Have a heart, adopt a stray dog, Caloocan City vet urges residents

DOGGONED LIFE. Stray dogs seized and caged by the Caloocan City veterinarian’s office in this facility in Camarin face either one of two fates: Adoption or euthanasia. JOAN BONDOC

Of the 587 stray dogs rounded up since the start of the year as part of the Caloocan City government’s drive against rabies, only 40 have been put up for adoption.

“If they aren’t adopted or claimed soon, all of them will be euthanized,” city veterinarian Teodoro Rosales told the Inquirer the other day.

He said that while 167 of the strays were redeemed by their owners, 349 were put to sleep after no one came forward to claim or adopt them while 31 died due to malnutrition.

Rosales said that they could not afford to keep all the animals because the city pound can accommodate only 180 dogs.

Based on a report prepared by the city veterinarian, the stray dogs were picked up from the streets from January to July 12 this year.

Their owners were given five days to claim them or else, the animals would be put up for adoption.

Owners who claimed their pets from the city dog pound in the Camarin area were required to pay a fee of P150 plus P50 for every day the animal spent in the care of the city veterinary office beyond the five-day grace period.

“We are still waiting for pet lovers to adopt the other 40,” Rosales said.

He warned, however, that the dogs were not in the best of health as most of them were suffering from a skin disease.

“They are ugly now. Most already have mange. I think no pet lovers would love them. I believe there’s still hope, though,” Rosales said.

He encouraged pet owners to be responsible by cleaning their dogs, feeding them well, bringing them to the veterinary clinic for their shots and putting them on leash.

In a statement, Mayor Enrico Echiverri said that the city government was bent on rounding up stray dogs to help prevent the spread of rabies in Caloocan.

He added that the campaign was also aimed at keeping the city clean.

The mayor also said that the local government regularly conducts an antirabies drive.

In fact, since January to July, 6,755 pets were given free antirabies shots by the Caloocan Veterinary Office, Echiverri said.