19 dogs rescued from dog traders in Laguna

CAMP PACIANO RIZAL, Laguna—Police on Friday arrested two persons allegedly involved in the illegal dog meat trade that  has remained rampant in Northern Luzon provinces and rescued at least 19 dogs as most of the others were already dead.

Superintendent Chito Bersaluna, San Pedro police chief, said in a telephone interview that around 2 a.m. patrolling policemen chanced upon a van that was suspiciously parked in Barangay Landayan and was found on closer inspection to contain a large number of dogs in small, improvised cages.

The police counted 68 dogs, 49 of which were dead, however, Bersaluna said.

“You’d pity the animals,” he added.”Their snouts were tied with plastic straw and some had mange.” Mange is a disease caused by mites that affects animals and is characterized by loss of hair and eruptions on the skin.

The police arrested the van’s driver, Ronette Medina, 35, and his companion identified through his driver’s license as Benajmin Abante, 25, both residents of Barangay San Roque, also in San Pedro.

“The driver said they got the dogs from neighboring areas and they were supposed to take them to Baguio City,” Bersaluna said.

He said police investigators later recognized Abante, whose real identity was still being investigated, as the same person who was arrested in February last year for the same offense.

The suspects were charged for violation of the Animal Welfare Act.

Under the law, a person may face imprisonment for six months to a maximum of two years or a minimum fine of P1,000 to not more than P5,000.

The dogs, both live and dead, were turned over to the non-governmental organization Animal Kingdom Foundation, Bersaluna said.