The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) urged the owners of the 25 deceased dogs and cats that were dumped at a vacant lot in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, to sue the pet crematorium for estafa by means of deceit.
‘Pet parents paid for a service that was supposed to provide their beloved companions with a dignified farewell. Instead, their remains were reportedly dumped like garbage in a vacant lot,’ PAWS said in a statement on Saturday.
‘This is not merely a failure to deliver a service but constitutes estafa by means of deceit,’ it added.
According to PAWS, Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium, which is located in Bacoor, Cavite, told the pet parents that their departed animals had been cremated.
But in reality, ‘this was false and induced pet parents to pay for the service.’
PAWS said that although the incident did not directly violate the Animal Welfare Act since the animals were already deceased when turned over to the crematorium, the crematorium could still be held liable under Article 315 (2)(a) of the Revised Penal Code.
The group urged the pet owners concerned to preserve pieces of evidence, such as receipts, cremation certificates, communications, photos and other evidence and to seek legal advice in filing the appropriate case.
‘Each complaint, supported by evidence, can help establish the extent of the alleged wrongdoing and prevent other grieving families from experiencing the same,’ PAWS said.
Luna and Furry Siblings, an animal rescue service, first reported about the discovery of the dead animals on Friday on its Facebook account. It also said only 25 were found, not 29, and that all had been claimed by their owners.
On Sunday, the group said that 14 dead dogs were also found in same place on May 19, adding that only two had been identified: Caesar and Milo.
‘If you had your dog taken to Ahjay pet services and crematory around March to May this year, please have a look and let us know,’ Luna and Furry Siblings urged the public in the post, attaching a few photos of the deceased pets.
Crematorium closed
Following the incident, Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla suspended the crematorium’s business permit and ordered its immediate closure in accordance with applicable legal procedures. He also directed the city’s legal, licensing, environment and veterinary offices to conduct an investigation.
Revilla likewise met with Ahjay Paws owner Jonathan Legaspi and over 30 of the pet owners concerned.
Legaspi, who said the company operates cremation machines in Bacoor and Caloocan, claimed that some animals had been transported to Caloocan, although he could not present proof showing they were cremated.
Legaspi also could not confirm whether the animals dumped in Bulacan had been entrusted to his company or that the ashes returned to customers were those of their pets.
The absence of closed-circuit television footage and other records further complicated the investigation although Revilla said the city government would pursue accountability.
San Jose del Monte City police chief Col. Nelson Sardin said the remains of the animals were initially buried by barangay officials and residents of Barangay Minuyan on Saturday morning. But these were later exhumed after pet owners and their families arrived in the area.
The remains, placed in seven large sacks, were allegedly dumped by two unidentified men aboard a van around 2 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, in a grassy area along an inner road in the barangay.
A strong foul odor emanating from the sacks on Saturday prompted residents to report the matter to village officials. Upon inspection, barangay officials found the animals placed individually in bags, with labels indicating their names and weight.
‘They made a mistake dumping the pets in San Jose del Monte. We are all pet lovers in this city,’ Sardin said.
Sardin said the dumping violated Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the city’s sanitation ordinance.