World | Philippines
Town in central region wants all dogs to be fitted with rabies tag
In a bid to prevent the spread of rabies, a Central Philippines' town had mandated that all local dogs be fitted with a tag that will indicate if the animal had been vaccinated against the disease.
- By Gilbert Felongco, Correspondent
- Published: 23:35 August 3, 2008
Manila: In a bid to prevent the spread of rabies, a Central Philippines' town had mandated that all local dogs be fitted with a tag that will indicate if the animal had been vaccinated against the disease.
Philippine laws had only recently been catching up on internationally accepted animal welfare practices and mayor Nelson Ruis and the town council of San Jose in Negros Oriental province had come up with a way of letting residents know if a dog has been vaccinated against rabies or not.
Through a simple metal tag worn around the dog's neck, residents will know if the dog had been administered with the vaccine.
According to a report by the daily Sunstar, before a dog can wear the tags, the pet owner must have the animal registered with authorities.
After the pet had been registered, the owner will be given a certificate that his or her animal bad been vaccinated against rabies.
Just like in any other rural and suburban areas in the Philippines, the spread of rabies is a problem.
Compounding this predicament is the fact that in some parts of the country dogs are not only considered as pets but as a delicacy as well.
Rabies, also called mad dog disease or "hydrophobia" is a fatal illness that causes the brain to swell. It can afflict humans.
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