Approximately 200,000 dogs are slaughtered and consumed yearly in the Philippines, where this country has its laws against that (Animal Welfare Act and Rabies Act). Not only does this type of trade bring some kind of untold suffering to the dogs but it also becomes a source to increase the public health issues because diseases like Rabies get transmitted. Rabies is an important general infection acquired by the ingestion of infected meat and sometimes up to years later. In the Philippines, it is still a priority problem as the rabies virus natural reservoir is the dog, and infections that have been transmitted by dogs are endemic. It has been controlled through efforts of disease prevention and prevention of rabies control. It is however still ranked high globally in cases of human rabies in Asia.

A large percentage is stolen domestic pets or street dogs, kept in packed cages in trucks and left without food and water for days on end. Analysis of studies into the dog meat trade has shown that 90% of the animals die en route due to dehydration, injury, or illness. The slaughter practices within the trade are the most brutal. Dogs often die in the process by being beaten, strangled, or burned alive. This practice not only violates animal welfare laws but also traumatizes communities where pet theft occurs.

Moving beyond immediate concerns for animal welfare, the dog meat trade exerts a very important impact on public health. The World Health Organization has marked the dog meat trade as a contributor to rabies spillover in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines alone, 200 to 300 people die of rabies each year, and it is within the cases that have been closely attributed to transmission through dogs. According to economic experts, the cost of treating exposure to rabies in the Philippines reaches Php2.5 billion yearly.

The trade fundamentally takes place in areas such as Cordillera Administrative Region or a particular locality such as Baguio City and Benguet Province, where this kind of cultural trend exists regarding the consumption of dog meat. However, younger generations are now opposing this practice because it is both cruel and poses considerable health risks. Current polls show that over 80% of Filipinos nowadays are against this dog meat trade, thereby indicating an enormous change in public opinion.

We must put an end to this cruelty and dangerous practice. The addition of your signature today can keep up the momentum for increased law enforcement and stricter regulation by letting the world know unequivocally that the dog meat trade is unbearable. Sign the petition today to stop this dog meat trade happening in the Philippines. Your signature will support:
This includes increased funding and enforcement of existing animal welfare legislation.
- Implementation of stronger penalties for those involved in the illegal dog meat trade
- Enhanced support for local animal protection organizations
- The development of community education programs relating to animal welfare and public health.
- Improved coordination between enforcement agencies and animal welfare agencies

Every signature draws us closer to ending this inhumane practice and protecting, at the same time, animal welfare and public health in the Philippines.