A LAWMAKER here pushed to broaden the scope of the city’s animal welfare and public safety laws, transitioning from a dog-centric policy to a more comprehensive ordinance extending coverage beyond pets.
Councilor Ralph Abella said the newly proposed measure will be entitled the “Davao City Animal Welfare, Control, and Public Safety Ordinance of 2026,” amending Ordinance No. 0902-22, previously known as the “Dog Welfare, Leashing and Licensing (DWELL) Ordinance”.
Abella said the amendment tackles how the city manages not just household pets, but livestock and working animals as well.
“The significant change in the amendment is the expansion of coverage. From the previous law, which is focused on dogs, the new ordinance establishes clear classifications for other animals,” he said.
In the amendment, the companion animals are dogs, cats, and other pets; Livestock (Swine, cattle, goats, sheep, and carabao); poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, and other fowl; and working Animals (horses and carabao used for labor or transport).
In the proposed amendment, mandatory registration and identification, rabies vaccination, and leash requirements in public places are required for companion animals.
For livestock, it is prohibited in residential zones unless permitted, confined in enclosures, and complies with sanitation and odor control standards.
The amendment introduces strict oversight for animal-related operations, which requires that all commercial breeding operations must now be registered with the City Veterinarian, and a permit is required prior to operation.
To prevent the inhumane treatment of animals, the city has the authority to regulate the number and conditions of breeding animals.
Meanwhile, under the proposed ordinance, the Non-Profit Animal Rescue Centers will be required to register with the City Veterinarian’s Office and secure a specific permit to operate.
“They are strictly prohibited from engaging in commercial breeding or the sale of animals, and they must maintain specific standards for sanitation, veterinary care, and ‘controlled capacity’ to prevent overcrowding,” Abella said.
The minimum requirements for these non-profit animal rescue centers are adequate shelter and space, sanitation and waste management, animal health care, and proper enclosures to prevent escape for public safety.
The proposal also introduced a support provision where the city government may extend support to accredited rescue centers through vaccination programs, spay/neuter initiatives, and technical assistance.
The ordinance reinforces the liability of owners, as they will be legally liable for any injury or damage caused by their animals.
Prohibited acts under the new law include the abandonment of animals, allowing animals to roam freely, maintaining animals in unsanitary conditions, operating breeding facilities without a permit, and acts of cruelty and neglect.
To ensure compliance, the amendment also proposed fines ranging from a written warning for a first offense to ₱5,000.00 for a third offense, which may also include the confiscation or impounding of the animal; and potential suspension or revocation of permit to operate for commercial operators.
Abella said the ordinance is still at the City Legal Office for legal opinion, and once passed, is hoped to regulate animal population at the same time protect public health and safety.
