Pet microchipping is now free at CVO

The City Veterinarians Office is now offering microchipping services for pets after it was launched last February 17, 2023.

CVO Chief of Animal Husbandry and Disease Control Division Dr. Gay Z. Pallar, during the I-Speak Media forum on Thursday bared that CVO successfully launched its microchipping services, where pet who can afford may provide their pets with microchips.

“We launched the microchipping of dogs and cats for registration here in Davao City in coordination with non-government units nga nag donate sa atin ng microchip and yung detector ng microchips (We launched the microchipping of dogs and cats for registration here in Davao City in coordination with non-government units that donated microchips and also the detector for microchips),” she said.

These microchips are rice-grain-sized and are implanted through injection between the shoulder blades of the animal. Once implanted, the microchip becomes a permanent identification of the pet, and the owners’ information is linked to the pet identification, making it easy to identify and recover lost or stolen pets.

Pallar said that PAWSitivity Project Philippines, Inc. and Bantay Hayop Davao handed over microchip scanners and a total of 20 pet microchips to be given to deserving indigent pet owners.

In observation of Rabies Awareness Month in March, Pallar said that the city government will conduct simultaneous anti-rabies vaccination in the barangays and free castration.

With the availability of vaccines, the city targets to vaccinate 120,000 animals for the year 2023. From January to the present, the city already vaccinated 13,549 animals. For the year 2022, it vaccinated 116,540 dogs and cats.

For population control, Pallar said that their office caters to the free castration of dogs and cats. Castration of males, according to her, is cost-effective as one male can impregnate five females at once. Spaying, a procedure done on female animals also requires major surgery and could not be done in an open area.

Apart from the rabies prevention measures, Dabawenyos are urged to become more responsible pet owners as the CVO notes that the number of cats and dogs being impounded remains high with an average of 25-30 cats and dogs per day on the city streets and only 10-12 percent were claimed by their owners.

Pallar said the CVO is mandated to impound stray animals on the street. Impounding finds basis in City Ordinance 1457, Series of 1974 or the Ordinance Prohibiting The Loosening Or Letting Stray of Dogs In The City Of Davao, Providing For The Catching And Impounding Of The Same, Collection Of Fees For Impounding Them, And Providing Further For Their Disposition When Not Claimed Within A Certain Period And Providing For Penalty In Case Of Violation Thereof.”

For more information visit the Official Facebook Page of the City Veterinarian’s Office or call: 241-1000 Local 351/349 CIO