(PH) Cat carnage in posh Makati village draws flak

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Cat carnage in posh Makati village draws flak

By Elvira Mata

Philippine Daily Inquirer

01/03/2008

 

MANILA, Philippines – An animal welfare group has asked the National Bureau of

Investigation to look into the slaughter of 29 kittens and cats which occurred a

week before Christmas in an upscale village in Makati City.

 

Republic Act 8485, otherwise known as the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, makes it

unlawful for any person to torture or kill an animal—like dogs, cats and

horses—or neglect to provide care, sustenance or shelter, said Nancy H. Cu

Unjieng, president of the Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (Cara)

Philippines.

 

Letter

 

In a letter sent on Dec. 26, 2007 to NBI director Nestor M. Mantaring Cu Unjieng

wrote: “On Dec. 16, an unidentified individual, using an air gun with lead

pellets, shot 29 kittens and cats in two holding cages at the back of the gym of

the Dasmariñas Village Association along Calumpang Street.”

 

The cats were all under 6-months-old, well-cared for and were not disturbing

anyone. They were up for adoption and under the care of Cara which has been

helping the Dasmariñas Village Association address its stray cat population

problem through a program called Catch, Neuter and Release. “The program is four

years old but this is the first time the cats were harmed,” Cu Unjieng told the

Inquirer last week.

 

Recalling the brutal killing, she said: “Early Sunday morning, (Dec. 16), a

security guard called us at home and told us what happened. We immediately went

to the holding area and we saw blood splattered on the cages and on the walls.

The cats were either dead or dying. It was a horrible sight! We called our vet,

Dr. Nielsen Donato of Vets in Practice and he came quickly. But he was only able

to save 15 cats.”

 

In her letter to the NBI, Cu Unjieng wrote: “After the carnage, three cats died

from head wounds, 11 were seriously injured and euthanized by our veterinarian,

eight underwent surgery to remove embedded pellets and seven were grazed by

pellets.”

 

The village security team investigated the incident but found no witnesses who

saw or heard any shots fired that night. They have no leads as to the identity

of the cat killers.

 

“Which is why I am appealing to the NBI to conduct its own investigation to

expose the owner and user of the air gun. The expertise of the NBI is crucial at

this point,” Cu Unjieng said in her letter. “There is a person living in this

gated village who is dangerous. If he can kill helpless cats in the holding area

near the park, he may start shooting at children who are playing in the park.”

 

Circular

 

Victoria P. Celdran, president of the Dasmariñas Village Association, sent a

circular on Dec. 19 to residents asking for information leading to the

identification of the owner and user of the air gun. “He may be in our midst. If

he can kill helpless cats at the back of the gym, near our park, he may start

shooting at humans later with a gun other than that which uses compressed air

and pellets,” she wrote in the circular.

 

“We are very, very upset. The kittens were in cages!” Celdran told the Inquirer.

“The person who did this must have emotional problems. First he shoots cats,

then what—children? We also want to stress that Dasma is not a practice ground

for air guns.”

 

Celdran said they would not stop the investigations until the culprit is caught.

“The village association will file a case against him. He committed a crime

under the Animal Welfare Act and he could go to jail.”

 

Cara is also working with the Forbes Park community, the Manila Golf & Country

Club and soon, the Bel-Air Village Association in dealing with their stray cat

population problem.

 

Many communities, both here and abroad, have adopted the catch, neuter and

release program, Cu Unjieng said. Apart from avoiding unwanted kittens by

“fixing” these animals, other benefits are less cat fights and mating calls and

free and efficient rodent control, she added.

 

Clinic

 

Cara has also opened a spay/neuter clinic at the Carson Bldg., Orense corner Del

Carmen Streets, Guadalupe Nuevo in Makati City. Starting Jan. 14, clinic hours

are Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays by appointment. For more

information, call 882-5323 (telefax) and 0910-7297026 (mobile).

 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080103-110030/Cat_ca\

rnage_in_posh_Makati_village_draws_flak

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Binay orders probe of feline massacre in Dasma

By Julie M. Aurelio

Philippine Daily Inquirer

01/05/2008

 

MANILA, Philippines -- Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay ordered the police on Saturday

to investigate last month's gruesome slaughter of 29 kittens and cats in a posh,

gated village.

