Thirteen dogs found dead in San Miguel

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Thirteen dogs were found dead in San Miguel, Iloilo, on the morning of April 29 after reportedly consuming rice mixed with a still-unconfirmed substance.

Joeven and his wife, Christine, residents of Zone 1, Barangay San Jose, San Miguel, said they first saw one of their dogs lying on the ground in their front yard at around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The couple initially thought the dog was sleeping, but when they checked, it was no longer breathing.

The dog was also foaming at the mouth.

Upon checking, the couple found nine more dead dogs in their backyard.

Several hours later, three more dogs were found dead at a different location near their home.

A plastic food container with a blue-colored substance suspected to be poison was also found.

Authorities said the blue-colored substance was believed to be zinc phosphide, a chemical commonly used to kill rodents.

Capt. Bryan Alejo, San Miguel police chief, said the case has been referred to the Municipal Agriculture Office of San Miguel.

Alejo said police are not discounting the possibility that the dogs were deliberately poisoned by someone in the area.

Alejo said the dogs usually escaped from the couple’s house by digging a hole under their cyclone wire fence.

On the night before the incident, the couple said their dogs had been barking heavily, but they did not go out to check.

The couple initially had only one dog but had been feeding several stray dogs until the animals stayed with them.

Alejo said there was an earlier complaint that someone had been bitten by the couple’s dogs.

However, the couple allegedly did not shoulder the person’s anti-rabies treatment.

Alejo said police have yet to identify the person behind the incident.

Under Republic Act 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, as amended by Republic Act 10631, the welfare of animals in the Philippines is protected, including household pets.