Most of us consider dogs to be companion animals and even valued family members. Tragically, this is not the case in the Philippines where the commercial trade in dog meat has proliferated to the point where specialty dog meat restaurants are widespread and hundreds of thousands of dogs are cruelly captured and slaughtered every year.

Eating dog meat was banned in the Philippines in 1998 with the passage of the Animal Welfare Act, but the law is rarely enforced, the judicial system is corrupt and bribery is common. Even if dog meat traders are convicted, they get off with a slap on the wrist only to return to their cruel trade. Not only is the dog meat trade inhumane, it is also implicated in the spread of rabies, a terrifying disease that kills approximately 300 people and 10,000 dogs in the Philippines every year.

But finally there is hope. Lobbying by animal protection groups has led to strengthened legislation that increases fines and includes jail time for convicted dog meat traders. With pressure from you we can get the police to take action against this illegal trade and alleviate the suffering of these poor dogs.