February 21, 2022

#Article12

It's been a while ago since we open our house, especially in our kitchen part for cats that need food and shelter. It's started with one orange female cat and later on, she gave birth and the number of kittens and cats living with us is increasing rapidly.

Having a cat is a huge adjustment for us because before, cats are not allowed to enter our house due to a valid reason. The reason why we are not allowed to pet cats is that we have asthma. The doctor warned us before that cat's fur is one of the reasons that can trigger an asthma attack. But later on, we used to it and open our door for cats that needs our help.

Months ago, we have adopted a pregnant gray cat. She is a rat-catcher and a jolly cat, she easily gets together with our other cats. And then she gave birth to a healthy 5 kittens, but unfortunately, the two kittens are born weak and eventually died.

One day, the mother gray cat went out and left her kittens. We are worried that day because she didn't come back home to nurse her kittens for two days. To make the kittens survive, we nurse the kittens thru a syringe and a small dropper with milk.

After two days of waiting, the mother cat went home. She is weak and her face was full of bloodstains, we thought that she gets into trouble fighting with other cats but when we get near to her we felt bad, sad, and angry because she was bitten badly not by another animal but by a human.

Her left eye was removed and we don't know how it was removed from. This is injustice and the person who did this to her has no heart.

Human has it's Human Rights same as Animals if you don't know what it is and what it is all about, read below!

Republic Act No. 8485

AN ACT TO PROMOTE ANIMAL WELFARE IN THE PHILIPPINES, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT OF 1998”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. It is the purpose of this Act to protect and promote the welfare of all animals in the Philippines by supervising and regulating the establishment and operations of all facilities utilized for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating, or training of all animals either as objects of trade or as household pets. For purposes of this Act, pet animals shall include birds.

SEC. 2. No person, association, partnership, corporation, cooperative, or any government agency or instrumentality including slaughterhouses shall establish, maintain and operate any pet shop, kennel, veterinary clinic, veterinary hospital, stockyard, corral, stud farm, or stock farm, or zoo for the breeding, treatment, sale or trading, or training of animals without first securing from the Bureau of Animal Industry a certificate of registration therefor.

The certificate shall be issued upon proof that the facilities of such establishment for animals are adequate, clean, and sanitary and will not be used for, nor cause pain and/or suffering to the animals. The certificate shall be valid for a period of one (1) year unless earlier canceled for just cause before the expiration of its term by the Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry and may be renewed from year to year upon compliance with the conditions imposed hereunder. The Bureau shall charge reasonable fees for the issuance or renewal of such certificate.

The condition that such facilities be adequate, clean, and sanitary, and that they will not be used for nor cause pain and/or suffering to the animals is a continuing requirement for the operation of these establishments. The Bureau may revoke or cancel such certificate of registration for failure to observe these conditions and other just causes.

Sec. 3. The Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry shall supervise and regulate the establishment, operation, and maintenance of pet shops, kennels, veterinary clinics, veterinary hospitals, stockyards, corrals, stud farms, and zoos, and any other form or structure for the confinement of animals where they are bred, treated, maintained or kept either for sale or trade or for training purposes as well as the transport of such animals in any form of public or private transportation facility to provide maximum comfort while in transit and minimize, if not eradicate, the incidence of sickness and death and prevent any cruelty from being inflicted upon the animals.

The Director may call upon any government agency for assistance consistent with its powers, duties, and responsibilities to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of this Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

It shall be the duty of such a government agency to assist said Director when called upon for assistance using any available fund in its budget for the purpose.

Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of any owner or operator of any land, air, or water public utility transporting pet, wildlife, and all other animals to provide in all cases adequate, clean, and sanitary facilities for the safe conveyance and delivery thereof to their consignee at the place of consignment. They shall provide sufficient food and water for such animals while in transit for more than twelve (12) hours or whenever necessary.

No public utility shall transport any such animal without a written permit from the Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry or his/her authorized representative. No cruel confinement or restraint shall be made on such animals while being transported.

