DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 October) – The City Health Office is open to a dialogue with the operators of an animal shelter that has been ordered closed for alleged violations of sanitary regulations.
Luzviminda Paig, chief of the CHO Sanitation Division, said they are also planning to invite the City Planning Office, Business Bureau, and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office to the dialogue.
The shelter, located in Matina Aplaya, Davao City and run by Happy Animals Club, was recently closed for emitting foul odor, noise nuisance, and defying a sanitary order, the grace period for which had already lapsed, according to the order from the city government dated Sept. 27.
The closure order is based on City Ordinance No. 0291-17, Series of 2017, or the 2017 Revenue Code of the City of Davao.
Paig said over Davao City Disaster Radio on Friday that the CHO inspected the shelter twice following complaints filed with the agency by two individuals whose identities were withheld.
She said Barangay Matina Aplaya also submitted petitions from six individuals concerning foul odor and noise from the establishment.
The CHO documented foul smell and noise problems during its first inspection on May 26, and subsequently recommended for the animal shelter to transfer.
Paig said the shelter offered to undertake mitigating measures to abate the nuisance, including cleaning of the premises and lessening the number of rescued dogs.
Another inspection was conducted on July 31 and the CHO observed that “mitigating measures appear to be ineffective.”
Paig said they will conduct another inspection but the shelter has to stop operating in the meantime due to the closure order.
The shelter maintained the complaint about foul odor was baseless because the rescued animals were always kept under clean conditions. It posted a video of people attesting to its claim.
The Happy Animals Club said they are willing to transfer to a different place as recommended, but added this option is not feasible due to budget constraints.
The group feared the rescued animals would be seized and placed in a dog pound where they would be euthanized if not claimed after 72 hours if they could not transfer them as recommended.
However, Paig said there are no discussions about confiscating the animals, much less euthanizing them.
The official website of the city government has received several complaints against the closure of the animal shelter as well as requests to save the rescued animals.
The Happy Animals Club has operated for nine years already, and currently has over 100 dogs and over 100 cats in their care.
The group has initiated a petition for an immediate reevaluation, an open dialogue, and public support through change.org, which has gained close to 27,000 signatures as of October 20. (Miah Christine Bontilao/MindaNews)
