Dog Meat Illegal in Philippines, But Locals Still Love It: Crack Down Aims to Stop the Practice of Abusing and Then Slaughtering Dogs for Meat

Dog Meat Illegal in Philippines, But Locals Still Love It: Crack Down Aims to Stop the Practice of Abusing and Then Slaughtering Dogs for Meat

You’ll see in this article that those in the Philippines share the same love of abusing dogs and then slaughtering them. According to the article, this practice is illegal and an effort has begun to attempt to end it. We’ll see if it’s successful.

As the article states, “…the slaughtering of a dog and sale of its meat is prohibited by the Animal Welfare Act. The Meat Code of the Philippines also does not classify dogs as food animal.”

Article:

104 kilos of dog meat seized

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/index.html

By Jane Cadalig

A TOTAL of 104 kilos of dog meat were confiscated by authorities from two stalls at the city public market amid this month's "National Meat Consciousness" celebration.


The confiscation was made possible via the effort of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) and the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), a non-government organization advocating for the promotion of animal rights.

The dog meat was seized from the stalls of certain Lita Dizon and Victorino Montano, who are reportedly known as dog meat vendors in the market. These were brought to the NMIS compound for proper disposal.

The slaughtering of a dog and sale of its meat is prohibited by the Animal Welfare Act. The Meat Code of the Philippines also does not classify dogs as food animal.

Dr. Florencio Pintor, NMIS meat inspector, said the continuous sale of dog meats in the market is a violation of the Consumer Welfare Act (CWA) as these meats do not undergo post-mortem inspection.

He said there is a need to strictly implement laws and related local regulations to protect the welfare of animals, particularly dogs, which, he said, suffer the most maltreatment from humans.

"One of the most popular victims of tortures are dogs so its time for us to implement laws and (local) ordinances seeking to protect them," Pintor added.

He said he already asked Acting Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. for a dialogue on dog meat trade and reiteration for the implementation of the city ordinance that regulates the trade.

Benguet once earned the ire of animal lovers even outside the country over a misconception that the province is planning to legalize dog meat trade. Letters swamped the Philippine Embassy and other concerned agencies, calling for the creation of a committee to address the concern.

The inter-agency committee, composed of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the NMIS, the health and interior departments and provincial and city veterinarians league, recommended for the prohibition of dog slaughter, dog trafficking and dog-raising for purposes of consumption.