Field Report
25 September 2012
Makati, Philippines
Our efforts to build ties with the Makati city government paid off today when we received a call from their pound to tell us that a man had been arrested for buying a dog under the guise of wanting a pet, but then slaughtered the poor animal for meat. We immediately rushed over to the area where the man was being held to ensure that charges would be laid, where we encountered a tragic scene.
The lifeless, contorted body of the dog was shown to us. Covered in blood, the dog’s throat had been cut in a clumsy fashion, as the wound was jagged and large. The teenage girl who had sold the dog to the accused was clearly very distraught about her dog being slaughtered and was yelling at him. Apparently, he had tricked her into parting with her dog. “I thought the Cholo (the dog’s name) would be in good hands. I would not have sold him had I known that they would just cook him,” Beverly Gonzales said. In tears, she promised to keep an eye out for anyone slaughtering dogs in their community and to stay in touch with us.
We ensured that the local officials and police processed all of the necessary paperwork and escorted the accused to the central police station for his arraignment. Local newspapers and TV stations were informed of the arrest and the next day a headline story on the issue aired on GMA News, a major TV station, and the Philippine Daily Enquirer also produced a sympathetic story. The media coverage should dissuade anyone else in the area from slaughtering dogs in the future.
The legal process will take a while, but our lawyer will make sure that there aren’t any undue delays and see the process through to its conclusion and, hopefully, a conviction.
