Control and elimination of rabies law

Policy, purpose, and public-health thrust

The State declares as policy the protection and promotion of the right to health of the people.
Republic Act No. 9482 provides a system for control, prevention of the spread, and eventual eradication of human and animal Rabies.
Republic Act No. 9482 establishes the need for responsible pet ownership.

Key definitions under the Act

Bitten means an act by which a Dog seizes, cuts or grips with its teeth so that the skin of a person has been wounded, pierced or scratched.
Concerned Officials means barangay officials, health workers, police officers, or government veterinarians.
Direct Supervision means range supervision where physical presence of the veterinarian within the barangay is necessary.
Dog means a common quadruped domestic animal belonging to the order carnivora (male or female), scientifically known as canis familiaris.
Euthanasia means the process of painless death to Dogs and other animals.
Impound means to seize and hold in the custody of the law.
Owner means any person keeping, harboring or having charge, care or control of a Dog, including his/her representative.
Pound means a public enclosure for stray animals.
Public Place means any place open to the public like parks, malls, markets, streets, etc.
Rabies means a highly fatal disease caused by a lyssa virus, transmitted mainly through the bite of an infected animal, characterized by muscle paralysis, hydrophobia and aerophobia, and other neurological manifestations.
Rabies transmission means transmission of the Rabies virus through a bite, or contamination with virus-laden saliva on breaks in the skin and of mucous membranes such as the eyes, the lips, the mouth, or the genital organs.
Rabies Vaccination/Immunoprophylaxis of Humans means inoculation of humans with modern rabies vaccines or rabies immunoglobulin by a trained doctor or nurse under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.
Rabies Vaccination of Dogs means inoculation of a Dog with a Rabies vaccine by a licensed government or private veterinarian or trained individual under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian; the services of the trained individual are limited only to Rabies vaccination injection in Dogs and only during government mass vaccination campaigns.
Post-exposure Treatment (P.E.T) means anti-Rabies treatment after exposure, including local wound care and rabies vaccine, with or without anti-Rabies immunizing agent.
Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (P.E.P.) means rabies vaccination administered before exposure to those at high risk of getting Rabies.
Stray Dog means any Dog leaving its Owner’s place or premise and no longer under effective control of the Owner.
Veterinary or Human Barbiturates means drugs that depress the function of the central nervous system.

National program; participating agencies and actions

Republic Act No. 9482 mandates a National Rabies Prevention and Control Program implemented by a multi-agency/multi-sectoral committee chaired by the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture.
The program is a multi-agency effort to control and eliminate Rabies in the country.
The program includes:
- (1) mass vaccination of Dogs;
- (2) establishment of a central database system for registered and vaccinated Dogs;
- (3) impounding, field control and disposition of unregistered, Stray and unvaccinated Dogs;
- (4) information and education campaign on prevention and control of Rabies; and
- (5) provision on pre-exposure treatment for high risk personnel and post-exposure treatment to animal bite victims.
The program includes free routine immunization/Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (P.E.P.) of schoolchildren aged five to fourteen in areas where there is high incidence of rabies.
The program encourages responsible pet ownership and is implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Education (DepEd), with assistance of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), NGOs, and People’s Organizations (POs).

Pet owners’ affirmative duties

All Pet Owners must regularly vaccinate their Dog against Rabies and maintain a registration card containing all vaccinations for accurate records.
All Pet Owners must submit Dogs for mandatory registration.
All Pet Owners must maintain control over their Dog and must not allow the Dog to roam in streets or any Public Place without a leash.
All Pet Owners must be responsible by providing proper grooming, adequate food, and clean shelter.
Within twenty-four (24) hours, Pet Owners must immediately report any Dog biting incident to Concerned Officials for investigation or appropriate action and must place the Dog under observation by a government or private veterinarian.
Pet Owners must assist the Dog bite victim immediately and must shoulder the medical expenses and other incidental expenses relative to the victim’s injuries.

Government agency duties and implementation

DA, DOH, DILG, and DepEd jointly implement the National Rabies Prevention and Control Program under the Act.
Under the Department of Agriculture, the program requires:
- improving and upgrading animal Rabies laboratory diagnostic capabilities;
- ensuring availability and adequate supply of animal anti-Rabies vaccine at all times;
- undertaking free anti-Rabies vaccination of Dogs giving priority to high risk depressed areas;
- maintaining and improving animal Rabies surveillance;
- establishing and maintaining Rabies free zones in coordination with LGUs;
- immediately facilitating approval of the sale and use of veterinary and human barbiturate drugs and veterinary euthanasia drugs by the DOH and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA);
- strengthening training of field personnel and IEC activities on Rabies prevention/control and responsible pet ownership;
- conducting research on Rabies and control in coordination with other agencies;
- formulating minimum standards and monitoring effective implementation of the Act; and
- encouraging collaborative activities with the DOH, DepEd, DILG, DENR, NGOs, POs and other concerned sectors.
Under the Department of Health, the program requires:
- ensuring availability and adequate supply of DOH pre-qualified human anti-Rabies vaccine in animal bite treatment centers at all times, coordinated with other implementing agencies and concerned NGOs;
- providing Post-Exposure Treatment at the minimum expense to individuals bitten by animals suspected of being rabid, consisting of the initial vaccine and immunoglobulin dose;
- providing Pre-Exposure Treatment for free to high-risk personnel including laboratory staff, veterinarians, animal handlers, vaccinators, and persons working with Rabies virus;
- coordinating with the DA in developing a health education strategy to inform the public;
- developing and maintaining a human Rabies surveillance system; and
- encouraging collaborative activities with DA, DepEd, DILG, DENR, NGOs, POs and other concerned sectors.
Under the Department of Education, the program requires:
- strengthening Rabies education through school health teaching/curriculum;
- assisting in Dog mass immunization campaigns;
- encouraging collaborative activities with DA, DOH, DILG, DENR, NGOs, POs and other concerned sectors; and
- integrating proper information and education on responsible pet ownership in relevant Elementary and High School subjects.
The Act also requires that the agencies implement drug registration approvals immediately approve the registration of veterinary and human barbiturate drugs and veterinary euthanasia drugs in coordination with the PDEA.

