DAVAO CITY – A Davao City councilor backed stronger animal protection measures and possible creation of an animal welfare group following an appeal from the local animal rights group Bantay Hayop Davao during the City Council’s last regular session.

In observance of World Animal Month, Bantay Hayop Davao encouraged city officials to strengthen the enforcement of animal protection laws and adopt humane methods such as vaccination, neutering, and adoption instead of mass euthanasia.

Alexi Rodian Bullina, co-founder of the Bantay Hayop Davao, said animal cruelty and negligence remain widespread in Davao City despite existing laws, citing cases of dog slaughter, poisoning, stabbing, and other animal abuses that violate the Animal Welfare Act and other related laws.

The group noted that about 5,700 animals were euthanized at the Davao Impounding Services in 2024, with an average of 4,000 killed each year before that.

Bullina said irresponsible owners, not the animals, should be held responsible, pointing out that rabies exists despite mass euthanasia.

She urged the city government to emulate Cebu’s example, where they neutered and ligated and vaccinated their impounded animals and either adopted or returned them to communities. Bullina added that such an approach promotes public safety and animal welfare.

Responding to the appeal, Councilor Lorenzo Villafuerte, chairman of the Committee on Social Services, said during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos at Sangguniang Panglungsod on Tuesday, Oct. 7, that the Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Food Committee, chaired by Councilor Ralph Abella, is open to expanding its mandate into animal welfare.

“Councilor Abella has already expressed his willingness to support Bantay Hayop’s proposal,” Villafuerte said. “I also want a city ordinance similar to Cebu that requires pet registration to promote responsible pet ownership in Davao City.”

Villafuerte said while the city practices euthanasia to manage the stray pet population, the government should explore humane alternatives, as these problems come from irresponsible pet ownership. He added that improving and strictly implementing ordinances would be better.

The councilor emphasized that pet owners are liable under national law and must be held responsible if their pets – dogs or cats – escaped and harmed others. He admitted that the challenge is implementation, given the size of the city and other pressing concerns.

Villafuerte said he would coordinate with the key government officials to study and address the matter, hoping this would be a priority. He noted that allocating funds for pet neutering and ligation and vaccination would help reduce the stray population and lower anti-rabies costs.

Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chairperson of the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means, and Appropriations, reminded that the city government must balance animal welfare with public safety. He said people often see cruelty as impounding, but they forget its purpose, to protect human lives.

The City Veterinarian’s Office recorded that it impounded 6,143 cats and dogs from January to December 2024. Around 500 were reclaimed by their owners and about 20 were adopted, while the rest were euthanized due to limited space.

Dr. Gay Pallar, acting assistant head of the CVO, reported that the city pound houses up to 25 dogs per cage across 12 enclosures and takes in about 25 new dogs each day. She said animals left unclaimed for three days are euthanized due to overcrowding.

Pallar said the city promotes pet adoption through the Davao City Adopt-A-Cat/Dog Ordinance to help reduce euthanasia. She added that the program rehabilitates and vaccinates impounded animals before offering them for adoption.

The CVO evaluates applicants who wish to adopt pets to ensure they can adequately care for them. Those approved adopters will be monitored for six months. The city strictly implemented the rule after the CVO learned that two adopters used dogs for meat.

Since the program started in 2024, Pallar said 20 cats and dogs have been adopted, primarily through rescue organizations. A rehabilitation center in Calinan, beside the city pound, requires interested adopters to submit a letter of intent before being paired with a suitable pet.

Bantay Hayop Davao, with its partner law firm Tolentino and Associates, continues to file cases against animal cruelty offenders and urged accountability from pet owners and officials, blaming poor law enforcement and the lack of pet registration for neglect and overpopulation.