Content warning: Animal cruelty
“Cruelty is not content.”
Animal welfare groups condemned three men who allegedly burned a live kitten for social media content in Cabuyao, Laguna, on Sunday, August 23.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) said it is “deeply alarmed” by videos showing three men setting a kitten on fire and laughing as they carried out the act, which is considered animal cruelty.
The kitten survived after one of the perpetrators doused it with water.
Despite this, the animal reportedly suffered third-degree burns on its body as a result of the incident.
The kitten has been turned over to the Bataan Animal Welfare Society (BAWS) and is receiving medical treatment alongside its two siblings.
A ginger cat, which was also targeted by the perpetrators, was able to run away.
According to a post by BAWS, the perpetrators claimed they were drunk when they committed the act.
BAWS vowed that the case “will not end with a simple apology.”
“And honestly, anong silbi ng ‘pasensya na’ pagkatapos mong panoorin at pagtawanan ang mga kuting habang nasusunog? These were defenseless, weeks-old kittens. Wala silang kalaban-laban. Wala silang ginawa sa inyo. Pero pinili ninyong sunugin sila,” it said in a post.
Meanwhile, PAWS said that based on the Cabuyao Police, the suspects have already been identified and are set to face the appropriate complaints in connection with the incident.
“This was not a prank. It was not entertainment. It was a deliberate and brutal act of cruelty against helpless animals, and it is against the law,” the organization said in a statement.
“PAWS is deeply alarmed when animal suffering is treated as a source of entertainment, online attention, or engagement. When cruelty becomes ‘content,’ it points to a deeper need to teach compassion, empathy, and respect for life from an early age,” PAWS added.
It also urged the public to refrain from sharing the video, noting that it “can give cruel content more reach.”
“We cannot build a compassionate society if children grow up believing that an animal’s suffering is something to laugh at, film, or post for attention. Cruelty is not content. Animal suffering is not entertainment. No number of views is worth the life or suffering of an animal,” it said.
“PAWS calls on the authorities to pursue this case to the fullest extent of the law and on the public to ensure that acts of cruelty are reported, and not rewarded with engagement. We must teach compassion before cruelty becomes content,” the organization added.
Animal cruelty is prohibited under the Animal Welfare Act, which states that it is “unlawful for any person to torture any animal” and “to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal,” among other acts.
Prohibited acts include torturing, beating, or mutilating animals, as well as poisoning, shooting, or using cruel methods to kill them.
Violators may face imprisonment of six months to one year and/or a fine ranging from P30,000 to P100,000, depending on the circumstances and the condition of the animal following the act.
