It’s definitely not the dogs’ fault, so maybe it’s time to ask people to take responsibility for the canines they keep.
“The Department of Health (DOH) has noted a high number of dog bite patients at the San Lazaro Hospital (SLH) and blamed it on the proliferation of unvaccinated dogs,” reports Sheila Crisostomo in The Philippine Star.
According to DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag, there have been as many as 300 dog bite patients who were recently treated at the SLH’s Out Patient Department.
DOH Secretary Enrique Ona had discussed the issue with the Department of Agriculture (DA), which works with local government units on dog vaccination program. The dog vaccination program does not fall under the jurisdiction of the DOH but of the DA.
Ona went on to say that while dog vaccination is mandated under Republic Act 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, many dog owners still fail to get their dogs vaccinated. *The problem is actually deeper than that.
Many so-called pet owners actually don’t take care of their pets even if, under the law, they’re “required to submit their dogs for registration with the local government units, not to allow them to roam the street or any public place, and provide them with “proper grooming, adequate food and clean shelter.”
Despite these obstacles, Ona said the DOH aims to eliminate rabies as a “public health threat” by 2015.
Photo from MorgueFile
