MORE than 200 dogs were brought to the Mandaue City Sports Complex yesterday for free vaccination, castration, ligation and other services.
The City Veterinary Office organized the event to celebrate its 14th anniversary. Volunteers from the Southwestern University, Animal Kingdom and the Provincial Veterinary Office joined the activity.
Edwin Jumao-as, senior city veterinarian, said dogs brought to the complex included native dogs, also known as asong Pinoy or “aspin,” and foreign breeds like Labrador, German Shepherd and Chihuahua.
In Lapu-Lapu City, 1,015 dogs were brought to the Mactan Shrine during last Sunday’s Bark for Love, an event launched last year to gather pet lovers and provide free vaccination and other services to dogs.
The activity was organized by the D’Dog House Café and Grooming Salon and the Lapu-Lapu City Government.
Last year, only 568 dogs were taken to the event, said City Veterinarian Janice Togonon.
She hailed the activity as a success.
“The participation of pet owners was overwhelming,” she told reporters yesterday.
Togonon said 972 dogs were vaccinated, while 130 were neutered or castrated last Sunday.
There are 10,241 dogs in Lapu-Lapu, and almost all of them have been vaccinated, Togonon said.
Yesterday, Roy Bickford Jr., a retired US Airforce officer, and his wife brought their three dogs–a three-month old German Shepherd and two aspins–to the Mandaue Sports Complex.
They turned in their pets for ligation and other services.
Rondie Cortes, a member of Mandaue Dogwalkers, brought his two-year-old Labrador, whom he rescued from an irresponsible owner, and a ten-month old German Shepherd.
In his message, Acting Mayor Demetrio Cortes Jr. urged pet owners to take good care of their dogs.
“Dogs are not humans, but they have a heart,” he said.