King Fredrick from Russia in 1789 said that “Dog is man’s best friend”. For dog lovers and owners this is the accurate phrase to explain the relationship of a dog towards humans. Dogs have a unique sense of emotions, lovable and most of all, loyals. But not dogs are lucky enough to have responsible owners and are living in streets. They are often seen as a danger to the community.

Stray dogs are dogs without owners, might not be vaccinated and possible to be a rabies virus carrier. In order to control and protect the populations of dogs and people in the community, the government established an Act and has given tasks in respective offices for the implementation.

In Sofronio Española Palawan, the Veterinary Department of the Municipal Agricultural Office (MOA) announced that they will strictly implement the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 also known as Republic Act No. 99842 next month, February. From January this year, the Department of Veterinary has been coordinated with the local government units to post scheduled dates for the vaccinations for dogs.

The Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, is an act providing for the control and elimination of human and animal rabies, and prescribing penalties for violation that was signed by the former President Gloria Macapagfal Arroyo on February 25, 2007.

To ensure the safety of the locals in public areas, the Veterinary Department warns dog owners to make sure and to make control of their dogs. If dogs are seen in public areas like parks, malls, markets, and streets it will be impound.

On behalf of DOV, Jose Supe said that they are encouraging pet owners to get their pet vaccinated, chain or lock in cages or inside their premises.

The owners of the dog caught will have a warning on the first offense, on the second time they will pay the penalty fine for P200 and P300 for the third time. By getting their dogs, they will be reminded of their responsibilities they should do. If dogs are not claimed within 3 days, the dog will be adopted by a new and rightful owner. Aside from reminding the owners, this will be a good way to prevent the spread of the rabies in the community. As pet owners, they should ensure that their pet gets a regular vaccine, proper shelters, and have an accurate record.

What is dog rabies and how does it affect humans?

Rabies is a virus in mammals, including dogs and cats. This virus attacks the central nervous system (the spinal cord and brain) and spreads to people through bites or scratches from infected animals. The rabies virus is a preventable viral disease with appropriate care, and anti-rabies vaccine. If not treated early, it will become fatal. According to the World health Organization (WHO), rabies is responsible for nearly 59,000 deaths all over the world and has 99% cases domestically.