Floyd Bascones, president of the Pawsitivity bared that stray animals are indeed a problem in the city which can be addressed through responsible pet ownership.
He proposed to have a separate committee at the City Council on animal welfare.
Bascones recalled a local ordinance in accordance with the animal welfare was supposed to be implemented in 2020 but it was held in abeyance because of the pandemic.
He said that prior to the local elections, local animal welfare groups coalesced and unified with Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre on improving the Animal Welfare Act and the Anti-Rabies Vaccination Law especially on the barangay level.
“We hoped the local government will see the need on the implementation of these laws,” Bascones said.
A total of 30 dogs are impounded daily in the city, according to Rovie Bullina, president of the Bantay Hayop Dabaw.
“Sad to say Davao City is a cruel city for stray animals,” she said.
Bullina revealed the rescue in Toril, of a stray dog that was struck with a bottle, stones and coco lumber in the head.
She said the dog is currently in the clinic and undergoing X-ray.
“The Bantay Hayop Dabaw is studying the case as it considers to file cruelty to animal-complaint under RA 8485,” Bullina said.
The Republic Act 8485 pertains to the Animal Welfare Act, designed to protect and promote the welfare of all animals in the Philippines by supervising and regulating the establishment and operation of all facilities utilized for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating or training of all animals either as objects of trade or as household pets.
She said cases of animal cruelty, animal neglect, abandonment especially of stray dogs and cats are high in the city.
“They happened even with the existence of a law that penalizes the doer. Somehow, no one is ever penalized in the city. We are still waiting for two the cruelty to animal-cases that we filed. Hopefully, this new case which was caught on video, will have better result,” Bullina said.
She stressed the mushrooming of animal welfare organizations, because of the existence of RA 8485, but the effort remains wanting, due to the overwhelming cases of cruelty and abandonment and the non-implementation of the laws and ordinances designed to fight for the animal rights.
Bullina said animals cannot fight for themselves. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)
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