2 suspected dog meat traders nabbed in Laguna

CAMP PACIANO RIZAL, Laguna—Police arrested two men believed to be collecting native dogs, or “aspins” (short for asong Pinoy), intended for butchering in the underground dog meat trade.

Senior Supt. Pascual Muñoz, Laguna police director, in a text message Monday, identified the suspects as Joshua Salandanan and Roldan Villanueva, both residents of San Pedro town.

According to Muñoz, roving policemen chanced upon the suspects suspiciously buying dogs from a residential area in Barangay (village) Sinalhan in Sta. Rosa City Sunday noon.

“We had gathered information that these men buy the dogs (from nearby municipalities) and take them to San Pedro. From San Pedro, they either slaughter the dogs there or keep them alive before the animals are transported to the North (Luzon provinces),” said Supt. Edwin Wagan, Sta. Rosa City police chief, by phone.

Police rescued three live dogs from the suspects.

The demand for dog meat remains high in northern Luzon but illegal traders source the animals from elsewhere, for instance in Laguna and Cavite, according to animal welfare groups.

Traders buy unwanted dogs for P100-P300 but sell the meat for as much as P1,500-P2,000 per kilo. The underground business generates some P1 million annually.