ONLINE PHOTOS/VIDEOS/LINKS DEPICTING CRUELTY
WHAT CONCERNED CITIZENS SHOULD DO WHEN ENCOUNTERING LINKS/PHOTOS/VIDEOS SHOWING GROSS NEGLECT / ANIMAL CRUELTY ONLINE
(i.e., Facebook posts, blog posts, case of Joseph Candare and UP cat, case of Jerzon Senador who hung his puppy on a clothesline, comment exchange of 2 female students saying they kicked a pregnant cat, etc)
(i.e., Facebook posts, blog posts, case of Joseph Candare and UP cat, case of Jerzon Senador who hung his puppy on a clothesline, comment exchange of 2 female students saying they kicked a pregnant cat, etc)
- Report to the government agency who is actually responsible for animal welfare concerns and for implementing the Animal Welfare Act: Bureau of Animal Industry - Animal Welfare Division (BAI-AWD) - tel. # (02) 926-1522; Office of the Director tel. # (02) 926-6833 / (02) 928-2429. Or do a search online for BAI-AWD contact information.
- Ask proper law-enforcement authorities (i.e., police) to investigate and take action
- Should you choose to report to an NGO like PAWS - Please send concrete information instead of reposting or forwarding photos/links. Find out what was going on, verify, obtain the necessary details. What your report should contain:
1) specific information about the people involved (name, complete address, contact info, other info that can help us locate said person, not just the Facebook link or screenshot),
2) where this occurred in the Philippines, and
3) possible witnesses who can execute affidavits to help us bring these people to justice.
PAWS would be glad to assist and proceed with proper legal course of action as long as there is complete information and the witness affidavit is prepared. Without an affidavit, sadly, posting horrible pics/videos and sharing stories online until they are viral is not enough to file a case and prosecute animal offenders. Photos and videos are only supporting evidence to an affidavit.
- Some may ask "Then why was PAWS able to file charges against UP student Joseph Candare who blogged about stomping a kitten to death and Jerzon Senador who posted a photo of his puppy hanging on the clothesline?" Answer: Because witnesses came forward and submitted affidavits.
If there is a witness that can be convinced to execute an affidavit describing the actions of the animal offenders that he/she personally saw happen, PAWS will help review and revise the documents so that charges can be filed. We have had successful filings of cases before (like the case of the convicted DepEd employee, Mel Reyes, whose dog-beating video went viral 2 years ago) because witnesses stepped forward with their affidavits.
So before sending in the report, ask this first: Is there a witness or someone with personal knowledge of the act willing to submit an affidavit? Will I be providing concrete specific information together with this link/photo to help PAWS file a case? Am I willing to submit an affidavit and swear having personal knowledge of the cruel act? If so, please send the affidavit with name/address of offenders TO: [email protected] CC: [email protected].
READ: HOW TO REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY (for a Sample Affidavit and information you need to provide to PAWS) - Concerned animal lovers can repost the photos/links in their own personal social networks to help raise awareness of an issue, but not to cyberbully.
In the case of Facebook especially, we request that once one sees a link/photo already posted to PAWS by another poster (and we highly encourage posters to please read previous comments before posting), to refrain from reposting the same.
PAWS Staff/Volunteers try to check on reports as soon as possible, and despite well-meaning citizens who want to help the animals by reposting links, getting these repeated links/images and entertaining each report that comes in on the same case actually slows efforts to check other reports (i.e., another cat/dog/kitten/puppy needs rescue, another cruelty case, etc) and help others in need. Repeated posts made in the PAWS Facebook will be deleted. Links/photos that did not occur in the Philippines will also be deleted. - Those who are recording video or taking photo of animal cruelty that is currently happening in their area: you are the first line of assistance for the animal. We trust and hope that you can intervene to prevent the animal from suffering further or at least have called law enforcement authorities (police, barangay). And before posting that video or photo on Facebook, we hope you will be ready to prepare an affidavit regarding what you have witnessed so that a case can be filed. Viral videos don't get justice for the animal, filing cases will.
A FRIENDLY REMINDER:
Important: Reports should not be anonymous. We consider all reports and identities confidential until case reaches court hearing/witness takes the stand. Informants have to entrust us with their names, PAWS will never pass on the names and contact info of those reporting to the offenders. Future reports with "anonymous", "secret" o "codename" senders will no longer be entertained because such informants don't help us file cases and bring perpetrators to justice.
- PAWS is usually among the first parties to receive alerts anyway before they even go viral. Just because we don't post it on our wall, it doesn't mean it has not been brought to our attention. We just opt to be responsible and choose not to discriminately broadcast it to the public without verification, concrete info and affidavit from witness.
- Always bear in mind that PAWS is a private volunteer-based non-profit non-government organization with limited manpower, space and resources, relying on funds coming from donations and the availability of unpaid volunteers (students, professionals, ordinary people just like you) who give of their time when able. PAWS has 1 volunteer lawyer, 1 vet on regular duty seeing to the 300+ shelter animals and the patients of the low-cost clinic, 1 service van used daily for rescues, important errands, ocular inspections and serving warning notices to alleged offenders, 4 animal caretakers and a skeletal office staff (usually there is only 1 person in the office answering calls, attending to patients, attending to visitors aside from admin work).
That's why we need concerned citizens to push their concern a step up towards concrete help from their level, beyond reporting, and actively contribute in the judicial process. We appeal for concrete actions from concerned citizens instead of sending a report saying "paki-check / please investigate / please take action". Like with any crime, an affidavit is needed to file a case. If there is no affidavit, we are sorry but we cannot help file the case.
- As an organization with track record and credibility, PAWS will not ride in the bandwagon of cyberbullying, which can be unhelpful and possibly detrimental in actually filing a case versus animal offenders. Before making an announcement in our social networking sites, PAWS believes in verifying facts first. It is just fair to all parties that accusations are verified and there is actual proof of the offender committing animal cruelty/neglect (this is why witnesses or people with personal knowledge of the act who are willing to submit affidavits are important). Cyberbullying will not get animal offenders in jail. Making videos and photos viral and cyberbullying will also give the offending party the heads up to whitewash or cover up their crimes, will give them the attention that they are craving for (thus posting in public), will alert them to go into hiding, or worse to threaten those who are willing to testify. If animal cruelty/neglect occurs in schools or offices, and cyberbullying by individuals or Facebook pages is initiated (regardless if they are well-meaning and just want to help the animals), know that the school/office may become evasive and uncooperative because the name of their institution/company is being dragged into the issue and they may refuse any chance at education because they would think it as a tactic to enter their territory and further investigate the case.
Important: Reports should not be anonymous. We consider all reports and identities confidential until case reaches court hearing/witness takes the stand. Informants have to entrust us with their names, PAWS will never pass on the names and contact info of those reporting to the offenders. Future reports with "anonymous", "secret" o "codename" senders will no longer be entertained because such informants don't help us file cases and bring perpetrators to justice.
