Mayor Greg Gasataya met with representatives of various animal welfare groups Dec. 2, and presented the proposed P10-million City Veterinary Office and Animal Shelter Complex eyed for construction in Barangay 35, Bacolod City.
Discussed during the meeting were urgent concerns regarding the condition of rescued pets at the City Pound.
“Part of the short-term measures is to assess the City Pound and come up with immediate improvements,” said Gasataya, who presented the engineering plans for the complex, that will include its own veterinary clinic and a centralized adoption processing center.
Welfare groups urged the City Engineers Office, led by Engr. Loben Ceballos, to prioritize functionality over aesthetics. “The aesthetics of the building are not that important. The budget should be spent on strong roofs and large spaces where the dogs can roam and play. After all, the facility is for the dogs, not for humans.”
The urgency of the situation was emphasized by Sam Daniel of Furhaven Rescue Sanctuary, who warned: “We need to work fast since the dogs will die in a span of three weeks, knowing and seeing their situation.”
While the new shelter complex is projected to be completed within eight to 10 months, Gasataya and the welfare groups in attendance, including Pawssion Project, CARE, Furhaven Rescue Sanctuary, BACH, and BARK, agreed on immediate “short-term” survival measures, the city said in a press release.
These include separating sick animals from healthy ones; massive sanitization of the pound; restoration of power, with the LGU assuming the P800,000 unpaid electricity bill previously shouldered by CARE; securing rice supplies, after City Administrator Atty. Mark Mayo committed to ensuring that food remains available beyond this month; temporary relocation of animals to decongest the overcrowded pound; and the demolition of informal structures around the pound due to public health hazards.
To address the need for compassionate leadership, Gasataya appointed Dr. Janine Sarthou as the new assistant city veterinarian, selected after a two-month vetting process.
Dr. Sarthou committed to a hands-on leadership style. “I have a heart for animals since I have been working with spaying and other veterinary works for many years now.”
She pledged to spend her first week assessing the pound’s conditions on the ground.
To reduce the growing population of stray animals, a stricter policy framework was also proposed.
This includes a dog registration measure as suggested by Sarthou, which would impose a P500 penalty per household for unregistered pets.
The mayor likewise directed that all job order staff assigned to the new pound undergo vetting to ensure that they truly have a “heart for animals” and are motivated by care, not just by employment.
“We must not encourage impounding to minimize the overwhelming number of dogs,” the organizations stressed, advocating instead for widespread responsible pet ownership campaigns.
It was agreed during the meeting “to transform Bacolod into a city that protects its people while giving dignity, compassion, and humane care to its neglected animals.” ||
