To discourage the slaughter of dogs and cats, Siquijor Lone district Rep. Jake Vicent Villa is seeking to prohibit the importation, sale, manufacture, offer for sale, transportation and distribution of products made with dog or cat fur in the country.
Citing reports in recent years, he laments that trading of dog meat still exists despite its illegality, noting that in 2012, around 300,000 dogs were slaughtered.
“Issues such as strict implementation of the existing law against animal abuse are still apparent. As such, there is a need to widen and strengthen the scope of existing regulations as regards domesticated animals such as cats and dogs,” Villa, a member of the House Committees on Ecology, said.
He filed House Bill No. 7381 or the proposed “Dog and Cat Protection Act” to prohibit the sale, manufacture, offer for sale, transportation, and distribution in the Philippines of dog and cat fur products.
“The bill aims to require accurate labelling of fur species so that the consumers in the Philippines can make informed choices, and to prohibit the trade in, both imports and exports of, dog and cat fur products, to ensure that the Philippine market does not encourage the slaughter of dogs or cats for their fur, and to ensure that the purposes of this Act are not undermined,” Villa said.
HB 7381 provides that no dog or cat fur product may be imported into, or exported from, the Philippines.
Under the measure, the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) may pay a reward to any person who gives information which leads to an arrest, criminal conviction, civil penalty assessment, or forfeiture of property for any violation of the proposed Act.
The bill provides that any person who violates the proposed Act may be slapped with a civil penalty of P20,000 for each violation.
Any person who knowingly violates any provision of the proposed Act shall be penalized with one year to three years of imprisonment.
Villa’s bill provides that any dog or cat fur product that is subject to a violation of the proposed Act shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture.