ANIMAL rights groups in Davao City call for the creation of a separate council committee to address the problems involving street animals, animal welfare, and responsible pet ownership.
President of Pawsitivity Project Philippines Floyd Bascones said on October 10 that the city’s problem with animal welfare can be better addressed by strengthening the implementation of existing policies on the local level.
Such existing laws include Republic Act No. 8485 “Animal Welfare Act of 1998” and Republic Act No. 9482 “Anti-Rabies Act of 2007.”
“Kulang pa gyod ang implementation dinhi sa local level, and barangay level. So we thought na makita sa atong local government unit ang need sa implementation aning mga balaod (There is a lack of implementation at the local and barangay level. So we hope the LGU can see the importance of implementing these policies),” Bascones said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum.
Bascones said they coordinated with Bantay Hayop Davao and city councilor Al Ryan Alejandre to discuss ways on how to improve the implementation of the existing policies. He mentioned that the proposal for the creation of the animal welfare committee was already submitted last July.
“Mao na siya ang kakulangan, we have all these movements and ordinances pero wala siya na-implement. So we are hoping for the proper implementation of laws and ordinances,” said Rovie Bullina, president of Bantay Hayop Davao.
Without proper implementation of the ordinances and laws, Bullina said Davao City is slowly becoming a cruel place for street animals since there have been many reported cases of animal cruelty throughout the years, including imposing extreme physical harm and mass poisoning of dogs.
More animals dwelling on the streets also equates to higher incidents of animal bites and rabies
Bascones said the LGU should not rely on impounding cats and dogs to address this problem since more and more animals die when they are not claimed from pound facilities. Bullina said an average of 25 dogs are euthanized every impounding operation.
Rather, Bascones said responsible pet ownership among Davao City residents should also be prioritized and highlighted.
He said if responsible pet ownership is practiced, fewer animals can end up on the streets, and lessen the risk of animal cruelty, bites, and rabies.
“Dapat ang atong i-target gyod is ang mga pet owners. Kung ang mga pet owners dili pabaya, wala’y mga asong gala (We have to target the pet owners. If they are responsible, no animals would end up dwelling in the streets),” Bascones said. ICM