The Silang, Cavite municipal government announced on Tuesday, Oct. 4, that it will soon have its very first dog pound facility amid the increasing number of stray dogs in the town.
In a set of photos posted on his Facebook page, Silang, Cavite Mayor Kevin Anarna spearheaded the ground breaking ceremony for the facility together with Dei Poblete of the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist and Councilor Noli Poblete.
The ceremony was held in celebration of World Animal Day, which is an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually on Oct. 4, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
Anarna urged fur-parents to be responsible pet owners and prevent their pets from becoming strays which may cause harm not just to their pets but also to the community.
He added that around 200 individuals are being vaccinated with the anti-rabies vaccine by the town's Regional Health Unit (RHU) everyday due to dog bites and cat scratches.
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals.
Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, violent movements, uncontrolled excitement, fear of water, an inability to move parts of the body, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
Once symptoms appear, the result is virtually always death, regardless of treatment.
In July, the Department of Health (DOH) said the country has recorded 157 cases of rabies from January 1 to June 25, all of which were fatalities.
"Rabies has a 100 percent fatality rate which is why joint actions among the DOH, Department of Agriculture, local governments, and local veterinarians are important to prevent the spread of the virus,” the DOH said.
“In more recent years, there have been a number of rabies cases who remained alive, but these are quite rare,” it added.
The agency said that Category III is the highest exposure among the cases.
“Category III is defined as single or multiple transdermal bites or scratches, licks on broken skin, contamination of mucous membrane with saliva, and suspect contacts with bats,” the DOH said.
According to the DOH, 83 percent of the biting animals among the cases were dogs, with 49 percent of the biting animals classified as domesticated.