The HSUS

Dogs and people will benefit from the new law.

A ground-breaking new law in the Philippines requires dog owners to register their dogs and vaccinate them against rabies. It will also help end the dog meat trade and strengthen animal welfare standards while protecting people and animals from this deadly disease.

On May 25, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 (Republic Act 9482), which seeks to control and eliminate human and animal rabies by encouraging responsible pet ownership and involving the expertise of local animal welfare organizations. The president has allocated more than $2 million to implement this law.

The Anti-Rabies Act also specifically takes aim at the cruel dog meat trade, which was banned in 1998 but lacked enforcement in areas where dog meat is big business.

HSI sponsored a meeting last year to address the dog meat trade and to explore ways to strengthen regulations against it.

The new Anti-Rabies Act imposes heavy fines and imprisonment for violators. In the past, traders faced a $19 fine per dog, which was viewed widely as a minor cost of doing business. Now they will face a $100 fine per dog and a one-to-four-year jail sentence.

A truck full of dogs bound for the dog meat trade.

The Animal Welfare Coalition in the Philippines, veterinarians and public officials lobbied hard for the legislation. They now will have the legal tools to back up the seizure of dogs being transported to slaughterhouses. The coalition was responsible for raising this bill to the point of a "national priority," as recognized in a letter by President Macapagal-Arroyo.

Under the new law, dog owners are required to:

• follow mandatory rabies vaccination and registration rules
• abide by leash laws
• provide proper grooming, adequate food and clean shelter
• immediately report dog bite incidents and assume responsibility for related expenses

The authorities are required to:

• strengthen rabies education programs through school health curricula
• assist in mass dog immunization campaigns
• establish and maintain facilities for impounded dogs in cities and first class municipalities
• appoint a veterinarian and establish a veterinary office in every province, city and first-class municipality
• require pet shops to post information regarding rabies and responsible pet ownership

Stray dogs will be impounded at government dog pounds, and those not claimed after three days will be handed over to the care of animal welfare NGOs for adoption.

"We have become more animal-conscious now," said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.