Animal Welfare Week
The country’s Animal Welfare Week celebration kicked off last Sunday in Cebu City with the first animal welfare walk spearheaded by the Livestock and Poultry Sector of the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas.
The Animal Welfare Week is observed every first week of October to promote the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, which aims to protect and promote humane treatment of animals. This year’s theme is “Animal Welfare: Taking the next step in strengthening an animal-friendly community.”
About 3,000 animal welfare advocates from the academe, government and non-government agencies led by the Bureau of Animal Industry director Rubina Cresencio, assistant director Angel Mateo and DA-7 Livestock and Poultry coordinator Joel Elumba braved an afternoon rain to join the walk from the Fuente Osmeña Circle which culminated with a program at Plaza Independencia.
In their speeches, Dr. Cresencio, Cebu City veterinarian Dr. Alice Utlang and DA-7 animal welfare officer Verna Agriam reminded the animal owners to observe the basic animal rights, such as freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and diseases and the right to express normal behaviors of animals.
Next year’s animal welfare walk will be held in Mindanao.
