Senator Mark Villar on Thursday called for the passage of a bill that seeks to encourage the adoption of stray and impounded animals, as the rising number of abandoned animals remains highly disproportionate to the support they ought to receive despite projects and shelters that rescue them.
In pushing for Senate Bill No. 2257, or the Act Strengthening the Adoption of Stray and Impounded Animals, Villar expressed his concern over the low pet adoption rate in the country, which is less than one percent, amid a large number of homeless animals.
According to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), there are around 12 million stray cats and dogs in the Philippines as of 2019, which are either former family pets or those who have reproduced in the streets due to lack of proper shelter.
Meanwhile, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said animal homelessness in the Philippines has reached a crisis point as stray animals struggle to live unsupervised in the streets and impounded ones are euthanized every month in municipal pounds due to the limited resources of both public and private shelters.
“These 12 million strays we have on record were back in 2019. Apat na taon na po ang nakalipas (It has been four years). With the pandemic placing a great burden on Filipinos, we can only expect na mas dumami na po ang mga stray animals na walang (a greater number of stray animals without) proper care and shelter. We must act on this and extend our aid in securing safe animal shelters,” Villar said.
SB 2257 seeks to encourage the adoption of stray and impounded animals by providing tax incentive benefits to any individual or group who shall adopt stray and impounded animals.
It also seeks to reduce euthanasia for stray and impounded animals and outlines the provision for adoption, highlighting the role of the local government units (LGUs) in facilitating the implementation of adoption programs for the animals.
“Through this bill, we are hoping that the number of strays and impounded animals will decrease as it will provide guidelines for adoptions in close coordination with LGUs. We are also looking forward to more Filipinos who will be encouraged to adopt, not just because of the tax incentives this bill provides, but also because of their love and care for animals,” Villar said.
Senator Grace Poe has also filed a related measure seeking to strengthen animal welfare standards, policies, rules and regulations, implementation, and enforcement, as well as provide tougher penalties to violators.
Poe said her proposed measure seeks to establish an Animal Welfare Bureau that would have wider powers in ensuring the promotion of animal welfare in the country and their protection against cruelty. (PNA)