PAWS pushes for LGUs to give free monthly spay, neuter services

An animal welfare organization has drafted a model ordinance for local government units (LGUs) offering tax and business permit rebates to private veterinarians who provide free spay or neuter services a certain number of times per month.

"Urge LGUs to do kapon," said Atty. Anna Cabrera, Executive Director of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) during a legal advocacy event on April 18.

The forum by student-run group College of Paw was held in the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Complex in Diliman, Quezon City.

"Mayroong program 'yung PAWS: Kapon for All Pets. It's actually convincing the LGU—there's an ordinance, nag-draft na kami ng ordinance—kopyahin n'yo na lang," Cabrera said.

"[The ordinance is] for the city vet—for the private veterinarians in a certain city na bigyan nila ng rebate on the business permits and the taxes so that, in turn, these veterinarians—private veterinarians will offer libreng kapon of 10 kapon lang a month for the indigents of their community," she added.

Cabrera said that spay and neutering should be institutionalized.

"It should be built into the system," she said.

The forum's panelists also consisted of Atty. Juancho Torrevillas, director of PAWS; Atty. Jasper Barrientos, Humane Philippines co-founder; and Margarita Mae Daswani, founder of the Cats of Prisma, a condominium cat-caring community.

"That's the problem. Nobody, 'pag nakakita ng stray cat, nobody gives a second thought na baka ito ay dumami; ‘pag ito nakahanap ng kanyang mate, dadami ito," said Barrientos.

On the aspect of caring for cats within a residential community, Daswani also highlighted the importance of neutering and spaying to mitigate externalities such as noise and territorial spraying of urine.

"Noise. Kapag hindi neutered ‘yung pusa, siyempre maingay. Maririnig mo sa gitna ng gabi," Daswani said in her presentation.

"Animals are not merely companions," said UP College of Law Gwen Grecia-De Vera. "We cannot remain indifferent."

—MGP, GMA News