BACOLOD CITY – Animal welfare groups in this city welcomed the creation of the Bacolod City Animal Welfare-Task Force (BACAW-TF) through Executive Order 13-2021 issued by Mayor Evelio Leonardia on Monday.
The development came after a series of meetings conducted by the city government with the advocates concerning the plight of dogs impounded at the Bacolod City Pound.
“We, from the animal advocacy world, are in jubilation with the issuance of the executive order. This is a leap towards a more humane society,” Bacolod Animal Chance and Hope (BACH) Project Ph spokesperson Daniel Sam Salvatierra said in a statement on Tuesday.
Salvatierra quoted Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi as saying: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.
“Our moral conscience clearly dictates that the practice of euthanasia for impounded dogs in the Philippines is immoral…and we know who the real culprits are – the irresponsible pet owners,” the advocates added.
Salvatierra appealed to the community to join the animal welfare advocates, the City Veterinary Office, and other concerned agencies in addressing the plight of stray animals in Bacolod.
“It’s official. We did it for Bacolod – from being a kill-pound using gunshot, to being a no-kill pound now, to opening their doors to animal welfare groups to creating an animal welfare task force, which we are part of,” the PAWSsion Project led by founder Malou Perez said in a Facebook post.
The group acknowledged that impounding of stray animals will continue since it is mandated by law, but said that they will continue to reach as many barangays as they can to educate the people on the importance of responsible pet ownership.
“We will come up with more programs such as free spaying and neutering, and vaccination campaign,” the PAWSsion Project said, adding that it hopes other local government units will follow the response of the city government.
On Feb. 16, the City Mayor’s Office put on hold the scheduled mass euthanasia of impounded dogs supposed to take place on Feb. 20 after animal welfare groups sought the intervention of the city government.
In EO 13-2021, Leonardia said “there is a need to establish a task force aimed at identifying, reassessing and acting on animal welfare concerns in the city with the primary goal of ensuring responsible pet ownership”.
“The city recognizes the concerns of animal rights groups advocating responsible dog ownership and safeguarding the welfare of impounded animals in the City Dog Pound,” the mayor added, citing Republic Act 8485 or “The Animal Welfare Act of 1998” and City Ordinance 866-2018, which regulates the keeping of domesticated animals and to control stray and ownerless animals especially dogs and cats.
Leonardia sits as the task force chair, with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as co-chair, and City Veterinarian Maria Agueda Trinidad de la Torre as vice-chair.
The body has members from the Bacolod City Police Office, City Legal Office, City Health Office, City Engineer’s Office, Public Information Office, BACH Project Ph, and PAWSsion Project.
The Sectoral Concerns Office of the City Mayor’s Office is designated as the task force secretariat.
The BACAW-Task Force is primarily tasked to formulate and implement plans and programs for the welfare of animals in Bacolod, ensure humane treatment of impounded animals, educate the community to become responsible pet owners, and oversee and assist in the implementation of laws on animal welfare. (PNA)
