THE Davao City Veterinarian Office recorded that only 20 percent of the 2,520 total impounded dogs were claimed from January to September 2018, and the rest were euthanized.
“More or less, 20 percent lang ang na-claim, so ang uban euthanized. Gamay ra gyud ang naga-claim kay usually mga stray dogs man gyud ang madakpan (More or less, 20 percent were claimed and the rest were euthanized, this is because most impounded dogs are strays),” Doctor Gay Pallar, head of the Animal Disease Prevention and Control Section, said on Thursday, October 18.
In 2017, there were 3,225 impounded dogs, and more or less 20 percent were also claimed. The rest were euthanized.
The pet owners will have to claim the dogs from the City Veterinarian Office and describe the features of the dog to prove ownership.
Pallar said due to lack of budget for rehabilitation centers for stray dogs, the city vet has no other option but to conduct mercy killing for the unclaimed impounded dogs after three days.
She said, however, that the city will plan to have rehabilitation centers next year.
Pallar, meanwhile, said the impounded dogs that were claimed after three days were given free rabies vaccination.
The animal rabies vaccines, accordingly, has enough supply until the end of the year.
Pallar said there is, however, a worldwide shortage of supply on human rabies vaccines due to its production.
“Mao na ang concentration, naa sa mga iro ug mga iring. Actually naa tay simultaneous na schedule kung asa ang concentration sa bakuna (That is why, our concentration is on the vaccination of cats and dogs. Actually, we have a simultaneous schedule for vaccination),” Pallar said.
She added that the cases of rabies in the city now are not that alarming due to the constant information education campaign that opened awareness to the Dabawenyos.