BAGUIO CITY – The City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) is pushing for the put up of make shift dog traps in the city’s 128 barangays to help in the aggressive implementation of the local government’s campaign against stray dogs that pose a serious threat to the cleanliness of the barangays and the safety of the public.
City Veterinarian Dr. Rigit Piok also recommended that the barangays pass their respective ordinances governing the put up of dog traps and the imposition of the allowable fine against pet owners whose stray dogs will be caught in the said make shift traps that will be established in strategic areas in the barangays.
She disclosed that the CVAO initially gave some 20 selected barangays in the city the required materials for the put up of their dog traps but it has been encouraged that the other barangays work out the put up of their own dog traps considering that the same can only be made up of wood, galvanized iron sheets among others which are available in their places.
The city veterinarian claimed that the dog trap is similar to a mouse trap that is able to trap stray animals that go through it that is why it will be a big help to the members of the dog pound if all barangays will have the said device to prevent the proliferation of stray dogs and cats in their areas of jurisdiction.
Based on initial agreements with some of the barangays that were able to put up dog traps, barangay officials will be responsible in looking for the owners of the stray animals that were trapped for them to redeem the said animals within a 24-hour period. If the trapped animals have not been redeemed by the owners, barangay officials will then coordinate with their office for the personnel to bring the animals to the dog pound to await the owners to redeem them.
According to her, stray animals that are brought to the dog pound can only be redeemed within 7 days after which the dogs will either be subjected to euthanasia or adoption by interested individuals who are qualified and willing to undergo the process of being assessed and evaluated as adopters.
Piok revealed that the two teams of dog pound are able to catch some 10 to 15 dogs from the different barangays daily while the capacity of the existing dog pound is up to a maximum of over 100 dogs.
She added that based on their initial assessment and evaluation, the presence of dog traps in some barangays, particularly Middle Quirino Hill and some puroks in Irisan, was successful in deterring the proliferation of stray dogs that is why the other barangays are being requested to initiate the put up of their own dog traps to sustain the aggressive implementation of the city’s anti-stray dog policy.
Piok also called on interested adopters of dogs not to rely on the social media when adopting their pets as they should visit the dog pound to familiarize themselves with the dogs that they want to adopt and to assess whether or not the dogs want them among other reasons.
Interested adopters should present to the veterinary office a certification from the barangay where he or she resides indicating among others that they are qualified to adopt dogs and that their residences are conducive to accommodate the said animals.
By Dexter A. See
