Police seize dog meat in Quiapo

Some 70 kilos of dog meat were intercepted by the police while about to be sold in a public market last night in Quiapo, Manila.

Four vendors of the illegal meat were also arrested.

Operatives of the Special Reaction Unit (SRU) of the Sta. Cruz police station made a surprise inspection of Quinta Market following reports of unabated selling of dog meat, which were usually done at night to avoid arrest.

Police said the meat, which reportedly came from Bulacan, was being sold at P170 per kilo.

Four vendors were arrested after selling to undercover police officers. They admitted that they have been selling dog meat for some time but claimed that they do not know the name of their source.

The meat is a popular appetizer or "pulutan" in drinking sessions. Dog meat is also believed to be an aphrodisiac.

Manila Police District director Senior Superintendent Danilo Abarzosa has warned the public against buying slaughtered dog meat.

Selling and buying dog meat is not only illegal, he said, dog meat do not pass veterinary inspection. "There is a possibility that what the people are buying may be double dead meat which can cause poisoning," he said, referring to meat that did not pass inspection.

The vendors were charged with violation of a city ordinance that prohibits selling dog meat and illegal slaughter of dogs.

Mayor Lito Atienza yesterday ordered the MPD and the Veterinary Inspection Board to be vigilant against dog meat traders.

Atienza said that while killing and "eating dogs may be acceptable in some areas, in the city of Manila this is not acceptable. It is against human character because dogs are considered pets."

A city ordinance covering protection to animals has been in effect for the last 50 years. "It is one of the very old ordinances, but it is still in effect," Atienza said.

One of the animal welfare groups, the Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc. (AKFI) has been calling for harsher penalties against slaughtering and eating of dogs.

In 2005, a four-year-old girl in Negros Occidental died after eating dog meat that was served as pulutan by a neighbor. It turned out that the dog had rabies. — With Evelyn Macairan