The photo can break the heart of any dog lover. Four of six dogs rescued from a dog meat trader in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, are seen crammed and shivering in a cage, just rescued from a violent death by the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF). The stepped-up crackdown has been conducted alongside the Soi Dog Foundation and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of Malolos, with the latest raid held in late October. The good part: These dogs will be rehabilitated by AKF at their sanctuary in Capas, Tarlac, and may soon be adopted or, at the very least, taken care of for the rest of their lives.
AKF, a non-profit animal welfare non-government organization (NGO), has gained prominence for its focus on the illegal, barbaric dog meat trade (DMT) in the Philippines, what the group has called “one of the most serious animal welfare problems in the country.” AKF was founded in 2002 by the late Charles Leslie Wartenberg, an Englishman who learned about DMT in the Philippines and formed a team that participated in raids alongside authorities. The slaughter of dogs for meat is a crime, as declared in the Philippines’ Animal Welfare Act.
AKF runs the shelter (which has some 300 dogs as of this writing); has a Pet Education Program promoting animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, dog bite prevention, and anti-rabies programs among the youth; lobbies for stronger laws; holds stray animal feeding programs; conducts disaster assistance; and is campaigning to outlaw cruel, outdated traditions such as bullfighting (like the Pasungay in Iloilo) and horse-fighting (still done in Cotabato).
Stamping out DMT remains its flagship advocacy, however. “We have made a deep dent on the dog meat trade in the country,” says program director lawyer Heidi M. Caguioa. “AKF is known for its staunch campaign against DMT, and is feared by violators, especially dog meat traders. We have earned the respect of government agencies and the community.”
Since the beginning of 2022, 12 raids have been conducted, dozens of dogs saved, and several traders put out of business.
“While AKF may be hard-hitting at times in its campaign messaging, it always offers solutions, and we always believe in collaboration to implement a program effectively, making it as impactful as possible for the community,” Caguioa says.
The “hard-hitting” reputation comes from the lighting raids, the often graphic images on social media of rescued (and slaughtered) dogs, and the pursuit of legal cases against such traders. Most recently, the group has also looked into farm animal and even fish welfare in the country, promoting the welfare of egg-laying hens, and pushing for humane practices in aquaculture.
“AKF applies global standards and industry best practices for animal welfare,” says volunteer Jade. “The organization strives to be self-sustaining through volunteerism, and has strong volunteer engagement; we have rescued livestock in Taal, including pigs, roosters, cows, horses. And we have good collaboration with other NGOs, local government units, and other government agencies.” For Kaye, another volunteer, the organization’s uniqueness remains in “the continuous fight against DMT.”
The pandemic brought many lessons to the organization. “Thinking that the lockdown would just be for a month or two, we were confident that we had prepared ourselves, albeit for a limited time,” says Caguioa.
Economic difficulties and the reality of hungry and jobless Filipinos, leading to dwindling donations, had them exploring other options, such as the Bed, Bark ‘n’ Breakfast (https://www.facebook.com/AKFBBnB/), “an eco-agri farm dog/cat shelter and voluntourist concept” that AKF opened in Tarlac. “We hope that this accommodation concept can help raise some needed funds for center operations.”
Moving forward, Caguioa says frankly, “Clearly, it is always cash that is needed to keep our operations going. We have staff to support and pay, as well as bills to cover our operations.
“We believe that we cannot address this big issue called animal welfare by just doing one thing,” she concludes. “We attack and try to resolve the problem from different directions.”
For information or donation channels, check out akf.org.ph, @AKFAnimalRescue on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, email [email protected], or contact tel. nos. (0939) 914-2403 and (0939) 914-2405.
