The Quezon City government says it is conducting a probe into the tragic death of a puppy after a security officer tossed the animal from a footbridge near a mall.
MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government said Wednesday that it is conducting “a full investigation” into the death of a puppy after a mall guard threw the animal off a footbridge.
A lawyer of the local government unit said in a statement that the city is strict in enforcing Republic Act No. 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act, adding that Quezon City is a haven for animals.
“We are aware of the incident involving a security guard who, while allegedly trying to drive a group of vendors away from a mall in Quezon City, ended up throwing a puppy over the elevated footbridge and onto the street below. Based on reports, the puppy has sadly succumbed to its injuries and has died,” Atty. Niño Casimiro said.
“Quezon City is a safe haven for animals, and we are strict in enforcing Republic Act 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act. We are currently conducting a full investigation into the matter and will apply the full weight of the law in the event that any guilt is established,” he added.
On Tuesday, a story of a puppy being thrown from a footbridge by a security guard went viral on social media.
The management of SM City North Edsa released a statement saying the mall guard had been dismissed and that they had asked the security agency of the guard to investigate the incident.
SM have likewise said it is banning the security guard’s service from all its malls across the country.
“With extreme sadness, we sympathize with the group of youngsters regarding the incident that happened outside our mall today,” SM North Edsa said.
“We have called the attention of the security agency to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the matter. The Security Guard has been dismissed and is no longer allowed to service any of our malls nationwide,” it added.
READ: Mall guard fired after tossing puppy to death
In response, RJC Corporate Security Services Inc. said they are coordinating with public authorities as it conducts its investigation of the incident.
“We sincerely regret the incident that happened at a mall in Quezon City today involving a group of children and their pet. We are thoroughly investigating this incident together with the public authorities and the parties involved,” it said in a separate statement released to the media.
RELATED STORIES
Wife fined for throwing dog from 11th-floor apartment after husband asked for divorce
Justice for the death of ‘Skittles’ pushed
Hero dog’s death reignites debates on animal cruelty