An affordable pet care clinic that provided a set of essential services for only $25 instead of the standard rate of nearly $200 helped ease the financial burden on pet owners during a responsible pet ownership event on Saturday.
The Department of Agriculture and Guam Animals In Need, GAIN, collaborated to hold the clinic and outreach event at the Mongmong-Toto-Maite mayor’s office pavilion.
“Part of the reason why we have such a large stray dog population is due to the lack of responsible pet owners,” Mathew Demapan, animal control officer with Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health, said. “A lot of times, these stray dogs are previously dumped, not properly taken care of, or they are not secured in their property, so they get out and then they multiply.”
The weekend collaboration offered pet owners a comprehensive package of essential services for just $25.
Typically, the combined expenses for a rabies vaccination, a pet license, and a microchip can tally up to nearly $200, organizers said.
Demapan is one of the only four animal control officers on Guam, highlighting a critical need in the community. At one point, Guam had only one animal control officer.
The abundance of stray dogs, he said, traces back to decades of neglect, shedding light on a pressing issue that demands attention.
“The culture in our island is different from the mainland. A lot of the times here in Guam, the dogs are for guarding homes,” Demapan said.
Under Guam law, all dogs and cats three months or older must have a current license and be rabies vaccinated. According to Demapan, Guam still holds the title as a rabies-free island.
Animal control officer Michelle Santos said the Agriculture-GAIN outreach event helps those who cannot afford the regular veterinarian care cost for their pets.
“They can come and get all these services done for a cheaper price while still following the law,” Santos said.
The goal is to have the same outreach quarterly, strategically spanning across Guam to ensure accessibility for all residents from the north to the south, organizers said.
Kyona A. Rivera is a freelance reporter and a communication student at the University of Guam.
