20,000 dogs registered in Baguio

The City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) disclosed that more or less twenty thousand dogs have already been registered pursuant to the city’s Responsible Pet Ownership ordinance.

CVAO Veterinarian 1 Dr. Michael Takinan stated that most of those who had their dogs registered preferred the dog tagging method while only 1 percent of the registered dogs underwent micro-chipping.

He said that the registration of dogs is simultaneously being done with the local government’s anti-rabies vaccination drive not only in their main office but also in the different barangays to achieve the objective of having all dogs registered.

The veterinarian revealed that the population of the dogs in the city is more than 50,000 while the population of cats is more than 20,000.

He called on owners of dogs to register the same with the CVAO either through dog tagging or micro-chipping to ensure that the local government will be able to achieve the goal of registering all dogs in the city.

Under the pertinent provisions of the Responsible Pet Ownership ordinance as amended, dogs are mandated to be registered by their owners with the CVAO either through dog tagging or micro-chipping so that owners of stray dogs can immediately be identified by concerned barangay officials and personnel of the DVAO once they are found to be outside the premises of their residences.

According to him, dog owners are required to pay P50 registration fee while the dog tag that will be placed on the dog shall be shouldered by the owner.

However, he stipulated that there are also groups of animal welfare advocates who are helping in the local government’s campaign for the registration of dogs by providing for free the dog tags being placed on the registered dogs.

For dog owners that opt for the micro-chipping as a mode of registering their dogs, Takinan said that the owners are required to pay a total of P450 inclusive of the registration fee and the microchip that will be embedded on the animal.

He asserted that the CVAO will continue to intensify efforts to convince dog owners to have their dogs registered with their preferred mode of registration so that it will be easier for barangay officials and concerned authorities to ascertain the owner of stray dogs that will be apprehended in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Takinan expressed his gratitude to the various groups of animal welfare advocates who are continuously extending technical assistance to the CVAO and the local government to ensure the successful implementation of different programs, projects and activities that are geared towards promoting animal welfare in the city. – Dexter A. See