Three kittens were rescued by the Misamis Occidental government after a locally stranded individual (LSI) sought its help after they were left in the border of Liloan, Cebu for not having veterinary clearances.
Misamis Occidental Governor Philip Tan, through his official Facebook page, said the kittens were found caged in the border control, waiting to be reunited with their owner.
“The province has finally bought a ‘quarantine facility (referring to the cage)’ for our three special LSIs (locally stranded iring [kittens]) so they will be safe in quarantine. They will remain in the border until their quarantine period. Thank you Liloan border control for always doing the extra mile,” Tan said in the post.
“They will remain in the border until their quarantine period.”
The governor shared the story on July 17, when an LSI messaged him about the stranded kittens.
He was told that the passenger was not able to bring the kittens because they lacked veterinary clearance, which is a requirement for traveling animals.
“It pained me to leave the kittens behind because I nurtured them since birth.”
It turned out that the LSI was a resident of Iligan City and was quarantined at home. She arrived in one of the ports of Misamis Occidental. She then told the governor that it pained her to leave the kittens behind because she had raised them since birth.
Tan also shared his conversation with the owner of the pet kittens with the other provincial heads.
One of the staffers said it’s a requirement for all regions and provinces to secure clearances from veterinary offices, and that animals being transported also needed to be quarantined for nine days.
The kittens are now undergoing the prescribed quarantine period and were tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and bubonic infections since previous medical studies suggested that COVID-19 could be acquired by pets, particularly cats.