Owners of dogs with rabies warned
Pet owners in Iloilo City have been warned of the full force of the law if they refuse to pay for the hospitalization or vaccine shots of people bitten by their animals.
The warning came after the initial meeting of the Iloilo City Rabies Control Committee where City Health Officer Dr. Urminico Baronda Jr. submitted a report stating that 897 people have been bitten by dogs and cats over a six-month period, from January to June this year.
Baronda said his office has registered 767 dog bites and 130 cat bites during the period.
Oftentimes, owners disown the animals as the cost of rabies vaccination alone can go as high as P24,000, he said. So far, no fatality from animal bites has been reported.
The committee members said negligent pet owners could be fined as much as P25,000, according to the law.
City Prosecutor Peter Baliao said violators can be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, City Veterinarian Tomas Forteza Jr. said his office is undertaking a three-pronged approach to fight the rabies problem – through surveillance, information-education campaign, and dog population control.
City Veterinarian Office records show that the city’s dog population stands at 23,032 with 18,156 of these already vaccinated.
Forteza said it will help if a barangay anti-rabies ordinance is passed and rabies education is integrated in the school curriculum. He also proposed rabies educational film showings during Parents-Teachers Association meetings.
Committee chair Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said pet owners should first be made aware of their responsibilities through reminders and advocacies before apprehensions are made.
Mabilog said he is also in favor of putting up billboards in every barangay outlining the laws covering pet ownership and the consequences that pet owners face when their animals bite people.
He said rabies is as deadly as dengue but more expensive to treat and pet owners must be responsible enough to shoulder the hospitalization or vaccination of people bitten by their pets.*
