At least 250 pet owners have filed complaints against a pet crematorium based in Cavite province over the alleged mishandling of animal remains entrusted to the facility, the Philippine National Police said on Wednesday.
At a press briefing at Camp Crame, Col. Allen Rae Co, PNP spokesperson, said the complainants sought the police’s help following the discovery of dead dogs and cats dumped in Bulacan province last week.
Co said the ashes surrendered by pet owners to authorities in batches had been sent to the Cavite forensic group for examination.
Police in Bulacan and Cavite were also directed to coordinate with other law enforcement units in identifying those allegedly involved in the transport and dumping of the animal carcasses.
The dead pets, according to reports, were entrusted by their owners to Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium in Bacoor City, Cavite. However, animal remains from the crematorium were discovered inside sacks abandoned in a vacant lot in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, on Oct. 29.
Ash samples
In a video post on Facebook, Bacoor City Mayor Strike Revilla cited a report from Lt. Col. Alexie Desamito, city police chief, who said the police received complaints from 250 individuals against the crematorium.
Revilla said the first batch of complainants also turned over 20 urns containing ashes of their pets for forensic examination.
Co also said the Bacoor police had already reached out to the pet crematorium owner, identified as Jonathan Legaspi, but stressed that the investigation would continue regardless of the owner’s cooperation.
‘Based on the latest report, however, the crematorium’s owner, Jonathan Legaspi, is no longer cooperating with the investigation and has reportedly said he would simply wait for the charges to be filed against him,’ Revilla said in a social media post.
According to the PNP, those found responsible could face charges of estafa under the Revised Penal Code, as well as syndicated estafa. They may also be charged with violating the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
For its part, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) advised pet owners who had transacted with Ahjay Paws this year to seek assistance from the National Bureau of Investigation’s Environmental Crime Division for a forensic examination of ashes returned to them.
‘PAWS continues to stand with affected pet parents in their pursuit of truth, justice, and accountability,’ it said in an advisory on Wednesday.