Ready for adoption. The Cebu City shelter currently houses more than 100 vaccinated adult dogs, puppies, and cats who are waiting to be adopted. (Photo from DVMF Facebook page)
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) – In Cebu City, stray animals are not directly euthanized nor impounded when they are captured, rather they are spayed or neutered.
This was emphasized by Cebu City’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) Veterinarian Dr. Alice G. Utlang.
“We don’t impound. We do vaccination and neuter, and return to where the animal was picked up,” Utlang explained.
Dogs are only impounded when there is a risk for both the welfare of the dogs and the people.
“We don’t euthanize dogs unlike in other pounds where they pick up the dog, put them in the pound, and after three days if the owner does not claim them, they will be put it to sleep,” said Utlang, adding that the DVMF only impounds dogs if they are sick, need treatment, and if they harm people.
The city veterinarian said this policy is one of the reasons why Cebu City was recently ranked as the 2nd most pet-friendly city in Asia by the digital travel platform, Agoda.
Agoda’s ranking of pet-friendly travel destinations in Asia underscores the rising popularity of tourists looking for lodging that allows them to travel with their pets.
DVMF is also promoting spay and castration as a way to control the animal population.
“We also promote spay and castration, for animals to stop breeding. We do spay cat day on Fridays and dog day every Thursday. That makes our city pet-friendly,” said Utlang.
Pet-friendly establishments
Utlang said the city has earned a reputation as a pet-friendly destination also due to malls, hotels, and restaurants that allow guests to bring their pets.
She added that the city government is also strict in implementing animal welfare laws and ordinances such as Republic Act 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.
“First, our hotels and restaurants including the malls, because they accept pets. But if you look at it in other criteria, Cebu City has an ordinance that protects the welfare of dogs and cats,” said Utlang.
Ready for adoption
The city veterinarian is also asking the public to adopt the animals living in the shelter run by the DVMF.
Currently, there are a total of 110 adult dogs, 50 puppies, and some cats in the DVMF shelter.
“They have been vaccinated against rabies, dewormed, and fixed, ready for adoption,” said Utlang.
Pet owners in the city are also encouraged to register their pets with DVMF.
A registration fee of P200 will be collected, which includes rabies vaccination, vaccination card, deworming, and spay or neuter.
Cebu City ranked next to Vietnam’s coastal city, Da Nang, as the most pet-friendly city in Asia, while Manila made it to the 10th spot. (ZCL/PIA7)
