PAWS condemns dog Killua's killing, says it was not an act of self-defense
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) found that the man who admitted to killing golden retriever, Killua, was not acting on self defense.
"The animal offender claims that this was an act of self-defense but video evidence shows that Killua, the dog, was being chased by him and none of the elements of self-defense were present," PAWS said in a statement on Facebook, assuring the public that they are working on filing a complaint against the dog killer.
"PAWS is as outraged as all the netizens who have tagged us on social media and assures the public that we are working on this and that we will file a case," they added.
PAWS also asked witness of other crimes against animals that have been posted online "to step forward and cooperate with law enforcement agents and seek help, if needed, for the filing of the cases."
This came after a Camarines Sur man named Anthony Solares admitted to killing the dog in a News5 interview, saying that he did it to protect an elderly person from a dog bite.
"Ginawa ko lang yung nararapat," he said.
"Muntikan na nga 'yung asawa ko na nagtitinda lang doon. Kaya kung baga, talagang wala na sa sarili 'yung aso," he continued. "Lahat ng makasalubong niya parang gusto pa niyang kagatin."
Killua's owner, Vina Rachelle, however, insisted her dog was not aggressive.
"Hindi po. Mabait po yun. Kasi nga po, alaga namin 'yun dito sa bahay. And natutulog pa nga yun sa tabi ko. And makakapag-attest din po 'yung mga kaibigan ko, 'yung mga pumupunta dito sa bahay na mabait po na aso si Killua," she said in the interview.
Vina Rachelle announced on Facebook on March 17 that Killua had gone missing, saying that CCTV footage showed her pet climbing to the rooftop around 5 a.m. and jumping. A passerby later claimed Killua attacked and bit her.
In a separate post, she also shared a CCTV footage capturing the man appearing to hit the dog several times outside of their gate, before continuing to chase after it when it ran away.
Killua's death has caused an uproar among social media users, who mourned his death and called for justice over the cruel act done to him. The hashtags #JusticeForKillua and #StopAnimalCruelty became the top trending topics on X. Some celebrities have also voiced their concern about what happened.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Act states that it is unlawful for any person to torture any animal and subject them to cruelty, maltreatment, or neglect.