Amend laws on dead pet care services, government urged

MANILA, Philippines — Animal rights advocates are urging the government to amend laws governing afterlife pet care services following the dumping of dead dogs and cats in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan.

Afterlife pet care services are not regulated under the Animal Welfare Care Act of 1998 because lawmakers never anticipated that problems could arise from these, according to Animal Kingdom Foundation president and program director Heidi Marquez.

“What we’re trying to do now is to come up with proposals for legislation so that our law would be cohesive,” Marquez said yesterday.

She said the current law is fragmented.

On Friday, criminal charges were filed against the owner of Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium and three others in connection with the dumping of dead dogs and cats.

In pushing for amendments to the animal welfare law, Marquez said the law cannot be applied in this case unless it is proven that the pets died because of cruelty, maltreatment, neglect or abandonment.