Dog Cruelty Again

Generally speaking Filipinos love dogs and take care of them to the best of their ability. However, there are many outrages committed against dogs in the Philippines. From eating them to allowing them to run the streets, dogs have a hard time in the Philippines. Here are two recent stories of cruelty against dogs. 

In this first report a dog was beaten to death outside a public market by three men who chased him after he ate a gamefowl. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/969577/for-allegedly-killing-gamefowl-dog-beaten-to-death-outside-montalban-public-market/story/

Authorities are looking for three men who allegedly took turns in beating a dog until it died on the sidewalk of the Montalban Public Market in Rodriguez, Rizal earlier this month.

According to Vonne Aquino’s report on “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday, CCTV footage taken on the morning of December 6 showed one of the men beating the dog with a piece of wood until it stopped moving.

The market’s employees and vendors said they had no idea as to the identity of the dog’s attackers. The dog reportedly killed a rooster used for cockfights.

"The dog allegedly killed a rooster used for cockfighting. So based on that scenario, it’s possible that they followed the dog here where the unfortunate incident happened,"  said Abdulbayan Intuan, the market inspector of the Montalban Public Market

He added that the three suspects were not vendors at the public market.

The dog’s remains eventually disappeared from the sidewalk as the remains were apparently taken away by unknown persons.

The authorities of Barangay San Jose are also investigating the act of cruelty that led to the dog’s death.

"We have also summoned the employees of the market so we can find out who did this," said Joel Patricio, head of the barangay’s monitoring department.

Meanwhile, the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) reminded the public that it is illegal to hurt and maltreat animals like dogs even if the animal did something wrong.

"If you need to file a complaint before the barangay for damages, do that. Let us not take it out on the animal, let us not hurt or kill it," said lawyer Heidi Caguioa, AKF program director

The animal welfare group assured that it will help file charges of violating Republic Act 8485 or the 1998 Animal Welfare Act against the men who allegedly killed the dog.

GMA Integrated News attempted to search for the suspects but no one in the community knew their identities.

No one knows who the suspects are and no one tried to stop them from beating the dog to death. If no one knows who the suspects are then how do they know the reason they beat the dog to death was because it killed and ate a gamefowl? 

To add insult to injury the remains disappeared as they were taken away by unknown persons. Hopefully the dog was buried and not eaten. 

The second and final story is about a dog who had its tongue ripped out. At first it was labelled a case of animal cruelty but after investigation it turns out that is not the case. 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/12/14/valenzuela-city-says-kobe-case-not-animal-cruelty-after-investigation

The Valenzuela City government has clarified that the incident involving a dog named Kobe in Barangay Balangkas does not constitute animal cruelty, following a thorough investigation by a joint task force.

Kobe had its tongue completely cut off on Tuesday, Dec. 9. 

Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian said the dog fight lasted for 19 seconds. 

"Five to six dogs were in a group. We saw that there was an altercation, one dog bit another dog. The bite was directly to the tongue,” he said in a press conference on Saturday, Dec. 13. 

Reports of an alleged animal cruelty case circulated online, causing fear in the community and drawing strong reactions from various animal welfare advocates. 

In response, the city government immediately formed a joint task force, dubbed “Task Force Kobe,” to conduct a comprehensive probe into the incident.

Based on the review of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and statements from eyewitnesses, authorities determined that the incident was the result of a dog-to-dog fight and was not caused by human intervention.

To support Kobe and the dog’s owner, the city government committed to providing medical assistance to the injured dog until his full recovery.

“From the Valenzuela City Government, we thank the cooperation of the dog owner, witness, animal welfare advocates, and concerned citizens to expedite the resolution of Kobe's case,” the city government said.

The local government also reminded the public to remain vigilant and discerning when consuming and sharing information online, and urged pet owners to continue complying with the Responsible Pet Ownership Ordinance No. 131, Series of 2014, to help ensure the safety and welfare of animals and the community.

Five to six dogs were in a group fighting? And one of them bit off the other dog's tongue! That is most certainly animal cruelty. It's called negligence. Allowing your dog to roam the neighborhood is not the mark of a careful loving owner. Nearly every house in the Philippines has a fence and the dogs must remain behind that fence where they are safe. There are laws about letting your dogs run wild. Sadly they are rarely if ever enforced.