IN A bid to control the spread of rabies in Benguet, lawmakers in La Trinidad and Tublay reiterated the need for a dog impounding facility.

During the Provincial Board Session in Tublay, councilors reiterated the need for the facility considering the increasing astray animals in the town.

Tublay Councilor Marvin Mayos relayed the municipal council approved a resolution requesting the provincial government to establish an impounding facility.

"The municipality enacted an ordinance promoting responsible pet ownership providing penalty for negligence in keeping pet animals, however the implementation is put on hold awaiting an impounding area,” Mayos said.

The eight barangays in Tublay are also urged to create their own measure for responsible pet ownership.

In La Trinidad, members of the Municipal Council approved a resolution requesting director Paul Seigel, Network for Animals through country representative Melchor Alipio for the donation of initial funding for the construction of dog impounding facility.

“Given continued presence of rabies infection in which La Trinidad is not spared, in order to curb the continuing transmission of rabies to humans, ordinance 30-2016 known as the La Trinidad Pet Ownership Ordinance aimed at promoting responsible pet ownership penalizing residents who are negligent in providing care to their pet animals,” stated Councilors Estrella Adeban and Councilor Roderick Awingan.

Network for Animals is a non-profit organization and leading organization against animal cruelty representing thousands of supporters and activists in the United Kingdom supporting programs, projects and activities related to animal cruelty.

Benguet Provincial Veterinarian Miriam Tiongan mentioned no cases of rabies were reported in the province.

Rabies spread from animals to humans wherein the disease is transmitted when the virus is present in saliva of an infected animal penetrates the skin through bite.

She mentioned previous plans of a non-government agency to create a dog impounding facility in La Trinidad. However, this did not materialize.

In constructing a dog impounding facility, maintenance should be considered and the personnel manning the facility including the area where it will be built.

“Inculcating the responsible pet ownership is the best na ginagawa for the meantime na walang dog impounding facility,” added Tiongan.

With almost all the municipalities having an ordinance on responsible pet ownership ordinance, Tiongan said these need further and strict implementation in every barangays.