Bacoor pet crematorium may face raps after 29 animal remains found in Bulacan

The remains of 27 dogs and two cats were discovered inside sacks and plastic bags in a vacant lot in Barangay Minuyan Proper, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, on Friday morning, prompting a police investigation into the suspected improper disposal of animal remains and a possible scam. 

Chris Taylor, who oversees the Bulacan-based Luna and Furry Siblings Animal Rescue, was among those contacted by the barangay.

“It was the barangay that was notified, and the barangay came, and opened the bags and discovered the animals,” Taylor said.

“We came down here as soon as they were pulling them out, and we started to take photos of the name tags and weights of the animals,” he added.

Taylor said the rescuers documented the animals’ identification tags and recorded the weights indicated on the packaging, which also bore what appeared to be the pets’ names.

The discovery drew widespread attention on social media after Taylor posted about the incident.

Taylor said the animal rescue group believes it has identified the establishment potentially responsible for the disposal, but initially declined to name it pending further developments.

“We are pretty confident we’ve identified the place responsible. Again, without mentioning names as of yet, it was an after-care services for animals and it was for cremation,” he said.

Police investigator Police Staff Sergeant Patrick Llanza said witnesses reported seeing a white van dropping off the sacks before leaving the area.

“Based sa initial investigation, at sa testimony ng mga witness, merong isang white van, na di-umano, nag-drop ng mga sacks dito at biglang umalis na lang, walang kahit anong pasabi,” Llanza said.

He added that individuals claiming to be the animals’ owners came forward after photos of the remains circulated on social media.

“May mga nag-claim naman nang kumalat sa social media iyong laman ng sako, nag-claim iyong mga may-ari. At sinabi nila na, nilagak daw nila iyong mga patay na hayop doon sa punerarya somewhere in Cavite.”

In an update on Saturday evening, the San Jose del Monte City Police Station said the ongoing exhumation of previously buried animal remains resulted in the recovery of 16 dogs and two cats as of 9:29 p.m.

The exhumation was conducted following claims from pet owners seeking to identify and retrieve their deceased pets, police said.

The 18 recovered remains are part of the investigation into the 29 animals initially discovered in the vacant lot.

“Upon completion of the exhumation, all unclaimed animal remains will be properly reburied at Citrus Public Cemetery, CSJDM, Bulacan, considering their state of decomposition and potential health risks to the surrounding community,” the police said.

The police added that complaints for estafa and civil damages were being handled by the Bacoor City Police Station, while alleged violations of city ordinances on sanitation and solid waste management were being handled by the San Jose del Monte police.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) earlier expressed concern over the incident, stressing that animal remains should still be treated with respect even after death.

PAWS Executive Director Atty. Anna Cabrera said the alleged failure to carry out paid cremation services could expose the service provider to criminal and civil complaints.

“More of an estafa by means of deceit. There was a fraudulent representation na mangongolekta ng payment tapos ice-cremate daw nila iyong dog, pero hindi naman na-cremate. Talagang nag-receive ng money iyong crematorium,” Cabrera said.

“It could also be a civil case na hindi sila tumupad doon sa kontrata,” she added.

Cabrera also raised the possibility of sanitation and solid waste management violations over the disposal of animal remains in an open area.

“Another consideration is violation ito ng sanitation ordinances and also the Solid Waste Management Act. Hindi ito maganda for public health that there are dead bodies of animals in areas na open lang,” she said.

BACOOR INVESTIGATES PET CREMATORIUM

In a separate development, Bacoor City Mayor Strike B. Revilla in a statement said the city government would suspend the business permit of an aftercare pet crematorium and order the closure of its operations following an investigation into the discovery of animal remains in Bulacan.

Revilla said the move would be carried out in accordance with applicable legal procedures, as the city continues to investigate the establishment’s alleged failure to properly carry out cremation services.

The mayor said the city government initially found insufficient documentation or evidence to establish that animals entrusted to the business were actually cremated.

According to Revilla, the establishment holds a valid business permit for cremation services in Bacoor and operates two cremation machines, one in the city and another reportedly located in Caloocan.

The owner reportedly acknowledged that some pets were brought to Caloocan for cremation but could not confirm whether the animals shown in the viral social media post were among those entrusted to the business.

Revilla also said the owner failed to present CCTV footage or sufficient documentation proving that the cremations had taken place. 

He likewise could not guarantee that the ashes returned to pet owners were genuinely those of their deceased pets.

The findings came after Revilla directed the City Legal Office, Business Permit and Licensing Department, City Environment Service Department and City Veterinary Office to investigate the matter.