80 dogs rescued

BAGUIO CITY — About 80 dogs on the way to a slaughterhouse — and eventually restaurant kitchens — have been rescued in La Union, police said yesterday.

The dogs, their snouts tied shut to prevent them from barking, were discovered early Tuesday in a van heading to this city, where many people consider dog meat a delicacy, said Chief Inspector Robert Mesa of Naguilian town.

Mesa said police chased the van for 18 kilometers to Aringay town, south of Naguilian, after the driver turned around upon seeing a checkpoint on the road to Baguio.

The driver, who was released on bail while facing charges of violating the Animal Welfare Act, told investigators the dogs were rounded up in Cavite, Mesa said.

Mesa said the dogs were taken to Manila, where they will be placed under the care of the Department of Agriculture.

Melchor Alipio, the Philippine representative of the London-based animal rights group Political Animal Lobby, said dog traders were increasingly emboldened to risk arrest because of profits from selling dog meat.

He said dog traders were buying the animals for about P100 each and selling them for up to seven times the amount.

Violators face a maximum two years in jail, plus up to P5,000 fine. — Artemio Dumlao