"70 dogs rescued in La Union"

By Artemio Dumlao
The Philippine Star 10/26/2004

BAGUIO CITY — Seventy dogs from Batangas City loaded in cramped bamboo cages aboard a jeep enroute to a slaughterhouse here were rescued early yesterday morning along a checkpoint at Naguillan town, La Union.

Policemen led by SPO4 Jesus Fabros and SPO2 Julio Patacsil, along with operatives of the London-based Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), intercepted the jeep, with license plate VAY-696, at around 1:30 a.m. in front of the Naguillan town hall. Three men were nabbed by the operatives —Ramon Manalo Cena, Raffy Perez Beco and Teodorico Beco.

Brando Gegway, AKF investigator for Northern Luzon, said the trio, all from San Roque, Rosario town, in Batangas, bring dogs twice a week to an illegal slaughterhouse in San Carlos Heights, reportedly owned by a certain Jane Cabiles.

Gegway bared that AKF veterinarian Winston Samaniego, who figured in a lot of dog rescue operations from dog smugglers lately spotted the dog shipment in Aringay town, also in La Union, prompting him to report to the police who immediately positioned themselves at the checkpoint in Naguillan.

Aringay is approximately 35 kilometers from Naguillan town. Gegway said all the dogs were brought to the Manila City dog pound for an adoption project.

More raids

After the successful raid by authorities and the AKF at a slaughterhouse in Iloilo three weeks ago, similar raids against illegal dog slaughterhouses in Baguio City are in the offing.

Gegway said Baguio slaughterhouses will be busted by authorities armed with search and seizure warrants.

Baguio, well acknowledged as the center of dog meat trade in Northern Luzon, harbors at least three illegal dog slaughterhouses, which supply dog meat to restaurants here.

Gegway who had coordinated with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the PNP in the past four successful operations against the slaughter, sale and trading of dog meat said that they are eyeing even those selling dog meat in the city market here although the country’s Animal Welfare Law does not penalize selling dog meat.

AKF campaign director Charles Wartenberg said that while the group is working to amend the law and impose higher penalty to violators, they will always run against dog traders in any place in the Philippines.

For the past two months, at least a hundred dogs had already been rescued from dog traders from the lowlands who tried to smuggle in the hapless smuts to Baguio slaughterhouses and restaurants serving dog meat as dishes. — Artemio Dumlao

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What you can do.....

Feel free to use the following sample email, although if you could write an original, it would be more likely to be listened to. It should be sent to the Philippines' President and Vice President, with cc to the other addresses.

Unfortunately the President has no direct email address, but you can send an email through her web site at http://www.op.gov.ph/contact.asp

Vice President vp@ovp.gov.ph

Cc to Press Secretary opsnews@ops.gov.ph
Department of the Interior and Local Government wtandanar@dilg.gov.ph, mprosales@dilg.gov.ph, mpcorpus@dilg.gov.ph, tscastillo@dilg.gov.ph, aapanadero@dilg.gov.ph, brcatindig@dilg.gov.ph, smbenaldo@dilg.gov.ph, egblanco@dilg.gov.ph, emabenina@dilg.gov.ph, lblariosa@dilg.gov.ph, mqgotis@dilg.gov.ph, lttrovela@dilg.gov.ph, zmaquende@dilg.gov.ph, sgbulawit@dilg.gov.ph, ancortez@dilg.gov.ph, magabito@dilg.gov.ph, pcdecastro@dilg.gov.ph, vpsuansing@dilg.gov.ph, mvvictuelles@dilg.gov.ph, rtrolle@dilg.gov.ph, jmcastaneda@dilg.gov.ph, effernandez@dilg.gov.ph, rcraffinan@dilg.gov.ph, mbreyes@dilg.gov.ph, bfpaule@dilg.gov.ph, fcregis@dilg.gov.ph, agtirazona@dilg.gov.ph, cvmontances@dilg.gov.ph, esmoreno@dilg.gov.ph, mebermudez@dilg.gov.ph, myhong@dilg.gov.ph, erorden@dilg.gov.ph, jbdoque@dilg.gov.ph, arborje@dilg.gov.ph
Department of Justice sad@doj.gov.ph, rjl@doj.gov.ph, jrz@doj.gov.ph, shg@doj.gov.ph
Department of Tourism gryoro@tourism.gov.ph, otc@tourism.gov.ph, rrdelosreyes@tourism.gov.ph, ercajigal@tourism.gov.ph, efnelle@tourism.gov.ph, mcajorda@tourism.gov.ph, mvjasmin@tourism.gov.ph, rcanizal@tourism.gov.ph, ejarquejr@tourism.gov.ph, shtamano@tourism.gov.ph
(Emails updated 25/02/06)

Click HERE to send all the above except the President, although if you are using hotmail it may refuse to send them all at once.




