A stray dog named “Tiger” died on Wednesday morning, after being struck by a meat vendor at a public market in Subic for allegedly stealing meat from a stall.
The incident happened at 11 a.m. when the vendor, angered by the dog’s actions, struck it with a bolo. Tiger died shortly after the attack.
Police said the suspect was immediately arrested and is now in the custody of the Subic Municipal Police Station. The vendor’s mugshot was taken. The animal cruelty suspect is now facing charges for violating Republic Act No. 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act of the Philippines.
Under the law, it is illegal to torture or maltreat animals or to kill them in any way not allowed by law. Violators face fines ranging from ₱100,000 to ₱500,000 and imprisonment of up to three years.
The dog’s death triggered an outpouring of anger from animal welfare groups and residents. Susan Espinosa of the Bataan Home for Abused and Stray Animals condemned the act and thanked the local government of Subic, including barangay officials led by Chairman Nelson Dela Paz and Kagawad Renato Concepcion, for taking swift action.
“Tiger didn’t deserve to die like that. There are proper ways to deal with stray animals. Violence is never one of them,” Espinosa said.
Tiger was known in the area as a friendly stray often seen wandering around the market.
Animal rights groups are urging the public to report similar incidents to the Bureau of Animal Industry, the local agriculture office, or organizations such as PAWS and PETA.
