THE Cebu City Government continued to roll out its city-wide free pet services on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, to promote animal welfare among Cebuanos.
Spearheaded by the City’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF), the initiative began on June 27, and will run until July 15 at Plaza Sugbo, providing free-rabies vaccination, deworming, multivitamin supplements, and microchipping.
DVMF head Alice Utlang said the initiative covers provisions under the Animal Welfare Act and the Anti-Rabies Act, with registered dogs and cats receiving free rabies vaccination and official vaccination cards.
“We wanted to bring registration and vaccination closer to the public, especially since many pet owners from outside the barangays were not participating in previous barangay-level campaigns,” she said.
She clarified that the original deadline of June 13 was extended to July 15 due to high public demand. After that, the registration will continue at the DVMF office and may also be conducted house-to-house in various barangangs across the city.
She added that starting October this year, the City will strictly implement a P2,000 worth penalty for pet owners who fail to comply with the registration and vaccination requirements.
Utlang also said that for the month of June, DVMF has spayed 594 dogs and cats, contributing to the control of an estimated 2,970 population.
She said that from January to June, they recorded zero euthanasia cases of impounded dogs.
“We do not euthanize. Instead, we follow a process of neuter, vaccinate, and return. This sets Cebu City apart from other local governments,” she said.
Utlang confirmed that future registration drives will be organized to encourage more pet owners to avail themselves of their service.
“We will assign personnel to respond to pet registration requests wherever they come from. We are committed to serving the public,” she said. (John Mart Mabalhin, VSU intern/Hilary Natalie Berongoy, HNU intern)