Animal advocates urge public to help save 36 dogs impounded in Los Baños

A group of animal advocates on Tuesday called on the public to join the clamor to stop the impending euthanasia of more than 36 dogs impounded by the local government of Los Baños, Laguna.

The Los Baños Advocates of Animal Welfare, Inc. (LBAAW) said that the local government of Los Baños, in compliance with Ordinance No. 2015-1455, will be putting to sleep more than 36 dogs that have stayed beyond the four-day holding period due to lack of budget for the dog food.

There were originally a total of 58 dogs set to euthanized but due to the help of the public, 15 have already been adopted, with seven more fostered.

The local government unit (LGU) of Los Baños supposedly failed to release the budget for the dog food, according to LBAAW publicity head Reignier Guerrero. He also claimed that the LGU did not adequately provide information to the public on how to adopt the impounded dogs.

"In my personal opinion, it's a total absence talaga ng kanilang duty kasi ang nakikita lang naming information on how to adopt ay isang nakapaskil na tarpaulin sa labas ng office nila which is not very visible to the public," he said.

"Meron silang mga nire-raise na flyer and it only concerns rabies, so wala akong nakikita anything about adoption."

"Supposedly, 'yung food, 'yung maintenance ng facility, medical needs, 'yan po lahat ay dapat sa LGU, whereas itong mga 'to ay kami ang sumasalo. So since 2015, wala po silang ni-release na budget for the food of the dogs," he added.

The group said that its members and volunteers had been raising donations and personally visited the local pound to feed the dogs daily. They have been spending around P20,000 monthly to cover the dog food expenses, said Guerrero.

The Los Baños dog pound, which is said to be located at a dumpsite along Jamboree Road, Barangay Timugan, is not on the Bureau of Animal Industry's list of registered animal pounds, which has a total of 18 registered pounds. Nine of these pounds have expired permits as of July 31, 2017.

"What we want po kasi ay mapasara yung pound dito kasi it's not really a good facility at hindi siya nagco-comply sa law. Now, if ever naman po na i-continue ng LGU ang facility na 'to, pero pagagandahin nila...why not?," Guerrero said.

The group said that they have been looking for land with a long-term lease since the local government "cannot provide a suitable place to even temporarily house impounded dogs during a four-day holding period."

Meanwhile, aside from its pound not being registered as an official dog pound, LBAAW said that the municipality also lacks veterinarians, which prompted them to cooperate with volunteer veterinarians in order to address the health and wellness of the impounded dogs.

Local government units are mandated to capture and impound "unregistered, stray or unvaccinated" dogs for the purpose of preventing and controlling rabies as stated in the Section 4 of the Administrative Circular 03, Series of 2015 of the Department of Agriculture.

The circular also states that "[a]ll pounds as referred to in the definition shall be registered with the Bureau of Animal Industry" as stated in Section 2 of Republic Act 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act.

"Impounded dogs not claimed after 3 days from the dog pound shall be placed for adoption to qualified persons with the assistance of animal welfare NGO (non-government organization), when feasible, otherwise it shall be disposed of in a manner authorized by A.O. 13 series of 2010 as amended by A.O. series of 2011 (Revised Rules and Regulations on the Euthanasia of Animals)," the circular reads.

Los Baños officer-in-charge municipal agriculturist Cheryll Gonzales said that she has yet to read the group's appeal on Facebook. However, she said that they will release a statement on the matter. — BM, GMA News