Dog beaten to death by neighbor in Camarines Sur

A woman has called for justice for the death of her dog, which was killed by a neighbor on Sunday in Bato, Camarines Sur.

According to dog owner Vina Rachelle Arazas, she noticed that Killua, a three-year-old golden retriever, went missing from their house as soon as she woke up.

“Nagising po kami po na wala po si Killua sa loob ng bahay. Hinahanap namin po siya pero nakalock naman po yung gate so naisip ko imposible naman yun nakalabas. Hinanap po namin siya sa loob ng bahay kaso wala po talaga,” Arazas said in an interview with GMA News Online.

(We woke up and Killua wasn’t inside the house anymore. We looked for Killua, but the gate was locked, so we thought it was impossible for it to be outside. We searched for the dog inside the house, but it wasn’t there.)

She said the killer eventually took her to a secluded area where the body of her dog was stuffed inside a sack.

“Nakausap ko po [yung pumatay]. Siya nga po mismo nagdala samin sa lugar na pinagdalhan… secluded place na dinalhan ng dog ko po. Dun po namin naabutan na nasa loob na siya ng sako. As per his statement po, nangangagat daw po siya,” Arazas said.

(I talked [to the killer]. He was the one who brought us to the secluded place where my dog was taken. That’s where we found Killua inside the sack. As per his statement, Killua bit people.)

“Hindi nga po siya lumalabas and stressed lang po siguro siya sa environment sa labas kasi yun nga po sanay siya sa loob ng bahay,” she added.

(Killua doesn’t even go outside, and it might have been stressed by the environment outside because it was used to staying inside the house.)

She intends to take legal action against the man who killed her dog.

“We already have information nga po and we are already coordinating with law enforcement na po sa barangay, and pinag-aaralan na din po kung ano yung magiging remedy dito,” she said.

(We already have information and are already coordinating with law enforcement in the barangay, and we are studying possible remedies.)

Based on CCTV footage, the dog was seen jumping from their house's roof after scaling it past 5 a.m. 

Killua then allegedly attacked a resident, prompting a man to chase the dog and beat the animal to death. 

''Yung aso, tumawid doon. Tapos yung aso nung nakita kami nung matanda, bumalik, talagang ako naman sinakmal. Buti na lang dito lang sa paa. Pumasok doon sa tindahan namin. Dalawa na ang nakagat. ‘Yung matanda, ako, pati yung asawa ko kakagatin pa. Kaya nagawa ko iyon,'' the man who beat Killua said in a report by Jessica Calinog of GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia on ''24 Oras'' on Tuesday. 

(The dog went across that area, but it turned around and bit me when it spotted me and the old woman. Fortunately, it merely bit my leg. The dog even came to our store. I was bitten, as was the old woman. It even attempted to harm my wife, which is why I retaliated.) 

#JusticeForKillua

Azaras' Facebook post on the incident has already garnered 28,000 comments and 181,000 shares.

Killua's death also became a trending topic on X. 

Celebrities like Kim Atienza and Sarah Geronimo offered their sympathies and spoke out against animal abuse. 

“This news is extremely heartbreaking. Walang kalaban-laban 'yung aso. Katulad nating mga tao, nakakaramdam din sila ng takot at sakit. (The dog didn’t even have a chance. Just like us humans, they also feel fear and pain). Every life deserves respect and protection. It's time to demand accountability and raise our voices against animal cruelty,” Geronimo said in a Facebook post.

''Golden retrievers are the safest dogs to be with kids. You broke the law, you will go to jail, sir. #justiceforkillua,'' Atienza posted on X. 

Animal welfare organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia spokesperson Janna Sevilla said that the social media movement in support of Killua showed that more people are becoming aware of the fight against animal cruelty.

“More work is needed to ensure proper enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. We also need to all act as responsible animal guardians… The footage of Killua’s grieving family is heartbreaking. The alleged killer’s actions are illegal under the Animal Welfare Act, which prohibits any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance of shelter, or maltreat any animal,” Sevilla said in a message to GMA News Online.

She also encouraged Killua’s owners to pursue a case against the killer.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has also coordinated with the owner and offered assistance in filing a case.

The killer may possibly face charges for violating Republic Act 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, which states that animal abuse is punishable with imprisonment of between six months and two years, a fine, or both at the discretion of the court.

“No one is immune to the law. Killua was a treasured member of his family, just like all dogs should be,” Sevilla said. — VBL, GMA Integrated News