owning a pet, you think a hundred times if you can handle the responsibility,” said the city veterinarian.

Merilles emphasized that responsible pet ownership must be observed and upheld, as failure to do so carries penalties under national and local laws.

According to her, unregistered pets carry a fine of P2,000. Failure to restrain pets that cause accidents is punishable with a P10,000 fine, while the inability to assist victims of pet-related accidents carries a P25,000 penalty.

The City Veterinary Office is also calling on barangay captains to enforce these penalties. “Di man ma-discipline ang community if owners are not penalized g’yud,” Merilles said. — /RAE (FREEMAN)