‘Save your life, don’t eat dogs’

An animal welfare group asked the government yesterday to enforce harsher penalties against slaughtering and eating dogs, saying the practice was not only cruel to animals, but could be hazardous and even fatal to humans.

The Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc. (AKFI), in a press conference at the Bayview Hotel in Manila with the theme "Save Lives, Do Not Eat Dogs," called on the Arroyo administration and the public to cease from eating dogs, which is considered a Filipino delicacy in many places in the country, notably Baguio City and surrounding areas.

AKFI trustee Charles Wartenberg lashed out at the government for its continued neglect of animal welfare and the dangers of eating contaminated meat, saying if proper attention had been given to the issue, the tragic death of four-year-old Ressia Mae Edoria could have been prevented.

Edoria, seventh child of farmer Renante of Barangay Molobolo in Cauayan, Negros Occidental died last Dec. 13 after she ate meat from a rabid dog, which had been served as a pulutan (appetizer) of neighbors who were drinking.

Days after she ate the contaminated meat, she developed a fever, had difficulty standing up and sleeping, couldn’t drink liquids, and suffered chest pains and bulging eyes. The girl was eventually brought to doctors who determined she had contracted rabies. They brought her to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Hospital but she died after several hours.

Wartenburg said, "This was totally an avoidable death… I think the Philippine government is guilty given the information we have given them. They should be ashamed for letting this happen. This is an absolute disgrace."

An irate Wartenberg said they had long tried to address the issue. They met with officials from the Department of Health (DOH), National Meat Inspection Board (NMIB), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), but he said only minimal efforts had been exerted.

As far back as 18 months ago, their group submitted documents on "The Potential Hazards of Eating Dogs" to these government agencies, but the Englishman said the most some of them did was to include the information in their newsletters.

With this latest incident, the AKFI said they are asking the proper authorities to impose stiffer penalties against those who sell dog meat. At present, those engaged in the illegal trade only pay bail of P1,000 to P3,000 for their release. But according to Wartenberg: "They should be locked up. They are evil people."

The group’s veterinarian Winston Samaniego added: "We want to amend existing animal welfare laws and ban the dog-eating habit. The penalties are very minimal... We want the concerned government agencies to do some prosecution."

Samaniego said not many Filipinos are aware that the rabies virus, even in cooked canine flesh, can travel all the way to the brain. The rabid dog meat, once ingested and chewed, allows the virus to enter the nervous system via tooth decay, loose teeth or wounded gums. It may pass through the lymph nodes unfiltered and finally reach the brain and lead to death.

The common symptoms of rabies are fever, headache and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation, difficulty swallowing, hydrophobia (fear of water), fear of light and fear of air.

In the case of the girl, her advanced tooth decay may have contributed to the onset of the rabies. Her father Renante said he was deeply saddened by his daughter’s demise. "Marami pa sana kaming pangarap sa kanya, pero wala na siya ngayon. Nananawagan ako na sana huwag na tayo kumain ng aso (We had many dreams for her, but now she’s gone. We call on the public not to eat dog meat)."

Contamination and food poisoning can also come from filthy slaughterhouses. Samaniego said there are hardly any hospital records indicating deaths of patients caused by eating rabid dog meat. Oftentimes, it is only classified as "food poisoning."

The country, he said, remains one of the countries in Asia where eating dog flesh is practiced. He added that while the number of dogs with rabies had gone down over the past years, the barbaric practice of eating dog meat has increased in the country.

In Baguio and the northern uplands, where canine flesh is a common and perhaps necessary viand in order to keep warm, the price of dog meat ranges from P85 a kilo for regular customers to P95 for first-time buyers. Some vendors also mix dog meat with goat meat.

In South Korea, the meat of farm-bred dogs is also consumed. The AKFI also condemns the practice there. — Evelyn Macairan