The Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Agriculture , Aquaculture and Food has proposed the Davao City Animal Welfare, Control, and Public Safety Ordinance, which will amend the Dog Welfare Leashing and Licensing Ordinance of 2022.
Committee chair, Ralph O. Abella, during the Pulong Pulong sa Dabawenyo on Tuesday, said that the proposed ordinance will have a wider coverage.
“We included other animals, providing clear classification, definition, species and specific regulations, responsibilities of owners, penalties,” he said.
The proposed ordinance is still under the committee level but under it, the animals covered are those under human care, custody or control.
They are classified as companion animals (dogs, cats, and other pets), livestock (swine, cattle, goats, sheep, carabao), poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, and other fowls), Working animals (horses, carabao used for labor/transport, and other animals under human custody.
Abella said that the proposed ordinance provides for the definition of terms, general responsibilities of owners, species-specific regulations, breeding regulations, and regulations of non-profit animal rescue centers.
Non-profit animal rescue centers refers to any facility operated by an individual, group, or organization that provides rescue, temporary shelter rehabilitation, or rehoming of animal. These centers do not engage in commercial sale or breeding for profit; and operates primary for animal welfare purposes.
“Atong giapil karon ang registration requirement ug permit para sa non-profit animal rescue center (We now included the registration requirement and permit for the non-profit animal rescue center),” he said, adding that they also set minimum requirement and prohibited acts of these centers.
Based on the draft, non-profit rescue centers are prohibited from engaging commercial breeding or selling animals; maintaining overcrowded or unsanitary conditions, allowing animals to roam freely outside the facility; and creating nuisance or posing risk to public health and safety.
It also contains provisions on impounding and control, liability for damage, prohibited acts, penalties, enforcement and implementing rules and regulations.
He said that the City Veterinarian’s Office shall implement the ordinance in partnership other agencies to implement the regulations.
“Once maimplement ni siya, wala nay iro maglatagaw sa kalsada kay manakop naman ang CVO ug ang barangay (Once this will be implemented, roaming dogs on the streets are minimized because of the enforcement of CVO and barangay),” he said, adding the barangays are encouraged to build their own impounding area and have their own impounding vehicle.
Abella said with barangays encouraged to help in the impounding, they hope that animals can easily be identified and returned to their owners.
He said that currently some barangays already have impounding vehicle. They continue to encourage more barangays to have their own space for impounding and to have their own impounding vehicle.
“Gina-encourage nato sila kay once man gud nga nakaconstruct sila og impounding area, and ilaha ang vehicle sila ang maka-kolekta sa penalties which ang penalty pwede nila tagaan ang siyudad pero dako ang ilang share (We encourage them because once they are able to construct an impounding area, the vehicle will be under their custody, and they will be the ones to collect the penalties. They may remit a portion of the penalty to the city, but they will retain a larger share),” Abella said.
The sharing of the penalties between the city government and the barangays has yet to be determined. CIO