Surigao Norte PVO bolsters massive rabies vaccination for Rabies Awareness Month
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| [Photos from Surigao del Norte Provincial Veterinarian Office] |
BUTUAN CITY – The Provincial Veterinarian Office (PVO) of Surigao del Norte lined up activities to bolster the campaign on the Provincial Rabies Control and Eradication Program through massive rabies vaccination in celebration of Rabies Awareness Month 2023.
The first leg of the
Rabies Awareness Campaign kicked off with series of activities at the
Provincial Convention Center, Surigao City on March 1, 2023.
Dogs of all shapes and
sizes joined the parade, with the tiniest adult dog, largest dog, dogs with the
shiniest hair, and most snappy dogs receiving awards and recognition from the
Office.
K9 units of the Philippine
Coast Guard (PCG), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), rescue, and executive
working dogs also joined the activity and showed expertise in narcotics and
explosive detection, and tracking and rescue through a capability demo.
Among the free services
offered were anti-rabies vaccination, pet health consultation, online pet
registration, deworming, and anti-tick injection.
In an interview, Dr. Life
Sheila Cubillanes, PVO head, emphasized responsible pet ownership and its
contribution to controlling rabies, and continues to do so alongside their
regular services to mitigate high rabies positivity rate noted in the province
since January.
"Without responsible
pet ownership, more animals would go astray which would increase the cases of
rabies," Dr. Cubillanes said.
“We also have to look into
the welfare of our pets. Give them regular vaccination so that we can protect
not only the health of our pets but also your health and the public. The
majority of cases of rabies infection in humans are from dog bites so we must
fulfill our responsibility as pet owners,” she added.
In its second and last
leg, a pet services caravan and rabies awareness forum were conducted in
Siargao Island at the Provincial Governor's Extension Office in Barangay 12,
Dapa town on March 23, 2022. A total of 153 pets were
vaccinated, 100 dewormed, 55 dogs castrated, 10 cats spayed, 14 mange treated,
and 13 availed of the consultation.
PVO continues to conduct
house-to-house vaccination of cats and dogs in partnership with their municipal
counterparts to increase the number of local government units to be rabies-free
and to continue to raise awareness about the fatal disease and bring together
partners to enhance prevention and control efforts in the province.
(DMR/RPC/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
