HUNGRY AND CAGED | Stray cats caught in Barangay San Jose, Dasmariñas City, are found starving in a cage at a farm converted into a pound by the village chief. (Photo courtesy of YVETTE MAYO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Dasmariñas City government in Cavite province started an investigation into the reported animal cruelty involving cats that were left to starve in a village pound.
The Dasmariñas City Veterinary Office (DCVO) and the Office of the City Mayor were looking into reports that the neglected cats had resorted to cannibalizing each other at the pound in Barangay San Jose.
“We are actively coordinating with barangay officials to ensure the immediate implementation of humane treatment and care protocols for animals and revising impounding procedures to prevent such incidents from recurring,” the DCVO said in a post on its Facebook page on Tuesday.
READ: Court convicts dog killer in Cavite
It added: “We have also advised the temporary suspension of all impounding operations in the barangay until we can guarantee that our facilities and procedures adhere to the highest animal welfare standards.”
The DCVO vowed to improve public health and safety measures related to stray animal management.
The authorities would also explore partnerships with local animal welfare organizations for the rehabilitation and care of affected animals.
Dead, starved cats
On Monday, Sherrie Hinojales-Matthews, president of animal welfare advocate Strategic Power for Animal Respondents, wrote to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and complained of alleged violations of animal welfare laws in Dasmariñas City.
According to Hinojales-Matthews, a cat owner in the city had been frantically searching for her pet, which had been missing for the past 14 days.
The unidentified pet owner was referred to a farm owned by Jeffrey Frani, village chief of San Jose, who converted a section of his property into an impounding facility for stray animals.
“Upon visiting the farm, the cat owner was dismayed to find her black cat, Macky, eating a deceased cat, a result of starvation,” Hinojales-Matthews said in her letter.
The pet owner reported the discovery to Yvette Mayo, an animal rescuer in the community.
When Mayo went to the farm, she saw two more dead cats, which were described in the letter as “victims of starvation and cannibalism among the impounded animals.”
Mayo took photos and videos of the skeletal remains of the cats. The photos and videos have since gone viral on social media.
Literacy
Frani took offense at Mayo’s report on social media, which, according to him, created a public impression of animal cruelty on their part.
“There was no animal cruelty. We are spending money on sacks of food for their daily needs,” Frani said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Sen. Grace Poe underscored the need to integrate animal welfare literacy in the basic education curriculum following the public outrage over the viral video of the killing of a dog in Camarines Sur province.
Poe, herself an avowed dog lover, joined netizens in expressing indignation for the killing of Killua, a golden retriever that was beaten to death by its owner’s neighbor.
“I am heartbroken and enraged to hear of the mauling of Killua,” Poe said in a statement.
“If we are to create a kinder society where animals and humans can coexist in harmony, we must raise awareness on the proper, responsible, and humane manner of treating animals,” she added.
The video of a man, identified as Anthony Solares, chasing Killua went viral just moments before Poe took the Senate floor on Tuesday to propose amendments to the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8485).
Poe brought one of her six dogs, a 3-year-old corgi named Mochi, in delivering a privilege speech to seek her colleagues’ support for Senate Bill No. 2458.
“The prospect of a life without animals by our side is a sad and lonely one,” she said as she looked at Mochi.
Under her proposed measure, the appropriate state agencies, such as the Bureau of Animal Industry, would be mandated to enhance existing rules and regulations on animal welfare, and introduce harsher penalties against animal cruelty.
Poe said the incidence of maltreatment of domesticated and farm animals persisted despite the passage of the law declaring animal abuse as a criminal offense.
“Animal cruelty, killing and eating, particularly dogs, still exist in our society today. Animal groups and advocates are clamoring for a more effective, implementable, and responsive law,” she said. “Recognizing the urgency and enormity around animal cruelty and neglect calls for all hands on deck.”
Among her proposals was to include a course on mandatory animal welfare education in the curriculum of elementary and high school students.
Poe’s bill also pushed for the establishment of a “Barangay Animal Welfare Task Force” in all villages to “enable local officers to address the animal welfare issues with dispatch.”