“We weren’t even aware of [Killua’s incident] at first because PAWS deals with cruelty reports on a daily basis, to which we’d always ask [online users] to share their affidavits so we can help them file a case,” Anna Cabrera, PAWS executive director, told This Week in Asia.

“What horrified netizens was that the dog, when he was brought out of the sack, was clean and clearly looked like a pet,” Cabrera said.

“There is a long way to go for people to realise that all dogs and all animals deserve to be treated humanely and with kindness and respect,” she said.

PAWS has extended legal help to Arazas and filed criminal complaints against the suspect under the Animal Welfare Act – a law that PAWS lobbied for before it was passed in 1998. An offender under the Act faces a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine not exceeding 100,000 Philippine pesos (US$2,394).

Killua’s lifeless body was found in a known dog slaughter area.

03:27

South Korea’s dog meat restaurants to be closed after parliament bans the industry

South Korea’s dog meat restaurants to be closed after parliament bans the industry

Dark trade

Dog meat trading is illegal in the Philippines and classified as “hot meat” as the unregulated practice is called. Eating the meat puts consumers at risk of contracting rabies and other diseases. However, an underground demand fuels a lucrative black-market trade.

This entails rounding up dogs, usually strays, to be supplied to back-alley eateries. While a handful of these illegal practices exist in various areas, the bulk of the trade is focused in northern Luzon, where the animals are transported through cars, bound and stuffed inside sacks for hours, according to the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), an organisation that aims to bust the illegal trade.

As of 2017, traders would receive up to 2,000 Philippine pesos (US$35.56) for each dog from back-door restaurants that rely on them for the supply, according to the AKF.

PAWS has also filed a criminal complaint against the suspect under the anti-rabies law, which penalises those involved in the dog meat trade with one to four years of jail time and a 5,000-peso fine for each dog.

Cabrera said Arazas had informed her that she and her companions spotted dogs tied up in the area where Killua’s body was found. She also discovered that the suspect owned an eatery that was “just a stone’s throw away” from the alleged slaughterhouse.

Social media users who claimed to live near the town also said it was known for slaughtering dogs for meat.

“If his [the suspect] defence is that he’s concerned with public health, then I think he should have been involved in filing criminal charges against the dog meat traders in their area. But why was he purposely evading that and actively chasing after stray dogs?” Cabrera argued.

The uproar over Killua’s case comes amid calls for stronger animal welfare laws. On Wednesday, Philippine senator Grace Poe called for the passage of the revised Animal Welfare Act, a measure she filed that seeks to enforce stricter penalties against animal cruelty.

The proposal includes the creation of an animal welfare bureau. Offenders could face one to three years in jail and steeper fines of between 10,000 pesos and PHP250,000 pesos.

Poe spoke to senators while animal welfare organisations and their dogs were in attendance, the first time animals were allowed in the Senate.

“Sadly, despite their worth and value to human society, and the existence of laws criminalising cruelty to animals, many of them are still maltreated, neglected, and even tortured,” Poe said in her speech.

Poe later said she was “heartbroken and enraged” to learn about the incident.

“If we are to create a kinder society where animals and humans can coexist in harmony, we must raise awareness on the proper and humane manner of treating animals,” she said.

Rabies and self-defence

Cabrera said she expects a counterargument of self-defence, especially as Killua tested positive for rabies over the weekend – information that PAWS had volunteered in the interest of public safety.

“We made the announcement so that people could get those shots and realise that there might be a high incidence of rabies in their area for an indoor dog like Killua to be getting this type of disease,” Cabrera said.

PAWS claimed that the dog’s test results might be compromised as such tests must be conducted soon after death. In this case, the dog had been buried for five days before its remains were submitted to the Bureau of Animal Industry’s laboratory for testing.

In a Facebook video, Gab Almera, a veterinary surgeon, said this was unlikely as dogs cannot be contaminated with rabies after death.

Regardless of whether Killua had rabies before or after death, Cabrera said the dog was killed under brutal circumstances.

“According to guidelines, you shouldn’t beat dogs to death just because you suspect they have rabies. They should be contained and observed for 14 days. Only if the dog is highly suspected to have rabies, then a licensed veterinary surgeon can consider humanely euthanising the dog,” she said.