A TOTAL of 66 heads of dogs and cats tested positive for rabies in 2025, an official from the City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) said.
Dr. Gay Pallar, CVO acting head, confirmed this in the iSpeak media forum on Thursday, Feb. 5, noting the high incidence of rabies in the city.
Pallar reiterated that impounding stray animals from the streets continues to be a deterrent to the spread of rabies.
“When we say 66, if they bite (people or other animals), it will further spread rabies. There’s no treatment; once a person has rabies, the symptoms show in the terminal stage,” Pallar said.
The official said they recognize the concern of animal welfare advocates, but if these stray animals are not contained, they pose risks to the general public.
Ordinance No. 1457 mandates the impounding of stray and unattended animals as part of its rabies prevention efforts.
In 2025, a total of 6,957 animals were impounded last year at the local government’s impounding facility in Barangay Malagos, Baguio District.
Of the number, 4,139 unclaimed dogs and cats were euthanized through overdosage of anesthesia through intravenous and intracardiac injection before they are cremated.
Pallar said the agency impounds more or less 25 heads of dogs and cats daily.
The capacity of the facility is 12 cages, which can contain 25 heads; hence, euthanasia should be done every three days.
“As much as we want to shelter every impounded dog and cat, it’s unfeasible because we don’t have a budget, and maintaining them all can’t be sustained,” she said.
Pallar said the City Council is pushing for an ordinance requiring the mandatory leashing and licensing of pets through microchipping. This year, the city government has allocated a budget to CVO for microchipping 300 pets.
The ordinance also penalizes irresponsible owners who allow their pets to stray, with fines ranging from P1,000 to P5,000. Also in the proposed law is a monitoring system for registration of vaccinated pets in partnership with the University of Philippines-Mindanao.
