Animals have rights too.
With this in mind, Cebu Provincial Veterinarian Mary Rose Vincoy said she plans to partner with the police for the establishment of animal welfare desks in every police stations in the province to attend to cases of animal violence.
She wanted to seek audience with Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), or Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena, director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), to discuss her plans.
Vincoy said she wanted to bring to Cebu the model of the animal welfare desk set up by the Department of Agriculture in Region 11 in partnership with the Police Regional Office 11, the Davao City Veterinarian’s Office, and the Animal Rescue Rehabilitation and Fostering (ARRF).
Region 11 is the first in the country to establish an animal welfare desk in police stations to minimize violence on pets and other animals.
“Mas maayo na siya kay somehow naa nay awareness ang mga tawo aning welfare laws and (it’s) easier for them to report kon naa silay mga makit-an nga scenario nga against anang welfare laws,” Vincoy said.
Republic Act No. 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 “protects and promotes the welfare of animals in the Philippines by supervising and regulating the establishment and operation of all facilities utilized for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating or training of all animals either as objects of trade or as household pets.”
A penalty of imprisonment for six months to two years and/or fines ranging from P1,000 to P5,000 depending on the discretion of the court may be imposed on violators of the law.
Vincoy said that negligence and mishandling of pets are the most common kinds of abuses on animals that are reported to her office.
She said that with the availability of animal welfare desks in police stations, concerned citizens will already have a place to go to report abuses on animals.
But there is also a need to make sure that the one handling the desk has a thorough understanding of the animal welfare law.