By Rey Anthony ChiuPIA-Bohol
Multi-sectors recently united to wipe canine rabies threat away from Bohol and private and government veterinarians traded insights with legislators at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Conference Hall to hone an ordinance taken up for a public hearing for a singular aim: declare Bohol rabies free after four years.
Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera personally facilitated the event and stressed the while the ordinance aims to strengthen the anti-rabies program, there is still a need for responsible pet-ownership to complement the aim of inoculating most of the dogs and managing dog population by eradicating strays here.
According to Provincial Veterinarian Stella Marie Lapiz, as of last year, local dog has reached 165 thousand and a big percentage of it are stray dogs, the usual sources of rabies virus.
If we do not control [dog population] and let people keep them, in ten years, the dogs would outnumber the people, says Herrera, who is now into shepherding again a novel legislation for Bohol.
"Its about time that we have to tell the people that keeping dogs comes with a responsibility", he said.
The draft ordinance, which underwent scrutiny Tuesday, seeks to unify related local laws to give implementers the teeth needed to keep a sustainable program barking.
Under section 5 of the ordinance, owners are now required to have their dogs vaccinated annually, maintain the Provincial Veterinarian's Office provided dog tag registered by the Bureau of Animal Industry and submit their dogs to a mandatory registration.
The ordinance also regulates fees for the mandatory registration, which already includes anti-rabies vaccination, dog tag and registration cards. Owners of registered male dogs pay P100, while owners of female or neutered dogs pay P50.
After registration, owners maintain control over their pets, never allowing them to roam the streets of in public parks without a leash, it continues.
Section 7 of the ordinance says unregistered, stray or unvaccinated dogs would be impounded, and after three days, if not claimed, the dogs shall be given for adoption to qualified persons. Otherwise, these are disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.
A penal provision is incorporated in the legislation. Dog owners refusing to register shoulder a financial burden of P5T, and in cases when their dogs figure in a biting incident, aside from paying for the victim's medical expenses, owners could be meted other penalties: failure to put their dogs under observation after it has bitten a person: P2T and failure to report a biting incident: P2T.
With the ordinance honed by concerned sectors including confessed animal rights advocates, the ball goes to the barangays who shall be the key in the success of the program, Herrera explained.
In the ordinance set for first reading anytime within the week, the key role is played by the Bantay Rabies sa Barangay, whose job includes masterlisting of dogs and owners through the registration, assist in the program's surveillance and monitoring as well as enforce quarantine and manage bit cases.
Because of the key roles of barangays, they are given the bigger share of the revenues generated from the registration fees, Herrera said even as he hinted a 50% share for barangays, 25% for towns and 25% for the Province sharing scheme.
The target is to make the program sustainable and if we have to put in the right incentives, then we will have to do that to help the barangays and tem helping us attain our goals.
Boholanos have been alarmed over the report that rabies cases have risen significantly and is now threatening province and its residents. The Provincial Government through the office of the provincial veterinarian has now spearheaded the P16M Provincial Rabies Prevention and Eradication Program set for four years.
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Topic: Bohol sectors unite against Rabies (Read 1006 times)