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Here’s hoping more people will be responsible pet owners.
“The Quezon City Council has approved Ordinance No. 2386, which limits to four the number of cats and dogs residents can keep in their households,” reports Jaymee T. Gamil in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The ordinance was authored by Councilors Raquel Malañgen and Jessica Castelo Daza. It is only awaiting Mayor Herbert Bautista’s signature for it to take effect.
The report noted that the new ordinance “consolidates previous regulations covering pet ownership in the city, including Ordinance No. 2155 approved in 2012 which requires the registration, vaccination and tagging of pets and Ordinance No. 1373 passed in 2004 which empowers the city veterinarian to regulate stray animals.”
Then again, as the report pointed out, “Section No. 6 of the new ordinance, however, sets a new restriction for animal lovers: ‘Pets should be kept to a maximum number of four per household.'”
The ordinance’s definition of “domesticated animals” covers only cats and dogs. It does say that “domesticated animals that are not space-consuming such as fish and lovebirds, can exceed four but not more than 30.”
Pet owners who want to keep more than the allowed number are mandated to secure the PHP500 special permit required of commercial breeders, traders, and trainers. The report added that “they should also comply with other requirements such as vaccination and the space to be occupied by the animals (between 12 and 24 square feet for cats and dogs).”
The ordinance’s requirements are on top of the pre-existing requirement for owners to register their pets with the city veterinarian for PHP200 each once these reach three months of age. Pets are required to have an antirabies vaccination before they can be registered.
