Dedicated police units and a national watchdog. Two new bills aim to ensure animal abusers face justice, not just a US$17 fine
“I loved him so much,” Arazas wrote in a post on social media that was shared nearly 300,000 times.
Killua’s killer was ultimately taken to court with help from the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (Paws). In addition to the 1,000-peso fine, he was ordered to pay 19,000 pesos in damages.
“We didn’t expect that,” said Anna Cabrera, a lawyer and executive director of Paws. “That with a maximum of 100,000 pesos for killing a dog, the judge would just go for 1,000.”
Although the Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to pass an animal welfare law in 1998, advocates say that lax implementation has allowed violators to escape proper punishment, with penalties routinely failing to match the severity of offences.
Source: News - South China Morning Post
