DVMF eyes rabies-free Cebu City as it gears up for Rabies Awareness month

A pet owner in Cebu City avail of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries’ free anti-rabies vaccination for her pet dog. | Dr. Utlang’s FB page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City as a rabies free city.

This is the goal of the city’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) as it prepares for this month’s Rabies Awareness celebration.

Dr. Alice Utlang, head of DVMF said to Cebu Daily News Digital that they had been are doing a series of free vaccination around the city to slowly hit their target to make Cebu City completely rabies free. 

Read more: Cebu City residents urged: Avail of free anti-rabies shots for your pets

Dr. Utlang also said that this would be the second year that they would be using the HSI MDV (humane society international mass dog vaccination) application.

She said that this application had helped them monitor the number of dogs in a barangay. 

DVMF took pride in the improvements that they had been doing, and looking back, Dr. Utlang told Cebu Daily News Digital that Cebu City had come a long way in the efforts of eradicating rabies cases. 

From being the No. 2 ranked city in the country for most number of cases of rabies in 2017, the city’s moved down to 8th spot in 2018.

This is because of DVMF’s efforts in doing information education campaigns, free vaccinations in barangays, house to house vaccination and even consultations for all dog and pet owners. 

To celebrate Rabies Awareness Month, on March 4, Monday at the Plaza Sugbo grounds there will be an opening salvo with a short program of what is in store for all pet owners to take part for this month’s celebration of Rabies Awareness Month. 

“Gi-awhag nako ang tanan nga mo avail sa atong mga libreng pagpabakuna sa atong mga iro aron kita maluwas sa kaso sa rabies” said Dr. Utlang. 

For this year, there has only been one case of rabies that has been recorded by DVMF./END