12-year-old girl bashed online, apologizes for ‘dog abuse’

The photo shows a screengrab from the video uploaded by a certain Acemark Bernal on Facebook. It purportedly shows the “abuse” of a dog by an occupant of a moving owner-type jeep. The “abuser” has been identified as a 12-year-old girl. FACEBOOK SCREENGRAB

A 12-year-old girl signed an apology after she was filmed supposedly abusing their pet dog in Cavite City.

In a 43-second video uploaded by a certain Acemark Bernal on Facebook on June 30, a dog was shown being held by the back of its neck while being lowered out of an owner-type jeep cruising along a roadway.

“Yang video n yan po ay kalagitnaan n nang ginagawa nila halos 10times n nila ginagawa yan saka lng namen nalabas ang phone,” (That video was taken in the middle of what they have been doing. They already did it about ten times before we took out the phone) Bernal said.

He added, “pag tapos po nang video n yan my ilang ulet pa uleng ginawa n hawakan ang aso sa batok nito gaya nang nasa video.” (After that video, they did it several times again, holding the dog by its nape as shown in the video)

The child and her family were later traced through the license plate of their vehicle.

Jay Molina of the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) said the incident was reported by Cavite City veterinarian Dr. Ana Teresa Baleda to Mayor Bernardo Paredes on July 3.

“The child and family involved were made to appear at the barangay hall,” Molina said, adding they “apologized for what they did and because of their apology, the city veterinarian and LGU decided not to pursue a case against them.”

Prior to the apology, several people reacted harshly to the video posted on Facebook and bashed the person shown purportedly abusing the dog.

The verbal abuse on the “perpetrator” reportedly prompted a sister of the child to deny any wrongdoing and criticize Bernal.

“Mapag-imbento ng kwento, gusto mong sumikat?” the sister reportedly said in a Facebook post.

“Mas mahal pa nga ng nanay ko ‘yang aso na ‘yan kaysa sa’kin! Pinapahanginan lang ‘yun kaya ganun!” (My mother loves that dog more than me! It was just being given a breath of fresh air)

Despite knowing that the “perpetrator” of the “abuse” was a minor, Molina said the PVMA would like the case to be reported “to educate Filipinos on the penalties of animal welfare abuses.”

It was not immediately known how the threats of a case being filed against her, the online bashing, and brouhaha have affected the 12-year-old child.