2 nabbed for illegal dog meat trade in Nueva Ecija

Authorities nabbed two persons who allegedly sold dogs for their meat in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija.

Emil Sumangil’s exclusive report on Monday showed an alias “Rico”, who is an alleged dog dealer in the area where animals are sold via text message not as pets, but as food.

“Ang sinasabi ng iba, part ng kultura nila ito or part ng tradition. Para sa amin, this is animal cruelty. Ang aso ay hindi food animal bagkus companion animal sila o isang pet,” said Heidi Marquez-Caguioa, program director of the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF).

(Some claim [eating dog meat] is part of their culture or tradition. For us, it is animal cruelty. A dog is not food but a companion or pet.)

Marquez-Caguioa said they have been receiving reports of selling dogs for food since November, where the suspect allegedly goes to houses for transactions.

AKF personnel pretended to order a dog and the suspect led them to where he was getting his animals.

The suspect sells dogs for P700 to P1,200, depending on their weight, Marquez-Caguioa said.

Authorities rescued at least three dogs from the suspect, who refused to give a statement.

A woman is also under police custody for selling her family’s dog to Rico.

She said she sold their dog for money to provide for her children’s education needs.

The AKF also dealt with a viral video that showed dogs that were butchered in Benguet during the Christmas season.

According to the video and the report received by AFK, the dogs were killed and later cooked for a celebration.

The AKF and the Benguet local government unit veterinary office conducted a forum to inform the public that killing and eating dogs are prohibited.

The AKF said the people caught in the video have apologized for their actions.
—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News