Outrage in Philippines as pet remains found dumped in sacks on vacant plot

The discovery of dozens of pet remains dumped in sacks along a roadside in the Philippines has sparked public outrage and raised questions over whether the country’s animal welfare laws adequately protect pets after death.

A pet crematorium in Bacoor, Cavite province – nearly three hours’ drive from the dumping ground in neighbouring Bulacan province – has been ordered to shut following complaints from pet owners, as police investigate allegations that the business improperly disposed of animals entrusted to its care.

Local animal rescue group Luna and Furry Siblings brought the incident to light on Friday after discovering the remains of 25 pets, including dogs and cats, inside sacks labelled with the animals’ names in San Jose del Monte.

“We do have the exact names and weights meticulously labelled on their individual bags. These were someone’s beloved pets,” the group wrote on social media. “If you lost a pet recently, surrendered them, had them put to sleep or paid for a cremation or aftercare service this year in San Jose del Monte or nearby areas, read these names immediately.”

Rescuers said they came across the case while visiting the village council to report an unrelated animal neglect case.

“The village officer told us no one could respond at the moment as they were responding to a case of animals dumped in our village,” a representative from the group said. “We drove back home but saw where the dumpsite was, so we stopped and saw that this dumping was related to an old case that happened in May.”

“We ended up leading it because, as animal rescuers and advocates, we could not leave those babies without trying to identify them, reunite them with their owners and find out who was behind this,” the rescuer added. “We investigated every veterinary office and aftercare service in our city and borrowed a scanner in hopes of identifying them.”

By Sunday, all 25 bodies had been claimed by their owners. But the discovery triggered a wider investigation into previous dumping cases in the area.

On Monday, Luna and Furry Siblings revealed that more sacks containing up to 40 animal remains had been found just minutes away from the original dumpsite. The group said they were investigating other sites in the area.

The earlier remains were allegedly dumped in November last year. A worker from the local veterinary office called attention to the incident at the time, but was told that the city environmental office and local police would handle the case, according to an interview with broadcaster ABS-CBN. In May, the same worker found another batch of remains, similarly bagged and labelled.

Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla said on social media that he had ordered the closure of Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium on Saturday. Police investigators have inspected the Bulacan site and called on the owners to identify their pets.

Revilla said the facility’s owner, Jonathan Legaspi, had claimed some pets were transferred to another cremation facility that he operates, but could not provide sufficient proof that the animals were cremated there. Legaspi has maintained his innocence.

By Monday, however, Revilla said Legaspi had stopped cooperating with authorities and said he would wait for formal charges to be filed.

“We are urging our 47 complainants to cooperate with the Bacoor police to file the necessary cases,” Revilla said. “Let us act immediately to stop these operations while investigations determine the responsibility of the accused.”

Several owners reported having already received urns containing unidentified ashes from the business, only to later find their pets’ bodies among the dumped animals.

The scandal has led to a wave of pet owners contacting aftercare providers to demand proof that their pets were properly handled.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) offered legal help to affected pet owners, while noting that the incident is not covered by the Animal Welfare Act because the animals were already deceased.

“However, the alleged misrepresentation of cremation services, the improper disposal of animal remains and any other violations established by the evidence must be investigated,” PAWS said in a statement, noting that the operator could face criminal charges of estafa, or fraud through false pretences.

In a radio interview with DZMM, lawyer and PAWS executive director Anna Cabrera warned of sanitation and public health concerns, noting that nearby residents had reportedly fallen ill from the stench of decomposing remains and were forced to temporarily relocate.

Cabrera added that the dead animals fell under sanitation laws rather than animal protection laws. She reiterated PAWS’ push for legislation establishing a National Commission on Animal Welfare to license, inspect and regulate animal-related facilities, including aftercare providers.

In its statement, PAWS stressed that pet crematoria must “operate lawfully, transparently and with accountability”.

“Pet parents entrust these establishments with the remains of beloved companions at a particularly vulnerable moment of grief,” the group said. “They deserve the assurance that the services they pay for are actually performed, and that their companions are treated with dignity even after death.”