Dog owners told to get rabies shots for pets
THE Pangasinan Provincial Health Office (PHO) has again called on dog owners to be responsible and make sure that their pets get anti-rabies shots to prevent the spread of rabies.
The PHO recorded 14 human rabies infestations by the end of last year, higher than the three in 2011.
Christina Alcantara, health education program officer (HEPO), said dog owners can have their pets immunized at the local veterinary offices.
“Dog owners do not have to wait until March to have their pets immunized because the veterinary office gives shots all year round,” Alcantara said during the PIA radio program last Tuesday.
Mass injection is conducted annually at the provincial veterinary office during the Anti-Rabies Month in March.
She also advised people bitten or scratched by a dog or cat to clean the wound with soap and water, and to seek medical help immediately.
Symptoms of rabies include itching at the infection site and fever, and, in late stages, difficulty in swallowing, convulsion, and spasm of the throat muscle and the chest.
Republic Act No. 9824, or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, penalizes an amount of P2,000 to dog owners who fail or refuse to have their dogs immunized, and P25,000 to those who refuse to have their dog put under observation and do not shoulder the medical expenses of the person bitten by their dog. (PIA-Pangasinan/ARF)
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