REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9482
May 25, 2007
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE CONTROL AND ELIMINATION OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL RABIES, PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Anti-Rabies Act of 2007".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people. Towards this end, a system for the control, prevention of the spread, and eventual eradication of human and animal Rabies shall be provided and the need for responsible pet ownership established.
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For the purpose of this Act, the following terms shall mean:
(a) Bitten refers to 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.
(b) Concerned Officials refers to barangay officials, health workers, police officers or government veterinarians.
(c) Direct Supervision refers to range supervision where physical presence of the veterinarian within the barangay is necessary.
(d) Dog refers to a common quadruped domestic animal belonging to the order carnivora (male or female), scientifically known as canis familiaris.
(e) Euthanasia refers to the process of painless death to Dogs and other animals.
(f) Impound refers to seize and hold in the custody of the law.
(g) Owner refers to any person keeping, harboring or having charge, care or control of a Dog including his/her representative.
(h) Pound refers to a public enclosure for stray animals.
(i) Public Place refers to any place open to the public like parks, malls, markets, streets, etc.
(i) Rabies refers to a highly fatal disease caused by a lyssa virus, transmitted mainly through the bite of an infected animal and is characterized by muscle paralysis, hydrophobia and aerophobia, and other neurological manifestations.
(k) Rabies transmission refers to the transmission or passage of the Rabies virus through a bite by an infected animal, or through 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.
(l) Rabies Vaccination/Immunoprophylaxis of Humans refers to the inoculation of humans, with modern day rabies vaccines or Rabies immunoglobulin, by a trained doctor or nurse under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.
(m) Rabies Vaccination of Dogs refers to the 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 said trained individual shall be limited only to Rabies Vaccination Injection in Dogs and only during government mass vaccination campaigns.
(n) Post-exposure Treatment (P.E.T) refers to an anti-Rabies treatment administered after an exposure to Rabies, which include local wound care, Rabies vaccine, with or without anti-Rabies immunizing agent.
(o) Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (P.E.P.) refers to Rabies vaccination administered before an exposure to Rabies to those who are at high risk of getting Rabies.
(p) Stray Dog refers to any Dog leaving its Owners place or premise and no longer under the effective control of the Owner.
(q) Veterinary or Human Barbiturates refer to drugs that depress the function of the central nervous system.
