Thursday, November 08, 2007 DA appeals to local gov’ts: Enforce law
NINE years have lapsed since the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 was passed into a law, but advocates are worried that so many do not yet know of its existence, despite their intensive information drive for the past decade.
Dr. Verna Agriam, Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 animal welfare coordinator, said her office regularly conducts discussions and forums with different sectors of the community like the police, pet owners, poultry farm owners, and traders.
However, she admitted that they only reached less than five percent of the population in Central Visayas because of insufficient funds and lack of participation from these sectors.
For example, her office would conduct a forum with 20 percent of more than 150 poultry farm owners and 60 swine owners in Region 7, telling them they are required to have their animals collectively registered every year for P100.
After the forum, no one would approach them for the registration.
In fact, the DA has zero registration of poultry animals for the past two years.
Registration of animals will regulate the establishment and operation of all facilities for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating, or training of all pets and animals for sale.
For Cebu City Veterinarian Alice Utlang, the registration will also monitor rabies, a virus that can affect all warm-blooded animals.
In a recent study, Cebu City topped all other areas in Cebu with the most number of rabid dogs, with 18 recorded cases.
Upon registration of pets in Cebu City for P150, the animals will get a collar and tag and free vaccination. (NRC)
