The San Juan City government on Sunday said it has launched an investigation into the alleged neglect of animals in its city pound amid the onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina.
“We are committed to identifying those responsible for this gross dereliction of duty and ensuring they are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” the San Juan government said in a statement.
“This investigation will be swift, comprehensive, and transparent, and we will not tolerate any attempt to obscure the truth or evade responsibility,” it assured.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, animal welfare group Strategic Power for Animal Respondents (SPAR) – Philippines raised the alarm over the reported “mistreatment” and “neglect” the animals experienced in the San Juan City Pound as they were left to drown in the flood.
In photos posted by SPAR on social media, several cats and dogs were seen locked up in cages as the floodwaters rose inside the compound.
“Dogs slowly suffocating in floodwaters, helpless and abandoned. This inhumane treatment began long before the recent flooding, indicating a chronic and systemic problem,” SPAR said.
The animal welfare group also claimed that the San Juan City Pound operates as an “unregistered facility.”
According to SPAR, concerned citizens reported that many animals have died due to maltreatment inside the pound even before the typhoon.
The San Juan LGU assured that it will not tolerate “any lapses” in animal care and protection and that they will take “all necessary steps to prevent such tragedies from happening again.”
Metro Manila was placed under a state of calamity last week due to the impact of massive flooding caused by the Southwest Monsoon o Habagat enhanced by Typhoon Carina. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
Be the first to comment