De Lima pushes animal welfare, rights reform after Bulacan incident
Carcasses of 29 dogs and cats were discovered in an abandoned lot in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan last 30 October, prompting authorities to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Luna and Furry Siblings
Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima urged members of Congress to prioritize legislative measures aiming to reform and supplement existing laws offering protection to animals in light of a concerning discovery from animal welfare advocates in Bulacan.
“Absolutely disturbing and despicable!” was how De Lima described findings of Luna and Furry Siblings in an abandoned lot in San Jose del Monte City last Friday, 30 October.
The animal welfare advocate found 29 carcasses of dogs and cats being “thrown away like trash” in the area, prompting a civil investigation to identify the individuals behind the incident.
Most of the animals that were found were reportedly placed in bags which indicated their respective names and weight, leading the foundation and netizens online to believe that cadavers were once a member of a family.
De Lima, for her part, questioned how someone could have committed “such an evil act against innocent souls,” noting that it was already difficult enough for families to bear the loss of their pets.
“They are not trash that can be simply thrown away! They don’t know, they don’t understand the grief of losing a pet that was considered family,” she wrote on a social media post on Sunday.
“This kind of violence should never be tolerated,” she added.
The lawmaker, once the chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, called on authorities to identify the individuals that were behind the tragic crime.
As a member of the House of Representatives, De Lima expressed that it was similarly important for her fellow lawmakers to ensure that there were a more comprehensive and stricter law that promoted the rights and welfare of animals in the country.
De Lima appealed for the consideration of her proposed Animal Welfare Enforcement Act and the Revised Animal Welfare Act which she believes could put an end to the violence against animals while spreading information on the proper treatment of pets.
“Justice for the 29 furbabies! Justice for the families!” her post concluded.
Animal crematory shut down
On Saturday, Bulacan City Mayor Strike Revilla ordered for the suspension of the business permit of Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium, the establishment authorities have linked to the dumping of the 29 animal carcasses in San Jose del Monte.
Revilla said in a social media post that they had conducted a meeting with the crematorium service provider and 30 pet owners to seek answers for the troubling finding.
Ahjay Paws reportedly stated that they had two separate crematorium machines situated in Caloocan and Bacoor, but were unable to provide any substantial proof that the cremations were actually carried out.
It was also noted that the owners of the company were unable to confirm whether the animals that were included in the viral post were entrusted to their service.
Revilla further said that the service providers failed to certify that the ashes that were returned to pet owners were in fact the remains of their pets.
In light of the revelations, the mayor said that some pet owners decided to seek financial compensation for the damages that were accrued from the incident.
Other affected parties had also reportedly sought the help of the Philippine National Police to file criminal charges against Ahjay Paws.
Revilla said that while the meeting yielded some additional information into the troubling discovery, further investigations will be conducted to understand what really happened to the carcasses of the 29 dogs and cats.
“We will continue to coordinate with concerned agencies and to the complainants to give them updates on every development in the investigation,” the mayor said. “In Bacoor, we will not let the love of our citizens for their pets be ignored.”