Trigger Warning: Article contains descriptions of animal cruelty
An animal organization reminded pet owners of their responsibility amid circulating videos of a dog handler allowing his pet to attack a feline on the roadside.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) on Thursday, September 12 addressed a video in which a black dog was seen violently mauling an orange-and-white cat until the latter became unresponsive.
An individual in a black shirt, presumed to be the handler, stood by while the canine attacked the feline until the latter went still.
Toward the end of the clip, the individual also kicked the cat more than once.
Social media users claimed that the incident happened in front of Atoy’s Porkchop in Biñan, Laguna.
The video was also commented on by a Facebook user who claimed that the cat was theirs.
The post caught the attention of PAWS, which warned against animal cruelty and about responsible pet ownership.
“YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PET’S BEHAVIOR,” the org said in a Facebook post.
“PAWS is deeply alarmed by the disturbing video circulating online of a cat being attacked by a dog, while the dog’s owner just stood by passively,” it added.
“Pet owners are accountable for their pets’ actions. Pet owners must always exercise strict vigilance and take decisive action to manage their pets’ behavior, especially in public spaces,” the org continued.
“This is why taking proactive steps, such as providing proper care, training, and socialization, are crucial in addressing their behavior and preventing potential altercations,” PAWS added.
The organization also shared ways for individuals to properly report cases of animal cruelty, including social media posts featuring the incident.
PAWS has a link regarding animal cruelty and the legal steps needed to hold perpetrators accountable.
Meanwhile, the org said in the comments section that it has already tried to reach out to the original poster (OP) of the video and is waiting for response.
It also appealed to social media users to lead the uploader to the links it had provided so the org could help them take the appropriate action.
“Without an affidavit from the witness themself, no case can be filed. The court does not just accept reshares or tags of photos and videos into evidence if there is no one who will testify that he [or] she took the photos/videos,” PAWS said.
Animal cruelty is a crime in the Philippines under the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 or Republic Act 8485, as amended by Republic Act 10831.
The law states that it is “unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance of shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights.”
It is also against the law for animals to be killed or cause or procured 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 is likewise unlawful for a person “for any person who has custody of an animal to abandon the animal.”
“If the animal is left in circumstances likely to cause the animal any unnecessary suffering, or if this abandonment results in the death of the animal, the person liable shall suffer the maximum penalty,” the law states.
Persons guilty of animal cruelty will face a jail sentence and/or be penalized for at most P50,000 if the tortured animal survives and at most P100,000 if the animal dies.
