Text messages save dogs from execution in Bacolod
Text messages questioning the treatment and killing of stray dogs prompted the Bacolod City government to stop the execution of a batch of stray dogs there. Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered the city veterinarian's office to stop the execution until the text messages can be verified. Leonardia also requested City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan to determine what methods of putting the dogs to "sleep" are acceptable, the news site Visayan Daily Star reported on Tuesday. The order stemmed from text messages claiming that the Bacolod City Dog Pound treated captured dogs brutally and inhumanely, and that it kills the dogs in three days if no one claims or adopts them. The other text messages claimed that there are eight stray dogs, including a mother (bitch) with puppies, that are kept without food and water while waiting to be gassed by tambucho (gas chamber) or to be bludgeoned to death. Killing dogs is expensive Acting City Veterinarian Rex Juplo said the execution of dogs through gas chamber is also being practiced in other provinces because the chemicals used for euthanasia are expensive. He said it would cost the city about P700 to 800 to put a dog to sleep using this vaccine. Juplo said they bought vaccines for 19,500 dogs in 2009. However, since they received additional vaccines from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, they have condemned 34,000 dogs that were gathered from the 61 barangays in Bacolod. This year they have condemned a few dogs through the gas chamber because they concentrated on vaccinating pet dogs for anti-rabies, he said. Juplo said the dogs that were condemned this year were positive for rabies. At least 11 dogs were positive for rabies but there have been no human deaths due to rabies this year, he said. Dogs for adoption Leonardia suggested to those who want to adopt the dogs at the city pound to approach the City Veterinarian, but advised them to have the dogs immunized first. On the other hand, Juplo said the dog that had three or four puppies was adopted only on Monday. Rey Demisana, CVO Administrative officer, said there are only five dogs kept at the City Pound and they are being fed and bathed regularly. He said City Ordinance 184 requires those who want to adopt dogs to pay the following: