Olowan eyes establishment of Baguio Animal Care Center

Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan has penned an ordinance seeking the establishment of a two-storey animal care and adoption center in the city.

Olowan said the proposed facility will provide “friendly and better temporary shelter services” for stray animals.

Once erected, the animal care and adoption center will ensure the welfare of impounded animals from the streets that are up for adoption or claiming by their owners. It will be a two-storey building with individual cages and a surgery room.

Furthermore, the facility will house the Animal Health Division of the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) and will have its own cashier to facilitate faster payment of fees for adoption or claiming of impounded animals.

The fund for the construction of the center shall be sourced out from the tax worth P200 million of the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA) to the City Government of Baguio or from other available funds that can be realigned for the purpose.

Fifteen days after the approval of the ordinance, the CVAO shall be tasked to coordinate with the City Engineering Office and the City Budget Office for the construction of the center and shall formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) to be submitted to the city council for confirmation and to the City Mayor’s Office for approval.

Olowan cited Section 1 of Republic Act No. 8485 as amended by RA 10631, otherwise known as the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, which recognizes the freedom of animals such as freedom from hunger and thirst, comfort, pain, injury or disease, and freedom to normal behavior from fear and distress.

Claiming that the city pound located at Sto. Nino Barangay is already overburdened, the vice mayor stressed that constructing animal care and adoption center will better achieve the legislative intents of RA 8485.

The ordinance will be calendared for approval on second reading in one of the city council’s regular sessions after its publication. –Jordan G. Habbiling