TABUK CITY, Kalinga– The City Veterinary Services Office (CVSO) culminated today this year’s celebration of Rabies Month with the theme “Rabies-free na pusa’t aso, kaligtasan ng bawat Pilipino”.
Dr. Carmen Wanas, OIC City Veterinarian, stressed in her message that rabies is a terrible disease that may be avoided by practicing and promoting responsible pet ownership.
Wanas encouraged the attendees, which included barangay officials, to support the city government’s anti-rabies campaign and to increase the enforcement of the stray animal ordinance as one approach to protect people, particularly children, from animal attacks.
Also present in the occasion was Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Leonardo Damian who affirmed that rabies is a general problem in the community, and concerns all sectors and stakeholders.
He said that the provincial government through the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) is always willing to extend assistance to CVSO for its anti-rabies campaign and activities.
One of the highlights during the culminating activity was the presentation of animal bite cases by age from Nurse IV Joy Alunday of the City Health Office.
In her report, she stated that 1,054 people under the age of 15 and 60 people over the age of 15 were bitten by animals, totaling 2,014 people. Of this total, 1,196 bite cases were attributed to dogs and cats, while the rest was attributed to other biting animals such as monkeys.
Alunday also discussed the Animal Bite Treatment Center’s responsibilities, which include screening all animal bite cases and giving appropriate treatment, providing pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, maintaining an animal bite registry, obtaining vaccines, and ensuring adequate cold chain.
City Mayor Darwin Estrañero reiterated the call for every pet owner in the city to be responsible to eliminate rabies cases in the city. He also said that his administration will continue to support the anti-rabies program of the CVSO by allocating sufficient fund for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccines.