POE ON THE KILLING OF KILLUA

I am heart-broken and enraged, to hear of the mauling of Killua, a Golden Retriever. Mr. Anthony Solares admitted to slaughtering Killua, claiming that the dog chased his child. However, his actions which were captured in a CCTV video, were fraught with excessive violence and shows that it was Killua who was being chased.

It is, of course, up to our courts to decide on the matter. However, the public should be aware that there are laws which prohibit and punish the cruel treatment of animals.?The Animal Welfare Act of 1998, amended by Republic Act 10631, states the following:

It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance of shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights, kill or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare.

If we are to create a kinder society where animals and humans can co-exist in harmony, we must raise awareness on the proper, responsible, and humane manner of treating animals.

In light of this and other numerous reports of cruelty, neglect, and abandonment of animals, I have filed a proposed law to improve the state of animal welfare in our country. Senate Bill No. 2458 entitled, "the Revised Animal Welfare Act" shall include Mandatory Animal Welfare Education in the curriculum for primary and secondary education students.

The bill also creates a Barangay Animal Welfare Task Force which will enable local officers to address the animal welfare issues with dispatch. It is envisioned that they shall work hand in hand with the corps of Animal Welfare Enforcement Officers (AWEO) from non-government organizations, citizens' groups, community organizations, and other volunteers who have undergone the necessary training and have been deputized by the Department of Agriculture Secretary as well as animal welfare enforcement officers from law enforcement agencies.

This bill is now pending in the Senate Committee on Agriculture. We hope to pass this bill soon and put an end to despicable incidents such as what happened to Killua.