BAGUIO CITY – The veterinary office here is urging owners of cats and dogs to bring their animals during the scheduled free rabies vaccination at their village halls from March to April.
During a press briefing on Thursday, the city veterinary office chief, Dr. Brigit Piok, said the anti-rabies vaccination is an annual activity during March, which has been set on the anti-rabies prevention month.
She said this year, free vaccinations started on March 3 and will last until April 4 at the villages.
She said that the vaccines are only for dogs and cats to make the city rabies-free by the year 2030.
Piok said vaccines will boost the immune system of cats and dogs, protecting them from rabies virus, which can be transmitted to humans.
Rabies is deadly as it can kill a person who is bitten by an animal that is infected by rabies, if not immediately injected with an anti-rabies vaccine for humans.
Animals need to be given a vaccine every three years as protection, Piok said.
“If the time of vaccination lapses, there’s a possibility for your pet to acquire viral diseases. So, it is important to vaccinate your pet on or before the expiration of the previous vaccine,” Piok said.
Piok said their office is giving free rabies vaccines to residents on different schedules.
On March 7, it will be at Lower Quirino Hill; March 10 at Holy Ghost extension; March 11 at north Sanitary Camp; March 14 at West Quirino Hill; March 17 at Holy Ghost Proper; March 19 at Loakan Apugan; March 20 at Pinsao Pilot; March 21 at Poliwes; March 24 to 26 at Loakan Proper; March 27 at Middle Rock Quarry, Kayang Extension and Fil-Am Subdivision; March 28 at Igorot Garden; March 31 to April 2 at Camp 7 and April 4 at Camp 7.
Piok said only cats and dogs that are three months old and above, healthy and not pregnant can be vaccinated.
She said they also do microchipping activities, free mass spay and neutering aside from doing awareness campaign and responsible pet ownership lectures.
Dr. Eric Evangelista, a practicing veterinarian, said rabies is endemic in the country so there is the need for animals to be given vaccination every three years.
He said anti-rabies vaccines for animals cost between PHP250 to PHP500. **By Liza Agoot with reports from Jephryll Jallen Epler, OJT/PNA