Any form of cruelty shall be penalized even if the transporter has obtained a permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry. Cruelty in transporting includes overcrowding, placing of animals in the trunks or under the hood trunks of the vehicles.

Sec. 5. There is hereby created a Committee on Animal Welfare attached to the Department of Agriculture which shall, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, issue the necessary rules and regulations for the strict implementation of the provisions of this Act, including the setting of safety and sanitary standards, within thirty (30) calendar days following its approval. Such guidelines shall be reviewed by the Committee every three (3) years from its implementation or whenever necessary.

The Committee shall be composed of the official representatives of the following:

(1)   The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);

(2)   Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS);

(3)   Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA);

(4)   Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);

(5)   National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) of the DA;

(6)   Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) of the DA;

(7)   Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA);

(8)   Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines (VPAP);

(9)   Philippine Animal Hospital Association of the Philippines (PAHA);

(10)   Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS);

(11)   Philippine Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA);

(12)   Philippine Society of Swine Practitioners (PSSP);

(13)   Philippine College of Canine Practitioners (PCCP); and

(14)   Philippine Society of Animal Science (PSAS).

The Committee shall be chaired by a representative coming from the private sector and shall have two (2) vice-chairpersons composed of the representative of the BAI and another from the private sector.

The Committee shall meet quarterly or as often as the need arises. The Committee members shall not receive any compensation but may receive reasonable honoraria from time to time.

Sec. 6. It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horse fights, kill or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare.

The killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer, and crocodiles is likewise hereby declared unlawful except in the following instances:

(1) When it is done as part of the religious rituals of an established religion or sect or a ritual required by tribal or ethnic custom of indigenous cultural communities; however, leaders shall keep records in cooperation with the Committee on Animal Welfare;

(2)   When the pet animal is afflicted with an incurable communicable disease as determined and certified by a duly licensed veterinarian;

(3)   When the killing is deemed necessary to put an end to the misery suffered by the animal as determined and certified by a duly licensed veterinarian;

(4)   When it is done to prevent imminent danger to the life or limb of a human being; and

(5)   When done for animal population control;

(6)   When the animal is killed after it has been used in authorized research or experiments; and

(7)   Any other ground analogous to the foregoing as determined and certified by a licensed veterinarian.

In all the above-mentioned cases, including those of cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer, and crocodiles the killing of the animals shall be done through humane procedures at all times.

For this purpose, humane procedures shall mean the use of the most scientific methods available as may be determined and approved by the Committee.

Only those procedures approved by the Committee shall be used in the killing of animals.

Sec. 7. It shall be the duty of every person to protect the natural habitat of the wildlife. The destruction of said habitat shall be considered as a form of cruelty to animals and its preservation is a way of protecting the animals.

Sec. 8. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction by final judgment, be punished by imprisonment of not less than six (6) months nor more than two (2) years or a fine of not less than One thousand pesos (P1,000) nor more than Five thousand pesos (P5,000) or both at the discretion of the Court. If the violation is committed by a juridical person, the officer responsible therefore shall serve the imprisonment when imposed. If the violation is committed by an alien, he or she shall be immediately deported after service of sentence without any further proceedings.

Sec. 9. All laws acts, decrees, executive orders, rules, and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 10. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Source:

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1998/02/11/republic-act-no-8485/#:~:text=It%20shall%20be%20unlawful%20for,or%20maltreat%20or%20use%20the

All animals have feelings too, this cat is a mom she has 3 kittens to feed and nurse. I am so thankful that the day that mother cat is away from her kittens, one of our cats named Buck, is an orange male cat.

He stands as their mother for two days, after we feed the kittens he cuddles and plays with them. Until now, it is their routine and this is their latest pictures;

Always remember this;

 “Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.” – James Cromwell

Having pets can make us mature to face obligations and responsibilities, it helps us to become better people.

I just want to end my article by saying this;

Act like a human, be a human with a heart because we don't know that the animal you hurt now will be your second body in your reincarnation.

and

STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY

Quote of the Day:

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” –Martin Buber

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