BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring all dog owners and caretakers to attach, post or hang highly noticeable and visible dog warning signs in front of their premises and areas of operation and providing penalties for violation of the measure.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Joel Alangsab stated that all premises, public or private, which has a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog residing within the said places must be marked with clearly visible and noticeable warning signs like “WARNING: DOG INSIDE’ or ‘BEWARE OF DOGS’ and other similar signages, including a warning symbol to inform the public that there is a danger or potential danger on the said property.
Under the proposed ordinance, any person, firm or corporation which will be found to be violating any of the provisions of the measure shall be penalized with a fine of P5,00 for the first offense, a fine of P1,000 for the second offense and a fine of P3,000 for the third and succeeding offenses.
The ordinance tasked the City Veterinary Office, barangay officials and other duly authorized agents of the local government as the authorized persons to implement the pertinent provisions of the local legislative measure.
The ordinance noted that the health and safety of the people must be preserved at all times and that incidents happen wherein people are victimized, attacked or bitten by dogs simply because they were not aware that the premises or property that they entered into was protected or guarded by dogs.
The ordinance added that the local government is always on the lookout for the safety of its constituents by formulating the required local laws, rules and regulations governing the implementation of safety rules and regulations for public safety purposes.
According to the proposed local legislative measure, one preventive measure by which people’s safety can be assured is requiring all dog owners and caretakers to install the necessary and appropriate warning signs indicating the presence of dogs in their premises for the information and guidance of the public passing through the said places.
The ordinance defined owner as a person who owns, harbors, feeds, boards or keeps an animal that is regulated while dangerous dog means that any dog that without provocation, inflicts substantial bodily harm on human beings in public, killed a domestic animal without provocation of the owner’s property, been found to be potentially dangerous and after the owner has noticed that the dog is potentially dangerous.
By Dexter A. See