Dear Mr Vice President

Although I applaud your country's introduction of a law to protect companion animals (i.e. The Animal Welfare Act, 1998), I am shocked by your lack of resolve to enforce this law.

Section 6 clearly states that;
"It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights, kill or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare."

It also goes on to state;
The killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs. goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer, and crocodiles is likewise hereby declared unlawful except in the following instances:" and lists several exceptions, none of which mention either dogs or food.

Evidence clearly proves that dogs are currently being sold for human consumption in Government-approved markets in blatant contravention of this law. These animals are treated with appaling cruelty.

Now that strong evidence exists that the SARS virus outbreak in mainland China originated from the consumption of infected animals from Guangdong market, the potential implications of the human consumption of dogs infected with canine coronavirus are terrifying.

I respectfully request that you enforce your Nation's law without delay. Until you do, I certainly cannot consider taking a holiday in the Philippines, nor of buying any products from your country. I will regretfully have to advise my friends to do the same.

Yours sincerely
Name/Country

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The administration in the capital Manila has now blatantly betrayed the hopes of those Filipinos and the international community who believed that the Animal Welfare Act might one day be respected by the authorities.

What hope therefore for the stray dogs of Manila? These helpless creatures who had little hope of decent treatment at the hands of Man in the past now face a fate that most of the world has banned as too cruel for the foulest of murderers - electrocution.

The following report is taken from the Inquirer News Service.

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It's a (horrible) dog's life for Manila's strays

July 08, 2005
Updated 00:17am (Mla time)
Tina G. Santos
Inquirer News Service

HORRIBLE.
This was how members of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) described the method being considered by the city government of Manila to get rid of stray dogs.

As of yesterday, more than a hundred dogs at the city pound were killed through electrocution.

Emil Rabano, a volunteer of PAWS who documented the procedure, said city pound personnel would pull a dog from a cage with a long steel pole with a rope at the end.

"A dog is dragged, almost suffocating, to the electrocution chamber," he said. "The dog is literally sandwiched between the metal cage and steel roof. Electricity is then released, passing through the roof and then transmitted to the dog."

The dead dogs are then put on a big weighing scale, one on top of the other. In batches of 10, their stomachs are slit while the veterinarian injects enzymes into them, he added.

"The dogs were really treated brutally. Vets use about 300 to 500 volts of electricity per three seconds in the process," Rabano said.

But according to Dr. Manuel Socorro of the city's Veterinary Inspection Bureau (VIB), the procedure was just part of an experiment to find a less expensive method than lethal injection, which costs the city government about P250 per dog.

Dogs that were mostly sick, emaciated and afflicted with mange, and left unclaimed by their owners were usually put to sleep through lethal injection, he said, adding that the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) had given them the go signal to proceed with the study.

"The BAI gave us a year to conduct the experiment. We started about two months ago. We still have to submit the results to the BAI for deliberation," Socorro said. About 30 more dogs are scheduled to undergo the same method until next month.

Mayor Lito Atienza said he was not aware that there was such a study being conducted by the VIB.

However, he admitted that it was the city's policy "to put them (unclaimed dogs) to sleep."

"But there are other civilized ways to do it, definitely not through electrocution. I will not allow it," he said.

Atienza added that he had asked Dr. Jose Diaz, the city veterinarian, to explain the matter. An investigation could follow, if necessary, he said.

Meanwhile, PAWS officials said they intend to give a letter expressing their concern to city officials of Manila.

"Experiments are allowed, but animals should not suffer unnecessary pain," said Ramona Consunji, one of the directors of PAWS.

"It may be legal because it was allowed by the BAI, but it does not make it less unethical, immoral and inhumane," she added. "These barbaric practices simply are not allowed in civilized societies such as ours."

"Electrocution is the second most commonly used method that had been already banned to get rid of unclaimed dogs, next to poisoning. We're going one step backwards," said Anna Cabrera, another PAWS director.

Cabrera even cited the recent "Dog Walk For a Cause (Luv ko c Bantay)" campaign where thousands of dogs and their owners took to the streets to protest the senseless cruelty and indiscriminate slaughter of dogs.

"It's embarrassing. The city that launched a dog walk to fight animal cruelty is now killing dogs," Cabrera added.

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It may not come as a great surprise to learn that the Mayor of Manila does not have a working email address (sound familiar?) but protests can be sent to info@cityofmanila.com.ph with subject "FAO Mayor Atienza" and they should reach him.

