John Gonzales, Joeten-Kiyu Public Library director, was the first to bring in his dogs — all six of them — from Kagman.
Although the dog tagging was held in Garapan, Saipan Mayor Donald G. Flores said they also accommodated pet owners from other places.
“As we go along with the program we try to simplify the process in order not to give difficulty to the community,” the mayor said.
The dog tagging at Carolinian Utt will be held until June 16.
In his initial assessment, the program was executed “very smoothly,” Flores said.
There was no problem reported by the six trained dog handlers, including dog control program director Ray Lizama of the mayor’s office, Flores said.
However, the mayor noted that some pet owners were not able to come due to lack of transportation.
The dog control program office may address this problem, he added.
Lizama said he was expecting a “slow” turnout but “people were excited” and several dogs were registered.
As of 1 p.m., he said they had already licensed 60 dogs, including those from other precincts.
The dog tagging program will end on December 9 and will be conducted in different villages.
Lizama said they might return to a particular village if there’s a strong demand.
He reminded the community to pay first the registration fee at the CNMI Treasury office on Capital Hill, Rev and Tax at the Joeten Dandan building or at Guma Hustisia in Susupe before coming to the Carolinian Utt.
