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Friday, July 29, 2005
City vet supports set-up of animal control division
By Rimaliza Opiña
PART from the Animal Welfare Act, the Baguio City Office of the City Veterinarian supports a proposal for the establishment of an animal protection and control division with the emphasis that barangays have to be given an equal, if not the chunk of responsibility, once a proposed ordinance by Councilor Leandro Yangot Jr. will be approved.
In particular, City Veterinarian Brigit Piok said barangay officials have to be deputized so that they could apprehend and issue citation tickets to those found violating the ordinance.
She added that 20 percent of fines collected by the barangay shall accrue exclusively to the funds of the homeowners association or to the barangay itself.
Piok said to effectively implement the program, an information dissemination campaign should also be handled by the barangay.
The proposed ordinance that aims to create the Animal Protection and Control Division (APCD) will be the city's localized version of the Animal Welfare Act and the APCD's supervision and maintenance would be put under the Office of the City Veterinarian.
The APCD shall initiate programs for the prevention and control of communicable diseases transferred by animals to humans, by preventing the presence of stray animals, through the regulation of the keeping of domesticated animals; the implementation of a continuing program for the eradication of rabies; the establishment of a workable disease investigation, surveillance, reporting and appraisal of animal disease intelligence network; and the delivery of technical and other logistics in the implementation of activities related to animal disease prevention.
The APCD shall likewise handle the operation and management of a shelter for impounded animals; conduct field patrols which include the monitoring the status of registered dogs and other pets, conduct emergency response activities, cause impoundment of animals, cause the issuance of citations, and enforce animal quarantine directives.
Similar to the Animal Welfare Act, the proposed City Animal Code will also penalize violators for the torture and neglect of animals.
The proposal also stressed that except when done as part of a ritual "by an established religion or sect," when an animal is afflicted with an incurable disease, when done to prevent an imminent danger to the life and limb of humans, when done for the purpose of animal population control, killing of animals shall be limited only to cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and poultry.
Likewise, no person or entity shall be allowed possession of wildlife, unless a clearance from the Secretary of the DENR or authorized representative is first obtained.
Violations of the provisions of the proposed ordinance cites the payment of not less than P500 to P3,000 and even imprisonment for P30 days, upon the discretion of the court.
(July 29, 2005 issue)
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