Registration a must for cats and dogs in Marikina City

All cat and dog owners in Marikina City have to register their pets as part of the city’s campaign to control the viral disease "rabies" and promote responsible pet ownership. A 69-year old woman went to the Tañong Barangay Hall in Marikina City not to secure a cedula or barangay clearance but to have her eight-year-old brown mongrel included in the annual citywide dog and cat registration. “If the dogs are safe, people are also safe," said Vivian Crudo, as she registered her dog Queenie. “Queenie has been a registered dog since 2003," Crudo said. “(Registration) is an obligation for us pet owners," said Joselito Fabros, 51, who registered his four-year old golden brown mongrel, Chloe, for the first time because they have just moved into the city. Preventing the spread of diseases Dr. Manuel Carlos, chief of the City Veterinary Services Office (CVSO) said pet registration is being done in Marikina City's 15 barangays to prevent animal diseases from spreading to humans. The annual pet registration in Marikina City was first implemented in August 2003 under City Ordinance No. 67 (enacted in 2003). It was amended in 2007 as City Ordinance No. 62, which states that a P2,000-fine will be imposed on an owner who fails to register a dog or cat. Another P2,000-fine will be imposed on owners who fail to have their pets vaccinated. For this year, the citywide registration in barangays runs from August to September. After the two-month period, registrations can be done at the CVSO. Carlos admitted that they cannot guarantee that all of Marikina City’s pet owners will comply with the ordinance. “Though we give house-to-house notice to the residents every first quarter of the year, some of them might even hide their dog from us," he said. In 2009, a total of 7,357 pets, including only 27 cats, were registered in Marikina while the number of pets vaccinated reached 5,346, including eight cats. Barangay Concepcion 1 had the highest number of registered cats and dogs at 1,049, with 768 of them vaccinated. As of July 2010, the CVSO recorded 5,641 registered pets (no breakdown by dogs and cats is available). What Marikina City pet owners must do For a pet to be registered, the owners have to fill out an application form from CVSO or from their respective barangay halls. The owners are also required to submit the following pictures of their pets: a 2x2 close-up photo; a 3R (3.5 inches by 5 inches) whole body photo and a 3R side view photo. “Some pet owners seem to ‘laugh’ at the 3R photo requirement but in legal matters, it’s very important," Carlos said. Upon registration, the pet is given a dog tag and free anti-rabies vaccination. If the pet has been vaccinated earlier by a private veterinarian, the owner is required to present proof or a certificate of the anti-rabies vaccination. Those who are renewing their pets' registrations have to present the old registration or animal tag and fill out an application form. Both new applicants and those seeking renewals must pay a registration fee of P75. Fatal rabies virus The Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, or Republic Act 9482, refers to rabies as a “highly-fatal disease caused by the lyssa virus." The virus is transmitted mainly through the bite of an infected animal. Human victims suffer from muscle paralysis, hydrophobia, aerophobia, and other neurological manifestations. Veterinary experts said that rabies in cats is twice as common as in dogs. While there is a vaccine for rabies, there is no treatment for the disease, said American veterinarian Dr. Ron Hines on a website. Once the disease seeps into the brain, death is inevitable. –VVP, GMANews.TV The author is a third year journalism student at the University of Santo Tomas. This article was written as part of the community news wire project of their class.