animal welfare

Dasmariñas village association says ban on feeding stray cats ‘not an act of cruelty’

Bea Sancio

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Dasmariñas village association says ban on feeding stray cats ‘not an act of cruelty’

FOR THE CATS. Broadcast journalist Gretchen Malalad speaks up about Dasmariñas Village Association’s ban on feeding cats.

Photo from Gretchen Malalad’s Facebook posts

The association is under fire after athlete and broadcast journalist Gretchen Malalad accuses them of animal cruelty for imposing a ban on feeding cats

After photos of a sign in the village banning the feeding of cats went viral on social media, Dasmariñas Village Association Incorporated (DVA) said in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 6, that it does not condone the abandonment of cats or animals

The association had recently been under fire when athlete and broadcast journalist Gretchen Malalad accused DVA of animal cruelty in a series of viral Facebook posts on October 2 and 3.

In her Facebook posts, Malalad recounted how she was barred from feeding cats in the village after a sign was installed warning people that they would be assessed P5,000 fines if they were caught giving food to strays. This was put up by DVA at a vacant lot where Malalad and fellow residents regularly feed stray cats.

“There are a lot of cat haters in this village. They should go after residents who throw away cats like a piece of trash. This is animal cruelty and against RA 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act.  I just received a ticket from the village fining me for being compassionate to animals and violating an alleged rule that I have yet to see in writing,” she said in her Facebook post.

As a show of protest, Malalad once again went to the vacant lot in the village to feed stray cats, along with members of Compassionate and Responsibility for Animals Welfare Philippines (CARA). During their feeding on October 3, Malalad noticed that new signs were installed to warn residents against giving food to cats. She also claimed that security guards took photos of them throughout the feeding. In all of her posts, the hashtag #notoanimalcruelty, was highlighted.

The DVA dismissed Malalad’s claims through its official circular, calling her remarks about the village having a lot of cat haters “an unfair and inflammatory generalization.”

“The imposition of a penalty is not an act of cruelty but an attempt to discourage people from leaving cat food in the Senior’s Park, nearby vacant lots and sidewalks. This in turn becomes a health risk as it attracts stray cats from other areas, increases the possibility of the spread of feline borne diseases, attracts vermin looking for scrap food plus of course the cat waste left behind,” they said.

In the circular, DVA reassured the public and its residents that it supported the ethical treatment of animals, debunking claims that they were planning to “round up all the cats and kill them.” 

According to DVA, the association has been partnering with CARA since 2011 to manage the cat population in the village through the animal protection organization’s Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVS) program.

DVA added that over 1,000 cats have received treatment through the program.

DVA said it has informed Malalad of this explanation through a letter on September 5. The association said that Malalad replied 4 days later to express support and gratitude for the TNVS program and DVA.

The association also remained firm in its stance against the abandonment of cats or any other animals in the village, and urged residents to report any violations of Republic Act No. 8485 or The Animal Welfare Act of 1988 to the DVA. These will then be coordinated with Barangay Dasmariñas for the appropriate action.

DVA, with the help of CARA, plans to manage its cat population to avoid impounding stray cats. However, due to the attention generated by Malalad’s posts, DVA said the Makati City Veterinary Services may soon be impounding cats in the village.

DVA urged residents to adopt these stray cats so they would not be impounded.

Must Read

“The same ordinance provides that if the stray animals are not claimed after 3 days from impoundment, they will be offered for sale or adoption, donated to institutions for medical/scientific purposes, or euthanized. We therefore encourage Ms. Malalad and other concerned residents to signify their willingness to DVA should they wish to adopt any stray cats,” they concluded. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!