Lost and pound

There is much to be said about the dog pounds in the country.  Much of what has to be said is of course in the negative.

A few years ago, there were many stories of dog pounds being places where people could actually buy dogs for pulutan. Later on, the dog pounds became places where dogs were killed by tambucho-gassing as it was the cheapest way to get rid of the overpopulation of dogs in the pound.

All that has changed with the passage of RA 8485 (Animal Welfare Act). Well, maybe not everything.

I was recently furnished a letter of complaint against the dog pound in one of the main cities of Metro Manila. The letter was sent to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and was signed by Claudine Auto, Quezon City resident.

Although, I do know that there are so many other pressing concerns that a local government faces, perhaps it should take a little more time to be kind to strays. Or perhaps, it shouldn’t round up dogs that aren’t strays in private subdivisions.

Here are excerpts of the letter:

“We have a dog named Patras.  This is the name my mother christened him when she found him in the street left to die by his former master.  At that time, Patras was so skinny and his skin filled with wounds.  Feeling sorry for the dog, my mother adopted him. She painstakingly brought Patras to our veterinarian’s clinic in Fairview where he was nursed back to health. 

“On Feb. 14, my mother was informed by our subdivision’s security guards that some men belonging to the Quezon City Pound’s Office entered the vicinity and captured all pets found in the streets.  Patras was one of them.  Our mother let him out so he can enjoy a small window of freedom to play with the other dogs aside from the fresh air.  It is already established earlier that Patras is not anymore a stray or abandoned dog. But these pathetic city pound employees nevertheless took him away despite being forewarned already that the owner is an old lady who will come back looking for her dog in a little while…

“This unfortunate incident broke my mother’s heart and almost caused her a heart attack.  To pacify my mother’s fears, I immediately acted to get Patras back home.  I was not prepared for the ordeal that went with such task.

“The Quezon City Animal Pound Office sadly does not have a system.  They are not only ignorant for transgressing the right of ownership of a pet when they catch a dog inside the premises of a private subdivision, but they are also cruel in enforcing procedures that are arduous, time consuming and financially unwise procedures.  They are telling us this is a city ordinance but they themselves are at loss as to the proper way of executing the law.”

Here is what Claudine Auto had to go through to get Patras back:

1. Complicated process in claiming pets/animals impounded: First, one has to secure permit from Quezon City Hall in Quezon City circle. Permit in hand; one proceeds to the animal pound located at Payatas dumpsite to confirm that the pet is impounded. Once you have seen your pet at the animal pound in Payatas, you have to go back to Quezon City Hall to pay the charges. Upon payment, you have to go back to the animal pound in Payatas to claim your pet(s).

2. The location of the pound is inaccessible both to public and private vehicles: The animal pound and the Quezon City Health transaction office are approximately 15 kilometers away from each other. The distance alone makes the process complicated and impractical.  Searching for the animal pound is like searching for the Holy Grail. There are no signs with its location; the security is so tight that without your permit from their Quezon City health office, you will not be allowed to check if your pet is impounded.

3. Claiming fee of 200 per day. Transportation alone (back and forth) to animal pound and Quezon City Hall will cost you around P200 to P300. Quezon City Circle charges P200 per day of stay for your pet at the pound. We inquired why they are charging such a high fee, they informed us that said amount covers the food, water, shelter, maintenance of the cage, transportation (catchers), and personnel salaries maintaining the pound. With the fee charged, we expect that the animal pound should be properly maintained and conducive for adoption or for animal care. But no, the animals at the pound were not fed and did not have water to drink. Animals were not in cages but were put in one open area/space that was poorly maintained and were sleeping on pile of feces and urine. In fact, the cage is smellier than the Payatas dumpsite itself.

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We hope that Patras was able to come home to his loving humans, and that there will be better treatment and living conditions for dogs — strays or not — in city pounds everywhere.