Around 100 cats, dogs, and their fur parents joined a pet walk at Panaad Park on Saturday to open the 1st Bacolod Pet Festival, held in celebration of Rabies Awareness Month.
The weeklong festival, organized by the City Veterinary Office (CVO), promotes rabies prevention, responsible pet ownership, and animal welfare under the theme: “Building a Safe and Rabies-Free Community is Our Shared Responsibility.”
Dr. John Michael Cabuguason, assistant city veterinarian, highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government and private sector.
“We are very happy that a lot of fur parents and fur babies attended the pet walk,” he said.
The festival features several events including the Philippine Canine Club Inc. All-Breed Dog Show at Robinsons Place on Sunday.
A three-day pet expo at Ayala Malls Capitol Central starts April 4, featuring the launch of a pet ID program, contests on rabies awareness and animal welfare, pet agility training, a bully show, cat meetups, and a pet fashion show. Free spay and neuter services, information drives, and a rescue and shelter management talk will also be held, culminating in a closing and awarding ceremony on April 6.
Cabuguason said the new pet registration system using QR codes will help maintain digital records. Temporary IDs and optional pet tags will be issued for a one-time fee of PHP50.
The CVO is aiming to vaccinate 80,000 dogs and cats this year, with 8,000 already covered.
“We’re still procuring vaccines. The budget is there. We’re looking to resume the vaccination program before June,” he said.
Also launching on April 4 is the FURrytales: 1st Bacolod Pet Festival Short Film Competition. Registration runs until April 11, with teaser and poster submissions due on April 18 and final films on April 25.