Cebu City Veterinary will no longer impound healthy stray dogs

Eight of the dogs rescued from an abandone shelter in Brgy. Adlaon, Cebu City have been adopted, the Cebu City – Department of Veterinary Medicine & Fisheries said. | Photo  courtesy of Cebu City – DVMF

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) will stop impounding healthy stray dogs.

Dr. Alice Utlang, head of DVMF, explained that these healthy dogs clearly have owners.

“Yes, [it’s] true ‘cause di ko mo tugot nga ma viral nasad ang office sa ka daghan nga iro sa pound nga ang uban di na gani ka higda ug lisod sila maglihok ug mostly nila puro mga gwapo ug maayo ang lawas,” Utlang said.

Utlang said that they will judge healthy dogs “based on appearance.”

“Meaning tambok, nindot ug lawas, way kagid ug nindot ug barug. Ug ingon ana ilang porma nga nindot meaning naay tag iya,” she said.

When their office identifies dogs with these features, they will vaccinate and mark them with pink paint to show they’ve been vaccinated.

“Plus ig naa siya sa ilang balay ni uli, amo dayong issuehan ug citation ticket ang owner,” she added.

Utlang believes healthy stray dogs shouldn’t be punished; she blames irresponsible owners for not monitoring them closely.

“So kay silay naah utok nga maka huna-huna so dapat ang tag iya maoy atung issuehan ug citation ticket,” she said.

She  cited citation tickets have been issued but couldn’t provide specific numbers or areas at this time.

READ: Be responsible pet owners

Their office will now prioritize impounding those sickly and aggressive dogs. Utlang added that “roaming dogs are sociable” and coexist with people around.

“Mamaak lang sila og imong pasakitan,” she said.

Fees

The following are the list of violations and their corresponding fees based on the city ordinance.

• P500 or more – for licking up tue dogs and cat inside the car
• P500 – no owner of any animals which had discharged the waste at public place to leave the area without proper collecting or disposing the said waste
• P2,000 – for pet owners who failed or refused to have their dogs registered and immunized against rabies
• P5,000 – for pet owners who refused to have their dogs put under observation after said dog has bitten an individual
• P5,000 – for pet owners who refused to have their dog put under observation and do not shoulder the medical expenses of the person bitten by their dog
• P500 – for pet owners who refused to put a leash on their dogs when they are bought outside the house
• P500 – but not more than P1,000 for the release of impounded dogs to its owner
• P5,000 – for pet owners who later found their pets positive with rabies

Utlang said that under her watch, their office has not experienced any congestion in the impounding facilities.

“But sa di akoy ga dala (office) lagi nag viral ang atung pound tungod sa sige ug impound,” Utlang said.

She didn’t mention when it occurred, but noted that some animal welfare groups had voiced concerns about the situation. They believed that Cebu City, renowned for its dog control and welfare measures, was a model.

“Our pound is not a dumping ground. We give [a] chance to dog that has [a] quality to be adopted,” she said.

“Cebu City is an animal welfare-compliant city. We have our animal welfare committee chaired by our Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia,” she added.

As of June 17, Utlang reported 17 cases of dog rabies in Cebu City, matching the 2023 total. Utlang has previously described this number as “alarming” in interviews. /clorenciana