25 animals found dumped in Bulacan claimed by owners; families seek justice

MANILA — All 25 animals whose remains were discovered dumped in a vacant lot in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, have been accounted for and claimed by their pet owners as of Saturday evening.

Grieving pet owners came forward to identify their pets and demand answers from a pet crematorium in Bacoor City, Cavite.

The San Jose del Monte City Police confirmed that the remains recovered on Friday morning consisted of 22 dogs and three cats. Initial investigation showed that the animals had been brought from Bacoor for cremation. 

Among the pet owners who traveled to Bulacan to verify the identities of the animals was Jilbrick Cuya, who rushed from Pasay City on Saturday night after seeing photos of the discovery circulating on social media.

One of the dogs found among the remains was Ivy, the family pet that died on October 23. Cuya’s family had believed that Ivy had been properly cremated after the pet aftercare service returned what it said were the dog’s ashes in an urn. 

However, photos of the recovered remains showed a plastic bag bearing Ivy’s name and weight, confirming that the remains belonged to their pet.

“Ang hirap kasi nagtiwala kami doon, nagtiwala kami. Nagtiwala kami doon na okay iyon kasi ang ganda ng usapan, tao sa tao, tapos malalaman namin na ginanon lang iyong aso namin. Ang sakit. Masakit din,” Cuya said.

The family also questioned why the crematorium had not allowed them to witness Ivy’s actual cremation.

Cuya said the crematorium should explain what happened, stressing that pet owners had entrusted the establishment with animals they considered members of their families. 

“Harapin na lang nila kung ano iyong nararapat magpaliwanag sila sa nangyari kung bakit ganito, kasi pinagkatiwalaan sila ng tao sa tao. Kasi, hindi lang basta hayop iyon e, kumbaga mas loyal pa nga sa tao iyon e, tapos ginawa nilang basura,” he said.

Another family that traveled to San Jose del Monte was the owner of Chelsea—a dog from General Trias, Cavite—that also died on October 23. 

The family said they received the supposed ashes of Chelsea two days after the dog’s death from the same crematorium.

But after seeing social media posts about the dumped animal remains, they noticed a photograph showing a plastic bag bearing Chelsea’s name and weight, prompting them to rush to Bulacan to verify the discovery. 

The family eventually confirmed that the recovered remains belonged to their pet.

“Noong may nabasa kaming post, na may mga tinapon na aso, nakita namin iyong pangalan ng aso namin, tapos iyong mismong page ng cremation. Kaya nagmadali kaming pumunta rito para malaman namin kung ayun talaga iyong aso namin, so confirmed iyon,” a family member said.

The family said the discovery had left them devastated, with relatives grieving over the loss of a pet they considered one of their own.

“Sobrang sakit po kasi ang aso parang tao din po kasi. Iniyakan ng ate ko iyon, bayaw ko, kaming lahat iniyakan namin talaga totally. Noong nalaman na ganito, nasaktan kami ng sobra. Parang wala silang puso, kaya dapat lang silang makasuhan,” the family member added.

The pet aftercare service was subsequently identified by the Bacoor City local government as Ahjay Paws Aftercare.

Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla announced that the establishment had been shut down on Saturday night following a closure order issued by the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Department. 

Revilla also said he had directed the police to investigate the incident and pursue possible charges against the establishment’s owner.

“Inatasan na po natin ang ating kapulisan para mag-imbestiga para kasuhin ang may-ari po nito. Hinihingi ko po ang tulong ng ating mga complainant na dapat ma-identify nila iyong kanilang mga aso para sa imbestigasyon na ito para mas lalong tumibay iyong ating kaso,” Revilla said. 

The local government also summoned the crematorium’s owner to a meeting with affected pet owners. 

During the meeting, the owner denied that the establishment was involved in dumping the animal remains in Bulacan.

According to Revilla, the owner also said the crematorium could not ascertain whether the animals entrusted to its services were among those recovered in Bulacan or whether the ashes returned to pet owners actually came from their respective pets.

Some pet owners are seeking compensation, while others are considering filing formal complaints with police. 

San Jose del Monte City Police chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Nelson Sardin said the case involves possible complaints in two jurisdictions, with the criminal and civil aspects to be handled by Bacoor police and the alleged violations of local sanitation and solid waste management ordinances to be investigated by San Jose del Monte authorities.

Sardin also confirmed that all 25 sets of animal remains had been retrieved. Sixteen were brought to Bacoor, while the remaining nine were immediately cremated in Quezon City.

Authorities are continuing to review closed-circuit television footage to identify a white vehicle reportedly used to transport the animals in plastic bags to the vacant lot. 

Meanwhile, Bacoor police are expected to travel to Bulacan to conduct further investigation and coordinate the preparation of complaints against the crematorium.