TRENDING: Dipolog resident caught pouring hot water on neighbor's dogs
A resident of Dipolog in Zamboanga del Norte was caught pouring hot water on their neighbor's pets.
A CCTV footage posted by Maud Velasco Vance showed her neighbor carrying a pail of water and approaching her dogs' cage before emptying its contents.
Steam can be seen coming out of the cage, while the dogs can be heard crying.
The dogs sustained burns and were taken to a veterinarian for treatment immediately.
Vance told PhilSTAR L!fe on Friday, April 4 that her niece met with the neighbor in the barangay office to address the incident, adding that she has filed complaints against the latter.
"Ang dahilan daw po niya ay maingay daw ang mga aso," she said. "Batas na po ang bahala sa kanya."
She told L!fe that her dogs are recovering from the incident. "Okay na po ang mga aso, nagpapagaling na po sila," she said.
She noted that she posted the CCTV footage, which was taken down by Facebook, not for clout but to raise awareness.
"The video that I posted is not for the content or viewers or to have a lot of followers. [It's] for awareness [so] that they know that there is a law for our pets," she said in a post.
Animal Kingdom Foundation, in a statement, said such an "act of cruelty is inhumane, unacceptable, and should not go unanswered."
"We condemn this act of animal cruelty. We are one with the owner in finding justice," it said. "As no living being deserves to suffer, we would like to call on the community to stand against all forms of animal abuse. If you witness cruelty, speak up. Report. Take action."
The Department of Agriculture Region IX's Animal Health and Welfare Division said pouring hot water on dogs is a violation of Republic Act No. 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998. It originally meted out a punishment of imprisonment between six months and/or two years and a fine ranging from P1,000 to P5,000.
RA 10631 amended the law to increase the penalty depending on the maltreated animal's condition.
If the animal dies, the offender will be imprisoned for one year and six months to two years and/or fined at least P100,000.
Severe injuries—with loss of the animal's natural faculty to survive on its own and needing human intervention to sustain its life—lead to imprisonment of one year to one year and a half and/or a fine of at least P50,000.
Any form of cruelty that is non-fatal or non-incapacitating results in imprisonment of six months to one year and/or a fine of at least P30,000.
However, if the crime is committed by a syndicate, an offender running a business out of cruelty, a public official, or involves at least three animals, a maximum penalty of two- to three-year imprisonment and at least a P250,000 fine will be imposed.
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To report animal abuse, call the police hotline 911 or your barangay officials. You can also contact the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) for free legal assistance.