Sample email but, as always, please write your own original if possible.

Dear Mayor Atienza,

I was shocked and horrified to learn that the Bureau of Animal Industry authorised the killing of stray dogs by electrocution as an "experiment" into saving money and that this "study" is to continue.

Your country is regarded with disdain by animal lovers the world over due to the lack of resolve that your government and police display in enforcing the Animal Welfare Act that bans the eating of dogs. To sink to such depths as electrocuting these animals defies belief. Unless you act immediately to halt such barbarous activities your city will rightly be regarded with contempt by the international community.

I respectfully ask that you inform me of what measures you are taking to prevent such atrocities from happening both now and in the future.

Yours sincerely

Name
Country

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Mass electrocution of dogs in Manila

From Dr. Michael W. Fox and Oscar Lei, former Director of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society and now living in Toronto.

Below is the report submitted by PAWS ( Philippine Animal Welfare Society) volunteer Emil Rebano, who was assigned to monitor the electrocution as PAWS representative.

RE: CITY OF MANILA -- ELECTROCUTION OF DOGS EXPERIMENT
MANILA CITY POUND
(As witnessed by Emil Rebano)

Witnesses:
Dr. Rey Napoles, DVM -- Pres. VPAP
Emil Rebaño -- PAWS rep vet student

Manila City:

6 orderlies
2 vets

Description of scene:

(Beyond the gas chamber)

2nd gate from entrance to pound.
Garage type. Bloody floor from previous day or early that day. Fly infested. Fishy odor from blood.
Cage constructed for electrocution in this area.
Separate wide cage for 10 dogs awaiting electrocution also in this area.

3rd gate from entrance to pound.
Holding area of captured dogs awaiting death sentence.
Dogs are grouped per cage depending on schedule for electrocution Dogs in this area are here for days or weeks with no water nor food Dogs mostly with skin disease.

PROCEDURE:

Orderly pulls out a dog from the waiting cage with a long steel pole with a rope at the end. Dog is dragged, suffocating, to the electrocution chamber crying. Orderly even mocks the dog! Seems to enjoy his power over the helpless dog. Dog is pushed inside the chamber (cage) to be electrocuted.

Cage description for electrocution:

average size, with bars. Steel roof that goes down to the dog. The dog is literally sandwiched then vet releases electricity which goes to the roof then passed to the dog. Note: dog/s will be in varying positions. The roof sometimes tips. Only some parts of the dog are electrocuted.

Volts: 300volys for 3 seconds
Effect: dog is still alive in pain crying.

Vet repeats the procedure.

Most of the dogs die on the 2nd try.

The dead dogs are put in a big weighing scale one on top of the other. Then in batches of ten, their stomachs are slit. (This explains the bloody floor.)

Vet puts/injects enzymes per dog. Dogs are brought to a decomposing vat where they are kept for a week. The bodies turn into powder like form then probably dumped in the back of the pound. Back of the pound is the Manila North Cemetery.

COMMENTS:

City of Manila got permit from Bureau of Animal Industries-Animal Welfare Division Head, Angel Mateo, DVM. Mayor Lito Atienza of Manila told the Philippine Star (national newspaper) that he was not aware of the experiment. According to Mayor Atienza, they euthanize dogs using lethal injection. Note: According to the vet in the city pound, they use gas chamber for dogs that is why they want to try electrocution so that the dogs may die faster.

   
Photos and text above supplied by Philippines Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).

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In March 2003 an international governmental conference was hosted by the Philippines Government in Manila on the subject of animal welfare, sponsored jointly by the RSPCA and WSPA. Twenty-two government delegations agreed a proposal for a Declaration on Animal Welfare arising from this Conference.

The Manila Conference agreed to recognise that "animals are living, sentient beings and therefore deserve due consideration and respect", and that the "welfare of animals shall be a common objective for all nations". The agreed Principles state that, "All appropriate steps shall be taken by nations to prevent cruelty to animals and to reduce their suffering".

By its refusal to enforce its existing laws, the Filippino Government is clearly paying lip service to this agreement and is showing contempt for the other 21 nations that took part.

On 21 July 2003 the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a memo (click here to view in Acrobat) to local governors reminding them of an earlier memo dated 14 July 2000. The 2000 memo emphasized the requirement to enforce the Act of 1998. To date (12th July 2005) there is no evidence that this latter memo was treated with any more respect than its predecessor. No surprises there, then.

Until such time as it recognises the rule of law, this government will be seen in the eyes of the world as both ineffectual and corrupt.

See also PAL's web site.

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