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THE Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) of the Cebu city and Cebu provincial governments are working together to control dog population to reduce rabies incidence in Cebu.
A three-day seminar that started last Wednesday was held at the Provincial Capitol to discuss dog pound management, humane handling of dogs, spay and neutering programs and disaster (bite) management for animals.
Rahul Sehgal, director of Humane Society International-Asia, recommended using stick net in catching dogs because it is not harmful to the dogs and the catchers. Sehgal, however, discouraged the use of lasso or loop because it may strangle the dogs and the latter may bite the catchers.
A dog catcher, who works in a Samboan town dog pound in southern Cebu, said the stray dogs will be put in a dog pound for five days. Those not claimed within five days will be killed, he said.
?Patyon na lang namo, kay gasto man pud kun magkadaghan na among madakpan (We have to kill them because it is very costly especially if they grow in numbers),? he said.
Dr. Alice Utlang, DVMF Cebu chief, said they still consider dogs as stray even if they have owners as long as theyare not tied to a leash.
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy, for her part, said they will focus on house dogs first before stray dogs.
She said they are targetting to immunize at least 70 percent of the total dog population in the province to prevent the spread of rabies. /Minadanao State University Intern Daryl Anunciado
