First Ph animal welfare desk to be put up here

To ensure that animals will be protected from abuses, animal welfare desks will soon be established within the police stations in Davao City, making it the first in the country.

The Department of Agriculture in Region (DA) 11 and the Philippine National Police (PNP) spearhead this initiative in partnership with the local government of Davao City.

"Like humans, animals can also feel pain and need to be protected. The establishment of animal welfare desks is based on the amended Animal Welfare Act or RA 10631," said Dr. Armie Capuyan of DA-XI Regulatory Division. Speaking during the conference May at Camp Mericido in Catitipan, Buhangin, Davao City, Capuyan said the PNP along with other law enforcing agencies are key element in ensuring effective implementation of the law against animal cruelty and in gathering evidence versus animal offenders.

The Animal Welfare Act was enacted to protect and promote the welfare of animals in the country through supervision and regulation of the establishments and operations of all facilities utilized for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating, and training of all animals either for trade or household pets.

The killing of animals other than cattle, pig, goat, poultry, rabbits, carabao, horse is declared unlawful except when it is done as part of a religious ritual of a religion or sect or ritual required by an ethnic custom of indigenous cultural communities. Exceptions also covered animals afflicted with an incurable communicable disease as determined by a veterinarian.

"The animal welfare desks will give voice to the voiceless creatures and provide a venue for concerned citizens to report any cruelty on animals in an accessible way," Capuyan said. | Noel T. Provido, DA-XI