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IT was
every pet lover’s nightmare. Helpless animals brutally
murdered with blood splattered everywhere. Sadly, for
one organization, this nightmare became a reality.
On the
night of December 16 last year, 29 cats and kittens that
were under the care of Compassion and Responsibility for
Animals (Cara) Philippines were shot and killed in their
holding cages by an unidentified individual(s). The cats
were up for adoption and were housed at the back of the
gym of Dasmariñas Village in Makati.
Gruesome scene One morning last December, the season of
cheer got a rude, most shocking awakening as news spread
fast of the massacre of dozens of cats in a posh Makati
village under the care of Cara Philippines. The crime
remains unsolved and is still under investigation.
Nancy
Cu-Unjieng, Cara Philippines president, recalled that
she got a call from the village security guard saying
the cats were bleeding. “I immediately went there and
true enough, blood was splattered on the floors and,
walls of the holding area,” she said. Three of the cats
died instantly, while 11 others had to be put to sleep
because of all the injuries they incurred. Eight others
had to undergo surgery to remove the embedded bullets.
They are now recuperating and still need to be
monitored.
“According to the veterinarian, Dr. Nielsen Donato, lead
bullets were found in their bodies, so an air gun was
most probably used, and that they were shot at close
range,” Cu-Unjieng added.
The
Dasmariñas Village Association (DVA) released a circular
asking for any information leading to the identification
of the owner and user of the air gun. “He may be in our
midst. If he can kill helpless cats at the back of the
gym, near our park, he may start shooting at humans
later with a gun other than that which uses compressed
air and pellets,” DVA president Victoria Celdran wrote
in the circular.
Makati
Mayor Jejomar Binay has also asked the police to
investigate on the matter. The NBI is also conducting
their investigation. Cu Unjieng said that the massacre
was senseless. “They were well cared for, they were fed,
and they were not disturbing or harming anybody. There
was no reason to do this,” she said.
The
incident has caught media attention and Cara hopes this
will generate more awareness. “The more coverage the
incident gets, the better it is for people to become
aware that we should not let this happen to animals,”
Cu-Unjieng said.
Republic
Act 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act, makes it unlawful
to torture or kill animals such as dogs, cats and
horses, or neglect to provide them with care,
sustenance, or shelter. Anyone who is proven to have
violated the provision shall be subject to a fine,
imprisoned, or both.
“Whoever
did this must be apprehended because it is very
alarming,” Cu-Unjieng added. She also lamented that the
Animal Welfare Act is not well-implemented in the
country. Cara Philippines is also taking steps to have
implementing rules and regulation written so that the
Animal Welfare Act can be strengthened.
Cara
Philippines is a nonprofit organization formed in 2000
that is focused on animal birth control and education.
They have a spay/neuter program that aims to reduce the
population of unwanted animals. They also take care of
stray cats and dogs before putting them up for adoption.
The
organization has been helping the DVA address its
stray-cat population problem. “There are a lot of stray
cats found around the village, so we take care of them
while we find a permanent home for them,” she said. “The
program has been going on for four years but this is the
first time the cats were harmed.”
§
Cara’s
spay/neuter clinic is at the Carson Building, Orense
corner Del Carmen streets, Guadalupe Nuevo in
Makati City.
Clinic hours are Tuesday to Sunday,
9 am to 6 pm. Mondays are by appointment only. For information: 882-5323 (telefax),
0910-7297026 (mobile). |
