Volunteers of PAL led by its campaigns director Englishman David Barrett, operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group led by Supt. Generoso Bonifacio and officials of the government National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) swooped down on the slaughter house of the Comiles Restaurant at Poblacion barangay here and saved 52 dogs from being butchered and served at the restaurant that day.
"This is gross!" cried a teary Barrett, as he entered the Comiles butcherhouse and witnessed three men about to kill a muzzled dog with a piece of wood.
PAL founded six years ago in London and with chapters all over the world including the Philippines, lobbies for political legislation against inhumane treatment of animals.
Fourteen dogs were already slaughtered when the raiding team arrived, along with Baguio journalists at the famous restaurant’s compound to give teeth to Republic Act 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act which Congress passed in 1999.
The three butchers were placed under the custody of the CIDG but Bonifacio released them upon the intercession of lawyer Jose Molintas.
The raid was the culmination of a month long surveillance starting last September at the request of PAL which intensified its campaign to monitor any act of cruelty against animals like dogs.
It was the first raid this year conducted by law enforcers and government agencies against establishments that serve dog meat for human consumption since the law was enacted.
Food establishments in Benguet and Baguio City serving dog meat were up in arms when Congress first tried to pass the law in 1998. — Artemio Dumlao