San Juan probes alleged animal neglect in city pound amid Carina onslaught

The San Juan City government on Sunday said it has launched an investigation into the alleged neglect of animals in its city pound amid the onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina.

“We are committed to identifying those responsible for this gross dereliction of duty and ensuring they are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” the San Juan government said in a statement.

“This investigation will be swift, comprehensive, and transparent, and we will not tolerate any attempt to obscure the truth or evade responsibility,” it assured.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, animal welfare group Strategic Power for Animal Respondents (SPAR) - Philippines raised the alarm over the reported “mistreatment” and “neglect” the animals experienced in the San Juan City Pound as they were left to drown in the flood.

In photos posted by SPAR on social media, several cats and dogs were seen locked up in cages as the floodwaters rose inside what appeared to be an unmanned compound. 

“Dogs slowly suffocating in floodwaters, helpless and abandoned. This inhumane treatment began long before the recent flooding, indicating a chronic and systemic problem,” SPAR said.

The animal welfare group also claimed that the San Juan City Pound operates as an “unregistered facility.”

According to SPAR, concerned citizens reported that many animals have died due to maltreatment inside the pound even before the typhoon.

The San Juan LGU assured that it will not tolerate “any lapses” in animal care and protection and that they will take “all necessary steps to prevent such tragedies from happening again.”

Metro Manila was placed under a state of calamity last week due to the impact of massive flooding caused by the Southwest Monsoon o Habagat enhanced by Typhoon Carina.

In a 24 Oras Weekend report on Sunday, animal rescuers said they were able to save eight cats and 20 dogs from the facility.

However, another eight cats were found dead.

The rescued animals were brought to different animal shelters in Cubao, Quezon City and Angono, Rizal.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) reminded the public to free animals from their leashes when there is a storm or flooding.

“Umiiyak kami habang nagrerescue kami. Iyak kami nang iyak ang daming patay na pusa na lumulutang. May pusa doon na kahit na lunod-lunod na siya tina-try niya i-survive ang sarili niya. Nagbigay kami ng first aid agad. Nagbigay kami manual CPR sa kanila,” animal rescuer Veron Cari-An said.

(We were crying while rescuing them. We were crying because there were several cats dead. There was drowning cat trying to survive. We immediately gave fist aid. We gave manual CPR to the animals.)

“Ang city legal po ay nagka-conduct ng isang malawakan at komprehensibong imbestigasyon patungkol sa nangyari sa ating San Juan dog compound po. Hopefully, ito ay just an isolation but we will try to investigate,” said Mohammad Fayez Paudac, San Juan City acting city legal officer.

(The city legal is conducting a comprehensive investigation about the incident in the San Juan dog compound. Hopefully, this is an isolated case but but we will try to investigate.)

—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News