(PH) Stronger apprehension of dog traders pushed

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Stronger apprehension of dog traders pushed

By Jane Cadalig

Sun.Star

December 12, 2006

 

IF AUTHORITIES want to stop the consumption of dog meat outside the conduct of

indigenous rituals, they should start from the origin of the trade, an animal

welfare crusader said.

 

Aware of the fact that dog meat consumption will not end as long as supply

lasts, Melchor Alipio of the Network for Animals (NA) said efforts done to curb

the practice should be focused more on traders.

 

" We should go after the dog traders first, " Alipio said.

 

Most of the dogs bought by restaurant owners in Baguio and Benguet and other

North Luzon provinces come from the southern provinces, including Laguna, Bicol,

Lucena, Quezon and Batangas.

 

Alipio said the minimal penalty imposed on the traders is also among the reasons

why the dog meat business remains unstopped. He said most of the apprehended dog

traders are asked to pay cash for their liberty.

 

He said only one trader was penalized for six months in jail out of the

apprehensions done.

 

Animal welfare groups have joined the government's call for a stop to dog meat

commercialization. The dog trade in the south is earning at least P55 million a

year courtesy of the Cordilleran's consumption of the animal meat.

 

While local government units (LGUs) in Cordillera recognized the need to

safeguard public health from the disease and dangers brought by dogs, there are

no specific regulations passed to ban the dog meat consumption.

 

The towns of La Trinidad and Kibungan have ordinances banning dogs from

loitering outside their owners' homes but none of these local legislations ban

the serving of dog meat in restaurants.

 

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Dog meat trade in Baguio, Benguet earns P55M annually: crusader

By Jane Cadalig

Sun.Star

December 14, 2006

 

THE Cordillerans' predilection for dog meat is making dog traders from the

southern region richer by at least P55 million a year, an animal welfare

advocate said.

 

Melchor Alipio, a representative of the Network for Animals (NA)--an association

of groups advocating for animal welfare, said the consumption of dog meat in

Baguio and Benguet contributes huge amount to dog traders from the lowland

provinces.

 

The P55-million monetary contribution speaks for Baguio and Benguet alone, which

consumes about 350 to 400 dogs daily, he added.

 

Dog meat consumption in other regions like Ilocos and Cagayan is estimated at

300 and 200 per day, respectively, and the monetary value is not far from that

of Baguio and Benguet, said Alipio.

 

Dr. Jose Diaz of the Manila Veterinary Inspection Board (MVIB) said the southern

provinces deliver about 1,000 dogs to Northern Luzon on a daily basis as per the

record of dog shipment seizures.

 

Most of the dogs delivered to the Cordillera and other provinces in the north

come from Laguna, Batangas, Lucena, Quezon Province and Bicol.

 

Restaurant owners in Baguio and Benguet buy dog meat at P75 per kilo while

slaughterhouses buy these at P55, said Brando Gegway, Animal Kingdom Foundation

(AKF) senior researcher for Northern Luzon.

 

The continued consumption of dog meat in the region once earned the ire of

various animal welfare advocates from around the world who then called on the

government to stop the trade.

 

Concerned agencies have pushed for stricter implementation of Republic Act (RA)

8485 or the Animal Welfare Law, which penalizes the slaughtering of dogs except

those that are used in indigenous rituals.

 

But even with series of apprehensions done on dog traders, business remains

unstopped, which Alipio credits to the public's continued consumption of dog

meat.

 

He said restaurants offering dog meat exist because there are consumers.

 

Animal welfare groups and medical practitioners have joined the government in

warning the public against eating dog meat, saying this poses hazards to health.

 

Diaz said there are about 100 diseases found in dogs that could be transferred

to humans upon consumption.

 

In La Trinidad, the Benguet State University (BSU) also joined the effort in

promoting the welfare of animals.

 

A dog pound, funded by NA, is set to be constructed at the BSU College of

Veterinary Medicine, which would serve as a shelter for stray dogs as well as

those that are rescued from traders.

 

School officials said this is the university's humble way of showing support to

efforts done by various sectors in promoting animal rights.

 

The proposed dog pound at BSU would be the first of its kind in the region.

 

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