PHILIPPINES
More
Philippino disregard of Animal
Welfare Act
Source:
ITD
-
http://itstheirdestiny.2kat.net
The article below appeared in the
"Philippine Daily Inquirer"
(17/03/05).
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LA
TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines --
Dog tags are for soldiers, but two
officials here want dogs to wear
them too.
A
dog tag is the small piece of
metal worn around the neck by a
soldier with his number on
it.
Benguet
provincial board members Juan
Nazarro Jr. and Aloysius Kato said
the tag would help authorities
identify the pet owner who could
be held liable if the animal
harmed or bit a neighbor, visitor
or passerby.
"I
am a dog meat lover," Nazarro told
the Inquirer. "But I also love
dogs as pets. I believe dogs must
be properly taken care of by their
owners and kept within the
yard."
Nazarro
and Kato proposed the measure
before the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan (Provincial Council)
here after they were irked by
reports that many dogs in the
province were still set loose and
unrestrained.
Nazarro
said stray dogs "[are] an unlikely
sight for a town known for its
strawberries and
vegetables."
He
said he and Kato decided to take
the proposal seriously when the
provincial veterinarian's office
confirmed that many dogs were
going astray and that they posed a
threat to the
public.
"Once
these dogs bite someone else, it
is very hard to go after the owner
because no one knows who owns the
dog," Nazarro said.
He
wants the proposal be enacted as a
provincial ordinance and strictly
enforced by all barangays
(villages) in the province's 13
towns.
Under
the proposal, which would be set
for public hearing, all dog owners
must register their pets every
year in the barangay where the
owner lives.
The
list of registered dogs and their
owners from the barangays will be
submitted to the town government,
which will prepare a master list.
The province, which will later be
furnished copies of the town
registration, will consolidate all
the lists.
Registry
for dogs
"It
is like coming up with a civil
registry for dogs," Nazarro
said.
He
said barangay officials would
provide the dog
tags.
If
approved, the proposal will
mandate all dog owners to register
their pets within the first 20
days of January every
year.
For
dogs born after the registration
period, the owner must still
register them within a month after
birth.
Even
dogs from other places must comply
with the registration, the
proposal said.
Any
person who enters the province
with his or her dog must go to the
nearest barangay office and
register the animal within five
days.
Fine
and imprisonment
Asked
by the Inquirer if this covered
dogs brought to the province for
restaurants and eateries, Nazarro
said if the animals were not
butchered within five days, then
they must be
registered.
Those
who fail to register their dogs
will be fined P2,000 but not more
than P5,000.
If
the dog bites a person, the owner
will be fined P5,000 and will be
imprisoned for not more than one
year.
"This
is to compel dog owners to become
responsible dog owners," Nazarro
said.
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At
ITD we don't tend to mince words
too much, and we certainly aren't
going to in this case. Nazarro is
a self-confessed criminal! Not
only does he admit to eating dog
meat in violation of the
Philippines Animal Welfare Act
1998, but he is trying to include
provisions in his legislation for
dog meat restaurants! This
scum-bag is trying to pass local
legislation to undermine the
national AWA, all in the name of
responsible dog ownership!
The Philippino govt has
repeatedly stated its
determination to uphold and
enforce the AWA 1998, under which
penalties for dog eating are a
maximum of P5,000 and 2 years
imprisonment.
Please send protest emails to
Vice President
Department of the Interior and
Local Government
Department of Justice
vpguingona@ovp.gov.ph,osec@dilg.gov.ph,sechbp@info.com.ph
Sample Email (but PLEASE write
original if possible!)
Dear Sir,
I was shocked to read of a report
in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
(17/03/05) of a proposal in
Sangguniang Panlalawigan
(Provincial Council) for the
compulsory registration of dogs.
It was not this proposal itself
that I found shocking, but that it
is being proposed by a
self-confessed dog eater and that
special considerations are being
planned for dog meat
restaurants.
Your government has repeatedly
expressed its commitment to the
enforcment of the Animal Welfare
Act 1998 that prohibits the human
consumption of dogs. To this end
many UK and international groups
have been pleased to work with
you. It is particularly galling to
subsequently see Philippino
officials blatantly disrespecting
the AWA with apparent
impunity.
I would ask you therefore to have
Juan Nazarro Jr. removed from
office with immediate effect and
to instigate a full enquiry into
his alleged illegal activities.
Investigations should also be made
regarding his associate Aloysius
Kato.
Please inform me of all future
developments.
Yours sincerely
Name/country