VILLAGE chief Alfredo Talimodao of Barangay Granada recently organized a mobile anti-rabies vaccination campaign in their barangay. This is not the first time that they have organized such an initiative. Mobile dog vaccination in Barangay Granada has started several years already since 2000.
Barangay Granada dog vaccination is annually held with the help of the Bacolod City Veterinary Office. Barangay health workers (BHWs) assist vaccinators catering 22 puroks, 23 haciendas, and 5 subdivisions on a house to house procedure. The barangay appropriated budget for the volunteers and assistants for their food and transportation allowances as well as gasoline for city vet vehicles if they run out of budget.
Since they started this program, only the barangay and city veterinary office handled the campaign. The main reason why they hold this annually is for the safety and protection of their constituents. Rabies is fatal and they could not run away and act blind from this because the number of dogs in their barangay is tremendously increasing. They wanted a rabies-free barangay if not just to lessen the cases of accidents and attacks.
We envision that one day we will be able to reach every barangay in Bacolod City providing education to the community represented by individuals from every Barangay. Proving seminar to the community on the Animal Welfare Act (RA 8485), fighting against Animal Cruelty, Anti-Rabies Act (RA 9482), and our City Ordinance 544 for Responsible Pet Ownership, an ordinance establishing dog owners' responsibility requiring enclosures or fenced-in yards for pet dogs as a preventive measure against the occurrence of rabies, injury, damage, and other hazards.
Due to the number of animal cruelty reports, steps on how to file a complaint against animal cruelty should be discussed to empower each individual in the community to step up against neglect and abuse. The seminar should include the difference between a private shelter and a local city pound, comparison between a non-government organization (NGO) and a local government unit (LGU) and its roles, misconception about rabies, the importance of spay and neuter to curbing the overpopulation of strays and to the health of our domesticated pets.
These events should be planned and implemented on a barangay level with the support of LGU both physically and through annual government funding to cater to those families or individuals who cannot afford to pay for the spay and neuter procedures for their pets.
In his message, village chief Alfredo Talimodao's said, "On behalf of the Sangguniang Barangay, we are committed to achieving a rabies-free Barangay Granada for our safety and protection as far as fatal rabies is concerned. We are asking for your cooperation with this program; have all your dogs and cats be vaccinated with anti-rabies vaccine on September 1-3 and 6-10, 2021. We already posted on Facebook the schedule. Please bear with us. And be responsible dog owners by leashing all your dogs or not allowing them to go out from your compound for we do not tolerate stray dogs in the barangay. Stray dogs increase dog bite victims usually pedestrians, as well as an increase of accident rates particularly to those who are using bicycles (motorized/non-motorized). After full implementation of this program, stray dog apprehension will follow of course with the help of the Bacolod City Veterinary Office. This is a heads up for all irresponsible dog owners; have empathy to your neighbors and the entire citizenry of this barangay for nothing compares to living in a peaceful and safe community free of rabies from stray dogs."