CEBU Province has found gaps in dog pounds and veterinary staffing among its local government units (LGUs), and the Provincial Government wants stronger animal-control and rabies-prevention measures.
Provincial Veterinarian Mary Rose Vincoy said only 17 of the province’s 51 LGUs have dog pounds, and an audit found that some of them do not meet required standards. The count includes the highly urbanized city of Mandaue, and excludes cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.
“Their facilities are the primary concern. Number one, their facilities did not pass the standards,” Vincoy said in a mix of Cebuano and English in an interview on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
The findings were discussed at the first meeting of the Provincial Animal Welfare Council (PAWC) at the Capitol the same day.
Dog pounds
Vincoy said LGUs need to improve their facilities as part of broader dog population management, which includes registration, vaccination, spaying and neutering, impounding and field control.
“One of the dog population management activities, aside from spaying and neutering, is that when there are already too many dogs, they really need to impound them,” she said.
Under Republic Act (RA) 9482, or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, LGUs are responsible for carrying out such measures, including the control of stray dogs.
“Sometimes, when the LGU has limited resources and different priorities, support for our program is reduced because people’s needs are prioritized,” Vincoy said.
The province is coordinating with LGUs and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to address the deficiencies found in the audit.
Veterinary shortage
Vincoy also reported a shortage of veterinarians in the province’s municipalities. Of the 25 first-class municipalities, only four have permanently hired veterinarians and two have consultants, she said.
“All first-class municipalities should have veterinarians,” Vincoy said, citing DILG directives on veterinary staffing under RA 9482.
As a result, some municipal agriculturists also handle veterinary work, she said. Consultants cannot perform some regulatory functions that require a government-hired veterinarian.
The province has also struggled to fill its own veterinary positions, with some recruitment periods drawing few or no applicants. Vincoy said it has hired animal science graduates to supplement its staff, but positions requiring veterinary qualifications need licensed veterinarians.
She blamed part of the shortage on the small number of veterinary schools in Cebu and the pandemic’s effect on the number of graduates.
District veterinarians
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said the province plans to provide veterinarians for Bantayan and Camotes and eventually assign veterinary staff to each legislative district.
The approach is meant to improve access to veterinary services in areas where municipalities have no permanent veterinarians.
“We are also encouraging those local government units that can hire veterinarians to do so, so they can address other issues,” Vincoy said.
She said veterinary staffing matters because rabies prevention requires acting on animals before the disease reaches people. The provincial veterinary and health offices work together on rabies prevention, but vaccination and control of stray animals begin at the local level.
Provincial oversight
Executive Order 59, issued by Baricuatro in October 2025, created the PAWC and formalized provincial programs on animal welfare and rabies control.
The council develops policies and programs and monitors LGU compliance with animal welfare and rabies-control laws. It also provides technical assistance on the humane treatment, care and shelter of animals.
The order directs the Provincial Veterinary Office, with the council, to inspect LGU dog pounds regularly and report on their condition and compliance.
Separately, Executive Order 45, issued in August 2026, created the Cebu Provincial Anti-Rabies Council as the policy, coordination, monitoring and oversight body for the province’s rabies-control program.
Vincoy said the audit and the veterinary shortage show that both facilities and staffing need strengthening at the LGU level. (CDF)