Soldiers rescue dogs left in demolished houses in Cagayan de Oro

Soldiers rescue 35 stray dogs from what used to be a bustling community near the camp of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) in Cagayan de Oro City. The residents were evicted two weeks ago and left some of their pets. Photos courtesy of Army’s 4th Infantry Division

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Soldiers rescued 35 stray dogs from what used to be a bustling community near the camp of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) here, following the eviction of residents two weeks ago.

When found, the dogs were “distressed and abandoned” among the remnants of demolished houses, said Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, 4ID commander.

The soldiers belonging to the 4ID’s Installation Management Battalion (IMB) worked closely with personnel of the City Veterinary Office and nongovernment group Loving Home for Strays in patrolling the demolition site to locate the pet dogs beginning on Sunday, July 14.

Clearing operations are still ongoing on a 42.29-hectare area from where 591 families were evicted two weeks ago.

READ: Cavite dog trapped behind wall seeks forever home

Ownership of the estate has been the subject of a legal dispute for many years but the Supreme Court handed a decision favorable to the Army in 2013, invalidating the titles covering the area which are contained within a military reservation declared through Presidential Proclamation No. 265 issued in 1938, explained Lt. Col. Francisco Garello Jr., 4ID spokesperson.

The Regional Trial Court Branch 17 here issued a writ of demolition last June 14, which was the basis for the eviction of the families and the tearing down of their houses, many of which had stood there for some four decades.

Garello told the Inquirer that most of the residents in the community are families of former soldiers but many of the original occupants were only renting their houses to active soldiers.

READ: In landslide-hit villages, pets also saved, get care

The local government and the 4ID vowed to work together to provide the evicted families with alternative housing sites. Mayor Rolando Uy earlier ordered the City Housing and Urban Development Department to include the evicted families in the distribution of relocation housing.

After the demolition, the dogs are what’s left of the community’s dwellers.

“We are dedicated to safeguarding not only our people but also these needy pet animals, offering them a second chance of life. Our goal is to provide relief to the vulnerable pet animals displaced and abandoned by the owners and informal settlers after the demolition,” said Cuerpo.

“Rescued pet animals will receive immediate medical attention, nourishment, and new homes to ensure their safety and well-being,” Cuerpo added. Ryan D. Rosauro, Inquirer Mindanao