City pound loses permit to electrocute stray dogs

The city dog pound in Manila can no longer use electrocution to put down strays after the Bureau of Animal Industry-Committee on Animal Welfare (BAI-CAW) gave in to the demands of an animal rights group to use alternative methods.

Philippine Animal Welfare Society director Ana Cabrera said CAW revoked the permit it earlier granted to Manila City Hall’s Veterinary Inspection Board (VIB) for the electrocution of unclaimed dogs.

She said PAWS president Nita Hontiveros-Lichauco met with CAW officials at the BAI office in Quezon City last Monday.

PAWS started raising a howl against the cruel treatment last week. At that time, the city pound, under the VIB, had killed more than 100 stray dogs since experimenting with electrocution two months ago.

The tests were intended to find less expensive alternatives to lethal injection in putting down dogs that have not found homes.

Emil Rebano, a PAWS volunteer who witnessed the killings, said the dogs were pinned to the floor of a cage by a steel metal roof. They then received 300 volts of electricity for three seconds.

However, some dogs were not killed instantly and were left crying in pain. A second surge of electricity was required.

PAWS director Ramona Eliza Consunji noted that during Monday’s meeting there was a majority decision "never to grant a permit for electrocution, whether as an experiment or as a solution to control overpopulation for any animal."

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, when informed of the methods being employed at the pound, said he had no knowledge that strays were being put down that way. He thought the VIB was still using lethal injection and promised to meet with VIB officials.

The VIB earlier explained that they were given by BAI a one-year permit to conduct a study on electrocution as a method.