18/10/2025
BAGUIO TO BUILD ANIMAL CARE CENTER FOR STRAY CATS, DOGS
The Baguio City Council has approved on third reading the ordinance (Ordinance 65-2025) establishing the Baguio City Animal Care and Adoption Center to provide humane shelter and better welfare services for stray animals. This measure aims to ease the strain on the city’s overburdened animal pound and strengthen the local implementation of the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.
Four years after its introduction in 2021, the measure has now been enacted, paving the way for the construction of a P10-million two-storey facility that will serve as the city’s new Animal Care and Adoption Center. The center will house the Animal Health Division of the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) and include areas for treatment, adoption, and administrative services.
The said facility will address overcrowding in the current animal pound by creating a better-equipped facility with individual cages, a surgery room for medical treatment, neutering, or emergency procedures. It will also house offices for the Animal Health Division of the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) and a cashier’s office to process adoption or claiming fees on-site for convenience and efficiency.
The P10-million funding for the construction of the center will be sourced from the tax worth P200 million paid by the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA) to the city government or from other available funds that can be realigned for this purpose.
In 2021, the proposed project drew positive responses from animal welfare advocates, pet owners, and concerned citizens. They described it as a long-awaited step for the welfare and dignity of stray dogs and cats, calling it “a wish come true” for the city’s voiceless animals.
Many citizens acknowledged the sustained efforts of local animal welfare groups in lobbying for this project and expressed gratitude to the city council for supporting the measure.
While there was widespread support for the measure, the public called for stronger policy enforcement to address the root causes of the city’s stray animal problem. A recurring sentiment from citizens is the need to reduce the stray population by directly addressing the main problem which is irresponsible pet ownership. This could be permanently addressed with the effective implementation of the city’s Responsible Dog Ownership Ordinance or Ordinance 19-2021.
Furthermore, several animal advocates emphasized that all unclaimed animals should be spayed or neutered before being posted for adoption to help control the stray population. They proposed the waiving of adoption fees and strict screening of adopters to ensure the animals will not be abandoned again.
Some citizens also urged the city government to invest in CCTV cameras to ensure transparency and monitoring treatment of animals inside the facility, as well as proper training for pound staff on humane animal handling and rights protection. -Jordan G. Habbiling
