Dagupan Centro Brgy. Capt. Esteras reminds public to have pets vaccinated after 2-yr.-old dog tested positive of rabies

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Dagupan Centro Punong Barangay George Esteras reminds the public of responsible pet ownership after a dog they caught in the barangay tested positive of rabies on October 14.

Talking to GURU Press Cordillera, Esteras shared that Dagupan Centro was the pilot area for the ‘DOKMA’ program on October 8, wherein authorities in the barangay along with the City Veterinary Office implemented catching dogs found on the streets.

Esteras recounted that they caught at least 4 dogs, which were impounded by the City Vet. He added that today, October 15, he was informed that one of the dogs turned out positive of rabies. The canine was described to be 24-month-old with no history of anti-rabies vaccination.

With the incident, Esteras appeals to the public to have their pets vaccinated and to not let them roam the streets.

“Nu kuma adda taraken da ket haan da ilubos karkaru daytoy haan nga na-injection an. Ammu met lang iti pet owners dayta nga haan na-injection an iti taraken da. Tapnu ma-avoid an iti panagwaras iti rabies ken tapnu haan da makakagat,” he appealed.

Rabies, according to the World Health Organization, is a ‘viral, zoonotic, neglected tropical disease’ wherein 99% of human rabies cases come from dog bites and scratches. The health organization added that rabies causes tens of thousands of deaths every year.