THE Cebu City Government has begun enforcing a new ordinance aimed at controlling the stray animal population and combating rabies, but the measure has been met with opposition.
While officials say the ordinance promotes responsible pet ownership and public health, a coalition of animal welfare groups and pet owners has formally petitioned against it, labeling its fees and mandatory procedures as “anti-poor” and “unconstitutional.”
The issue
Starting Sept. 1, 2025, Cebu City began penalizing owners with unregistered or unvaccinated pets under its new Animal Welfare Ordinance. The City says the policy aims to reduce stray animals and rabies cases.
But the League of Animal Welfare Organizations of the Philippines, in its petition addressed to Mayor Nestor Archival, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Dr. Alice Utlang of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF), said the ordinance is unfair, particularly for low-income families.
The group argues the ordinance imposes fees and requirements not mandated by national law, creating a system that could force many to give up their pets.
Ordinance’s purpose
Utlang said the ordinance, passed in 2023, is designed to:
Curb rabies cases. Barangay Guadalupe and Mabolo have been hot spots for rabies.
Reduce strays. Cebu City is the first in the Philippines to use a program, where stray animals are caught, neutered, vaccinated and released. This is called catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR).
Promote responsible ownership. Pet registration now comes with free rabies shots, deworming and neutering.
As of early September, the city reported 235 pets registered and 417 animals vaccinated.
Requirements
Registration: P200 annually per pet, or a one-time P600 lifetime registration with a microchip.
Microchip implantation: Mandatory, though not required under national law.
Spay and neuter: All dogs and cats must be sterilized unless bred by registered breeders.
Breeding restrictions: Private pet owners cannot reproduce their pets, while licensed breeders may do so for a P5,000 fee.
Penalties: P2,000 for non-compliance.
Other fees: P2,500 to surrender a pet to the city pound, P1,200–P2,000 for euthanasia, and P500 for pet cemetery services.
“Anti-poor ordinance”
The League’s petition to suspend and amend the ordinance rests on the following arguments:
High costs. Fees are too steep for indigent families. Many fear being forced to abandon pets.
Unfair breeding rules. The law favors professional breeders over ordinary owners.
Mandatory neutering. Critics say it threatens native breeds like Aspins (Asong Pinoy) and Puspins (Pusang Pinoy).
Legal overreach. The national law — Republic Act (RA) 9482 (Anti-Rabies Act of 2007) — does not require registration fees, microchipping, or blanket spay-neuter mandates.
Why it matters
The group’s petition shows a wider tension: how cities balance public health goals like rabies elimination and stray control with the realities of low-income households that may struggle with compliance costs. Animal welfare advocates warn that if fees remain high, more pets may be abandoned, undermining the city’s own goals. City officials counter that stricter measures are necessary to cut rabies cases and reduce strays.
What’s next
The group suggests fees be reduced to P50 annually and sterilization made voluntary. The City still has to act on the petition.
The issue will possibly force a critical examination of how a city can protect public health, while ensuring its policies are humane and equitable for all its citizens, two-legged and four-legged alike. / EHP