Iloilo City Animal Welfare Ordinance approved

An ordinance that seeks the protection and promotion of animal welfare in Iloilo City has been unanimously approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) during its July 3 regular session.

City Councilor Miguel S. Treñas, author of the ordinance and a pet owner himself, emphasized the need for comprehensive legislative framework to effectively regulate companion animal trade, promote responsible pet stewardship, and establish an intelligence network for monitoring zoonotic diseases and other animal welfare concerns.

“WHEREAS, the City of Iloilo, as a highly urbanized city, is committed to demonstrating its dedication to promoting the rights of animals, as well as ensuring the health, sanitation, and welfare of its residents, visitors, and tourists,” the ordinance read.

The Office of the City Veterinarian (OCV) is designated as lead office in the implementation of the ordinance.

Its tasks are the following:
* Regulate the keeping of domestic animals;
* Prevent, rescue, rehabilitate, and provide care for stray animals, especially those that are apparently ownerless, unregistered, or uncared for, found in any public place within the city;
* Establish a workable disease investigation, surveillance, reporting and appraisal of animal disease intelligence network;
* Organize free spay and neuter programs to control the population of stray animals and information and education campaigns on responsible pet ownership and stewardship in the city;
* Conduct field patrols, emergency response activities, impoundment of animals, issuance of citations, and enforcement of animal quarantine directives; and
* Operate and manage the Iloilo City Pound and Animal Shelter (ICPAS).

Under the ordinance, ICPAS will be a two-part facility with distinct functions, namely, the Iloilo City Pound and the Iloilo City CARE Animal Shelter.

The facility will serve as a temporary holding area for newly captured or impounded stray companion animals wherein they will be given animal care, and for record keeping and transfer or adoption.

Likewise, a Task Force for Animal Welfare Enforcement will be created and will be responsible for apprehending violators, conducting regular inspections for compliance, among others.

It is also stipulated in the ordinance that there should be a City Rabies Prevention and Control Program to be implemented by the OCV.

Its component activities include mass vaccination of dogs and cats; establishment of a central database system for registered and vaccinated dogs and cats; impounding, field control and disposition of unregistered, stray and unvaccinated dogs and cats, among others.

Responsibilities of pet owners or stewards are also laid down in the new measure. They are enjoined to ensure regular vaccination of their dogs and cats against rabies and maintain a registration card containing all vaccination records for accurate documentation; and other necessary cares demonstrating responsible ownership and stewardship.

Under the companion animal registration, all dogs and cats, upon reaching three months-of-age and older, must be vaccinated against rabies and registered at the OCV once a year and every year thereafter.

The city will also endeavor to implement a Pet Identification and Unified Data Storage with Microchip System (PIUOSMS) wherein each registered dog or cat shall be implanted with a microchip, a permanent and tamper-proof electronic/digital identification and data storage system.

Moreover, the ordinance stressed that it is unlawful for any person to torture or maltreat any animal, neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or cause the same for research or experiment and fights unauthorized by law.

Any person found guilty of these acts will be subject to the penalties prescribed under Republic Act No. 8485, also known as “The Animal Welfare Act of 1998”, as amended by Republic Act No. 10631.

All other prohibited acts under the new ordinance have corresponding fines and penalties.

Meanwhile, the ordinance declared October as Animal Welfare Month in Iloilo City where various animal welfare-related activities will be carried out. (Iloilo City PIO)