30 dogs die on the way to dog show

Thirty dogs died from severe dehydration and heat stroke on their way to a dog show on December 2.

In a report by Rida Reyes on 24 Oras on Monday, a witness said the dog breeder who owned the canines put 40 dogs inside a closed van with no aircon to transport them from Novaliches, Quezon City to a dog show by the Philippine Canine Club Inc. in Marikina.

Some 30 dogs were found either passed out or deceased; the few dogs rescuers were able rush to veterinarians passed away the following day.

Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc. condemned the dog breeder who allowed the pets to be transferred in a closed van as it

"It's unthinkable that anyone can do such acts, to transport dogs, so much number of dogs in an enclosed van," AKF Program Director Heidi Marquez-Caguioa said.

"Parang tao rin 'yan, masu-suffocate sila. And remember, dogs, mainit ang temperature nila. That's why they pant, kasi diyan nila mina-manage at nire-regulate ang body temperature nila," she continued.

Department of Agriculture Administrative Order 10 prohibits the transportation of animals in an "enclosed, insufficiently-ventilated and inadequately-lighted compartments of vehicles."

Under Republic Act 8485 or Animal Welfare Act, as amended by RA10631, persons found guilty of the act may face jail time of six months to three years and a penalty of P1,000 to P250,000.

AKF reported the breeder who owned the dogs to the DA-Bureau of Animal Industry and urged the Philippine Canine Club, Inc. (PCCI) to remove the breeder from their registration.

The PCCI, a group maintaining a registry of pure-bred dogs in the Philippines, has since condemned the incident and suspended the group behind it until they conclude their own investigation. —Rie Takumi/JST, GMA News