10 dogs rescued in Ecija

CABANATUAN CITY – Ten dogs, bound and sealed in sacks inside two tricycles, were rescued by the police and the Tarlac-based Animal Kingdom Foundation (ANF) at Peñaranda town in Nueva Ecija province on Wednesday night (Aug. 22).

The dogs, some of them apparently stolen, were bound for an illegal slaughterhouse in General Tinio town when Nueva Ecija policemen from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group intercepted the tricycles at 9 p.m. along the provincial road in Barangay Sinasajan, said PO3 Arnel Rey, a CIDG member.

But four suspects, including the leader identified only as Erick, eluded arrest after abandoning the tricycles and a minor, who has been detained.

Alan Pekit-pekit, the ANF researcher who was with the CIDG team, said the suspects were subjects of a two-day surveillance.

Some of the dogs were bought by Eric for P30 a kilo and were to be sold for P75 a kilo to a dog meat dealer, said Pekit-pekit.

Some of Eric’s alleged accomplices have been charged for violating Republic Act No. 9495 (Animal Welfare Act) due to previous dog meat trafficking cases, he said.

The dogs would be subjected to stress debriefing at the ANF Animal shelter in Capas, Tarlac and would be offered for adoption, Pekit-pekit said. ARMAND GALANG