Big dog meat syndicate eyed in Laguna bust

SAN PEDRO, Laguna, Philippines—An animal welfare group hoped to bust what could be the “biggest” dog meat trading syndicate it has encountered, following the arrest of five of its supposed members in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc. (AKF) lawyer Heidi Caguioa on Monday said her group and the local police intercepted the suspects’ van, carrying 96 dog carcasses on the eve of All Souls’ Day in Barangay Kawlaway.

Police arrested Rolando, Wilfredo and Raymond, all surnamed Maravilla; Generoso Cabrera and Enrico Almeid, who were supposed to deliver the dog meat to “an undisclosed restaurant” in Baguio City in time for the long holiday, Caguioa said.

The Maravillas turned out to be relatives and members of a family that hailed from this town.

Caguioa said AKF now knew the location of the group’s slaughterhouse but declined to discuss details as operations continued to arrest the syndicate’s financier.

Dog meat trading, she added, was the family’s business.

“They are the biggest in terms of operation. They operate in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) as suppliers to Baguio City and Benguet,” she said.

In terms of volume, the group transported an average of over 75 dogs per trip, said Caguioa, quoting AKF informants.

“The dogs this time are already dead, making it just more brazen,” Caguioa said in a phone interview.

In the past, authorities were able to rescue live dogs from butchers as the animals were being transported to the northern Luzon provinces, where there is a market for dog meat.

All 96 dogs had cuts in the chests and were castrated and burned. The animals’ organs were found in a separate container inside the van, which Caguioa believed, would be cooked, too.