A Furry Situation: Laws Protecting Our Pets
There is no question that over the years, household pets have evolved from merely serving as defenders of the home to being treated as members of the family. As such, it would be natural for owners to want to protect their beloved pets from any and all kinds of harm. Thankfully, laws such as the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 and the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 have enumerated the ways in which their furry friends could be protected from danger.
R.A. No. 8485, otherwise known as the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, as amended by R.A. No. 10631, defines “animal welfare” as the physical and psychological well-being of animals. In the Act, animal welfare includes, but not limited to, “the avoidance of abuse, maltreatment, cruelty, and exploitation of animals by humans by maintaining appropriate standards of accommodation, feeding, and general care, the prevention and treatment of disease and the assurance of freedom from fear, distress, harassment, and unnecessary discomfort and pain, and allowing animals to express normal behavior.”
In support of this, the Act penalizes any person who tortures any animal, who neglects to provide adequate care, sustenance, shelter, or maltreats any animal or subjects any dog or horse to dogfights or horse fights, kills, or causes or procures to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreats or uses them in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare. Additionally, a person who abandons an animal in his or her custody should likewise be punished for maltreatment.
A person who violates this Act shall thus be punished by imprisonment ranging from six months to one year and a fine not exceeding thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00), to three years and a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty thousand pesos (P250,000.00), depending on the act committed and its severity.
While the Act has been around since 1998, its amendments were only recently made in 2013. Since the pandemic brought about a surge in pet adoption and ownership, there have been higher demands for stricter penalties against animal abuse.
In 2020, the Senate called for a revision of the Act to impose stiffer penalties for the said crimes against animals. Hence, the Senate Bill (SB) No. 1918, or the “Revised Animal Welfare Act of 2020” was filed to establish a Bureau that would implement a system to ensure compliance with animal welfare standards and regulations. However, this has yet to be passed into law.
In the meantime, R.A. No. 9842, or the “Anti-Rabies Act of 2007” is another existing law implemented to control and eliminate rabies. Aside from protecting humans and animals against rabies, the law establishes rules to boost responsible pet ownership. Section 5 of the said Act enumerates the responsibilities of a pet owner: “(a) have their dog regularly vaccinated against Rabies and maintain a registration card which shall contain all vaccinations conducted on their dog, for accurate record purposes; (b) submit their dogs for mandatory registration; (c) maintain control over their dog and not allow it to roam the streets or any public place without a leash; (d) be a responsible owner by providing their dog with proper grooming, adequate food and clean shelter; (e) within twenty-four (24) hours, report immediately any dog biting incident to the concerned officials for investigation or for any appropriate action and place such dog under observation by a government or private veterinarian; (f) assist the dog bite victim immediately and shoulder the medical expenses incurred and other incidental expenses relative to the victim’s injuries.
While the Philippines has a long way to go in terms of implementing measures to protect our four-legged friends, the Animal Welfare Act and the Anti-Rabies Act have been reliable safeguards and stepping stones in encouraging responsible pet ownership and promoting empathy towards our fuzzy companions. That said, we at Batocabe and Partners can assist you in reporting animal abuse cases and guide you in the process. For more information, please contact us at: (8) 687-1025.
