Senator Grace Poe has pledged to ensure the swift passage of an amended Animal Welfare Act, citing the increasing number of animal cruelty cases across the country.

“Harrowing cases of animal cruelty pop up in the news and on social media, but too often, the abusers go unpunished,” Poe said in a statement on Sunday.

Poe, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, filed Senate Bill 2458 to amend the 26-year-old Animal Welfare Act, emphasizing that a more comprehensive and stricter law is needed to address these abuses.

“We need a more comprehensive and tougher law that will not only give perpetrators a slap on the wrist. Let’s make this happen in this Congress,” she stressed.

The proposed bill would introduce stricter penalties, improve animal care standards, and establish a Barangay Animal Welfare Task Force to address local animal welfare issues more effectively.

The senator emphasized that time is of the essence in acting on the measure, as the 19th Congress ends on 30 June of this year.

Poe will also conclude her two-term, 12-year stint in the Senate but vowed to continue her advocacy for animal welfare.

She stated that the cases of animal abuse are too grave to be ignored.

Recently, the owners of a dog that went missing discovered their furry companion dead and burned in a province in the Visayas.

Reports indicate that a man killed and torched the dog, suspected of having bitten a chicken.

A video posted by a netizen also went viral, showing a tricycle driver dragging a cat.

Under the bill, the task force will empower local officers to address animal welfare issues with urgency.

A section of the measure also deputizes animal welfare enforcement officers those volunteers who have undergone the necessary training.

Furthermore, it will establish standards aimed at promoting responsible pet ownership, as well as ethical behavior and accountability from all those who have control over or provide care to animals.

“This bill is always worth fighting for as animal welfare reflects society’s capacity for compassion,” Poe said.