La Trinidad, Benguet – Local authorities and animal rights activists rescued 49 dogs after a raid at an illegal slaughter house in Barangay Alapag here last week.
Members of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), and volunteers from the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) of the United Kingdom and Sweden-based Animal Protection Network raided the slaughterhouse, owned by Ador Layno, a known illegal dog trader in Baguio and La Trinidad.
Brando Gegway, AKF’s Luzon representative, said Layno escaped before the raiding team arrived.
AKF had earlier conducted another “dog rescue” operations at Layno’s other slaughterhouse in Barangay Gayasi also in La Trinidad.
“The battle won’t end here (rescue of the dogs). We will ran after this dog trader because a criminal case of violation of Animal Welfare law R.A. 8485 and Anti-Rabies Law R.A. 9482 was filed against Layno,” said Gegway.
Under the new Anti-Rabies Law or R.A. 9482 of 2007, Section 11, dog meat traders are ordered to pay a fine of P5,000 for each of the recovered dogs and they face imprisonment of one to four years.
Layno’s place was placed under surveillance after Gegway received information that a slaughterhouse of dogs is operating in the village.
Lou Kockly, a member of the Animal Protection Network, said: “I can not just imagine these lovely creatures to be served in front of any Filipino. These are animals that want only to give unconditional love to humans, and they will, if they only have the chance,” she said.
Kockly warned to dog meat eaters that stray dogs are infected with skin diseases and other disease.
Gegway said dog meat is in demand among residents in the Cordilleras because of the cold climate.
Gegway further claimed that the center of the illegal dog trade, which is raking in millions of pesos, is in Baguio City and Benguet.
The rescued dogs were brought to the AKF rescue center at Cub-cub, Capas in Tarlac for rehabilitation.