 

Police chief Superintendent Gilbert Cruz tasked a team of investigators to track

down the cat killers, who peppered the furry creatures with air gun pellets.

 

" Our investigators are now coordinating with Barangay (village) Dasmariñas

officials and the Dasmariñas Village Association (DVA) for any leads, " Cruz

said.

 

Binay said the perpetrators should be immediately arrested because they pose a

threat to the security of animals, residents, and visitors of Dasmariñas

Village.

 

" I have ordered the police to arrest those responsible as soon as possible. The

suspects have violated a national law and a city ordinance on animal welfare, "

Binay said.

 

Republic Act 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 makes it unlawful for any

person to torture or kill animals such as dogs, cats, and horses or neglect to

provide them with care, sustenance, or shelter.

 

" Whoever did this does not seem to have a sound mind and may cause harm to

people the next time, " Binay added.

 

On December 16, 2007, several cats were shot with air guns. The 29 cats were

inside two holding cages at the back of the DVA gym.

 

The felines, which were up for adoption, were under the care of the Compassion

and Responsibility for Animals (Cara) Philippines, which is helping the DVA

address the problem of stray cats in the subdivision.

 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=1105\

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[The following information comes from On Loving Animals blog:

http://onlovinganimals.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html]

 

GMANews.tv

 

" The Village management questioned two individuals who are caretakers in the

neighborhood. They rest and sleep in a building right next to the cages that

held the cats (29, according to the report). When questioned, they didn't give a

credible response. So, for now, they are considered persons of interest by the

Makati police ( Makati is the city in which the subdivision is located). They

are not yet naming names until the investigation is further developed. The

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is looking into the pellets that were

recovered from the dead cats, and they will try to find out what kind of guns

the pellets came from. The NBI is also investigating who came in and out of the

village the day the cats were murdered. Nancy Cu Unjieng, President of

Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA) was interviewed, and she argued

that the killing is a serious violation of the Animal Welfare Act and that a

resolution is required. "

 

http://www.gmanews.tv/largevideo/latest/16354/2-suspects-in-Dasma-cat-massacre

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Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) Forum:

 

-More information on this forum but has upsetting photos of the shot cats:

 

Sunday, December 16, 2007

MASSACRE OF DASMARINAS VILLAGE MAKATI, KITTENS ON SUNDAY, DEC 16, 2007

 

ATTACHED ARE GRAPHIC PHOTOS.

 

today i received a call from dasma security past 7am that 3 kittens were found

dead in the dasma cage. the other kittens were bleeding and blood covered the

floor and walls of the cages.

 

dasma security informed me that the kittens were shot by an air gun. drs nielsen

and riza arrived to confirm that the kittens were shot and recovered several

pellets as evidence. 3 kittens were found dead, 11 were euthanized because of

several pellet wounds each, 6 were taken to the clinic for xray and 8 were still

ok- although some had pellet grazes on their bodies.

 

this is a horrific cruelty inflicted on these poor kittens who were being cared

for daily in their cages and not a disturbance to anyone!

 

backie celdran has ordered a complete investigation of this massacre. there are

one or more sick individuals responsible for this cruelty.

 

medical reports conclude that cruelty that starts with animals has the strong

possibility of eventually escalating to humans. the person/persons responsible

for this crime should be apprehended. they are in the dasma village equipped

with air pistols.

 

THIS IS A DANGER TO THE DASMA COMMUNITY NOW AND WHEREVER THEY LIVE IN THE

FUTURE.

 

thank you for your concern and time. nancy

.....................

Update:

Dec 18 2007

 

Nancy has provided updated information on this topic:

 

todate the dasmarinas village makati security has not come up with any leads

regarding the culprits who shot the kittens and cats in the dasma association.

 

on friday someone from the NBI will come to conduct his own investigation.

 

i would like to thank drs nielsen donato, riza, mike velhagen, marga and nick of

vets in practice for assisting with and providing for care and medication for

these poor cats. these kind vets are all God sent.

 

http://forum.animalwelfare.com.ph/index.php?s=9fa5b9d1ca4779bea2b286e83c543fdf & s\

howtopic=440 & view=getnewpost

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Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA) Philippines:

 

http://www.caraphil.org/about_us.html