VISION - A stray-animal-free environment and a community where household pets are free community rabies and other diseases.

MISSION - Provision of security to citizens from animal bites through the total eradication of stray animals on the streets.

OUR PROGRAMS

Animal Apprehension
• Implementation of ordinances prohibiting stray animals in public places within the city.
• Provision of penalty against pet or animal owners violating city ordinances.
• Impounding of all stray animals and penalizing its owners.
• Provision of penalty against pet owner whose pet has caused injury or damage to another person or property.

Anti-rabies vaccination
• Provision of free anti-rabies vaccination for dogs and other animals.
• Provision of free one-dose anti-rabies vaccination to city resident victims of animal bites.
• Victims of dog bites are required to surrender their dogs for vaccination.
• All dogs or pets found to be carrying any communicable diseases or found positive of rabies will be confiscated.

Animal Protection
• Prohibition on the slaughter of dogs, the sale and transport of dog meat in the city.
• All violators of animal protection will be penalized.
• Free animal or pet pick-up for re-homing or impounding.


ORDINANCE NO. 156

The Animal Protection and Council Office (APCO) was created by virtue of Ordinance No. 156, Series of 1996. The main task is to eradicate stray animals; to provide protection against the spread of deadly rabies caused by animal bites, particularly dogs; and to control excessive breeding of dogs by irresponsible pet owners, causing animals to become stray which poses a health risk to humans.

Animal Impounding and Redemption
• Owners shall pay Php 40 a day for board and lodging fees of their impounded pets.
• Pets that are not redeemed within five days shall be adopted or destroyed.
• Friday is prescribed the adoption day for all impounded animals.
• Residents from settlement and resettlement sites are not allowed to adopt.

Animal Quarantine
• Banning all residents in settlement and resettlement sites from owning pets.
• Confiscation of all animals or pets in all settlement and resettlement sites.
• “No redemption” Policy to all confiscated and apprehended pets or animals in settlement or resettlement sites.

People’s Education and Awareness (Responsible Pet Ownership)
• Proper animal hygiene and handling.
• Dealing with aggressive and dangerous dog.
• Control of animal-borne diseases.
• Control and prevention of stray dogs.


TIPS FOR RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP

• Train your dog on basic obedience.
• Feed your dog regularly and with a balance diet.
• Give your dog its own dish.
• Train your dog to go home.
• Be sure that your dog receives anti-rabies vaccination annually.
• Let not your dog be a nuisance to others by its continuous barking.
• Keep your dog clean by bathing it every other day.
• Be sure your dog drinks clean water.
• Give your dog its own place to rest.


YOU, YOUR DOG AND THE LAW

• ORDINANCE NO. 165, S-2001 imposes penalty on owners of animals which cause injury or damage to people or property.
• ORDINANCE NO. 13, S-97 bans owning animals in settlement or resettlement areas.
• ORDINANCE NO. 13, S-95 prohibits dog owners from taking out their pets to urinate and defecate on streets and sidewalks.
• ORDINANCE NO. 17, S-94 prohibits the slaughter of dogs, sale and/or transport of its meat in the city and provides penalties on violators.
• ORDINANCE NO. 129, S-93 prohibits stray animals in public places in the city.

APCO FUNCTIONAL CHART