LGUs’ obligations and local enforcement

LGUs must ensure that Dogs are properly immunized and registered and must issue a corresponding Dog tag for every immunized and registered Dog.
LGUs must strictly enforce Dog Impounding activities and field control to eliminate Stray Dogs.
LGUs must ensure Dogs are leashed or confined within the premises of the Owner’s house or fenced surroundings.
LGUs must allocate funds to augment implementation, particularly financing supplies and human and Dog vaccines needed for immunization.
LGUs must ensure enforcement of Section 6 of Republic Act No. 8485, the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.
LGUs must enact additional local ordinances supporting the National Rabies Prevention and Control Program, including regulation of the locally known treatment called “tandok.”
LGUs must prohibit the trade of Dogs for meat.
Cities and first class municipalities must establish and maintain a Dog Pound where impounded Dogs are kept, in accordance with Section 9.
Other municipalities must either establish their own Dog Pound or share the expense of establishing and maintaining a Dog Pound with adjoining municipalities and/or with private animal shelters and control facilities.
LGUs must prohibit the use of electrocution as a euthanasia procedure.
LGUs must appoint a veterinarian and establish a veterinary office in every province, city and first-class municipality; other municipalities may share expense for the veterinary office.
LGUs must require pet shops to post information regarding Rabies and responsible pet ownership.
LGUs must collect fines imposed under Section 11 subparagraphs (1), (3), (4), (5) and (6) for administrative feasibility, subject to the Act’s feasibility framework.
Any fines collected must be used for enhancement of the National Rabies Prevention and Control Program within the locality and for achieving the objectives of the Act.
DILG must ensure LGU compliance with these responsibilities.

NGO assistance and academic participation

Implementing agencies must seek assistance and participation of NGOs in community mobilization, health education/information dissemination, and mass anti-Rabies campaigns.
Implementing agencies must seek NGO assistance for promotion of anti-Rabies campaigns during pet or animal shows.
Implementing agencies must seek NGO assistance for surveillance/reporting of Rabies cases in animals and humans.
Implementing agencies must seek NGO assistance for other activities geared towards prevention and complete eradication of Rabies.

Impounding, disposition rules for Dogs

Unregistered, Stray, or unvaccinated Dogs must be impounded and kept in the LGU-designated Dog Pound.
Impounded Dogs not claimed after three days from the Dog Pound must be placed for adoption to qualified persons, with assistance of an animal welfare NGO when feasible, or otherwise disposed of in a manner authorized under Republic Act No. 8485.
Owners of impounded Dogs must pay a fee to the LGU concerned pursuant to Section 7.

Dog population control requirements

The DA, DOH, DILG, DepEd, and LGUs must undertake educational and promotional campaigns on responsible pet ownership, including the option of spaying or neutering Dogs.
LGUs must provide an incentive system giving Owners of spayed or neutered Dogs a subsidized or discounted pet registration fee.
Dogs that have been impounded three times must be released only after being spayed or neutered, at the expense of the pet’s Owner.

Prohibited acts and penalties

Pet Owners who fail or refuse to have their Dog registered and immunized against Rabies must pay a fine of PHP 2,000.00.
Pet Owners who refuse to have their Dog vaccinated against Rabies must pay for the vaccination of both the Dog and the individuals bitten by their Dog.
Pet Owners who refuse to have their Dog put under observation after it has bitten an individual must pay a fine of PHP 10,000.00.
Pet Owners who refuse to have their Dog put under observation and do not shoulder medical expenses of the person bitten must pay a fine of PHP 25,000.00.
Pet Owners who refuse to put a leash on their Dogs when brought outside the house must pay PHP 500.00 for each incident.
An impounded Dog must be released to its Owner upon payment of a fine of not less than PHP 500.00 but not more than PHP 1,000.00.
Any person trading Dogs for meat must be fined not less than PHP 5,000.00 per Dog and must be imprisoned for one to four years.
Any person using electrocution as a euthanasia method must be fined not less than PHP 5,000.00 per act and must be imprisoned for one to four years.
If the violation is committed by an alien, the alien must be immediately deported after service of sentence without any further proceedings.

Implementing rules; appropriations; separability

The DA, coordinated with DOH, DILG, DepEd, DENR, NGOs, and POs, must issue necessary rules and regulations within sixty (60) days from effectivity.
PHP 100,000,000.00 is allocated for implementation, initially charged against the appropriations of DOH, DA, DILG, and DepEd under the General Appropriations Act.
For LGUs, funding requirements must come from their Internal Revenue Allotment and other local funds.
Thereafter, sums necessary for continued implementation must be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
If any provision of the Act is declared unconstitutional, the remaining provisions must remain in full force and effect.