RABIES-FREE CITY. Dr. Emmanuel Estipona (left), chief of the City Veterinary Office in Legazpi, answers queries on their program to sustain the city's long-standing record as a “zero-rabies” locality from 2019 to the present, on Thursday (Sept. 7, 2023). A total of 15,278 dogs in the city were vaccinated against rabies from January to August. (Photo by CVO staff)
LEGAZPI CITY – A total of 15,278 dogs here were vaccinated against rabies from January to August, enabling the city to sustain its long-standing record as a "zero-rabies" locality from 2019 up to the present.
Dr. Emmanuel Estipona, chief of the City Veterinary Office (CVO), said in an interview on Thursday that the vaccinated canines were from 57 of the city’s 70 barangays.
Estipona said his office is still targeting 15,000 more dogs from the 13 remaining villages to be vaccinated before the year ends.
Legazpi has not recorded any rabies cases in the past five years.
“We now also started the implementation of the Community Harmony in the New General Approach in Rabies Elimination (CHANGE) program as yet another innovative scheme to contain the roaming stray dogs and maintain Legazpi as a free rabies city,” Estipona noted.
He said through the CHANGE approach, the CVO is teaching people in the community to become responsible pet owners and to directly participate in the stray dog elimination program.
Estipona said at least 510 stray dogs were caught by their team from January to August. (PNA)
