Animal Pound Establishment and Maintece Rules

Impounded Animal: stray animal seized and held in a pound.
Primary Enclosures: cages or pens where animals eat, sleep, and rest.
NGOs: legally independent organizations.
Pound: public facility for temporary custody of stray or confiscated animals managed by LGUs.
Renovate: changes to physical components of pounds.
Sanitary: health and cleanliness standards.
Stray animal: animal out of owner’s control.
Proper disposal: complies with sanitation code for dead animals.
Euthanasia: humane and painless killing of animals.

Site selection coordinated with City/Municipal Planning.
Pound design must maintain animal health, be species-appropriate, and ensure physical/psychological well-being.
Includes administrative office, separate cat and dog enclosures, medical, euthanasia and surgery rooms, and employee quarters.
Structural standards for primary enclosures and cages with specifications for size, materials, and safety.
Environmental controls include adequate ventilation, humidity, insulation, and appropriate drainage systems.
Clean drinking water supply mandatory.
Electrical lighting including emergency provisions required.

Stray animals to be impounded and disposed of according to legal guidelines; unclaimed animals after 3 days may be adopted or humanely euthanized.
Impounding and registration fees governed by local ordinances.
Animals supplied with clean water and age-appropriate feeding schedules.
Sick or injured animals to be treated by licensed veterinarians.
Daily cleaning and disinfecting of facilities mandatory, with proper waste disposal.
Medical supplies including euthanasia drugs, rabies vaccines, antibiotics must be available.
Proper food storage free from vermin; refrigerated storage for fresh food.
Detailed record keeping of all impounded animals.
Removal and safe disposal of deceased animals within 24 hours.
Isolation area required for sick or rabies-suspected animals.

Animals to be transported humanely and safely in well-ventilated, enclosed vehicles designed for animal protection.
Vehicles must have non-slip floors, carry baskets or partitions suitable for animal size, and ramps to avoid forced jumping.
Compliance with DA Administrative Orders governing live animal transport required.

Capture and restraint shall avoid cruelty such as dragging or whipping.
Catching teams to be composed of mature, trained, courteous personnel equipped with humane capture devices (pole nets, loop poles, cage traps).
Chemical capture limited to licensed veterinarians for wild or vicious animals.
Proper lifting and carrying techniques prioritized for handler and animal safety.

All animals must be properly immunized, registered, and tagged; microchipping or tattooing encouraged.
Documentation of adoption, neutering, euthanasia submitted annually to the Animal Welfare Division.
Unclaimed animals may be adopted with NGO assistance or euthanized per legal guidelines.
Adoption includes mandatory neutering and issuing of adoption certificates.
Transparency ensured via public information dissemination and accessibility of pound records; facilities open 7 days a week.
One-year transition period for LGUs to comply with circular requirements.

BAI to register animal confinement facilities, monitor compliance, facilitate information exchange, and provide policy advice.
BAI Director may call upon government agencies for support, funded internally.

Violations of the circular subject to penalties under Republic Act 8485, as amended.

If any provision is declared invalid, the rest of the circular remains effective.

Circular takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or newspaper.
Submission of certified copies to National Administrative Register required.