Authorities rescued three injured dogs and arrested one suspect after raiding an illegal dogfighting ring in La Paz, Tarlac.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group–Anti-Organized Crime Unit (CIDG-AOCU), together with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP), led the operation.
The suspect, known only as alias “Akira,” was apprehended and brought to the CIDG-AOCU headquarters along with the seized evidence.
Among the items recovered were a cage, two wooden bite sticks, dog medicines, healing oil, a training pole, a weighted collar, bite tools, and a cellphone believed to have been used in the operation.
According to AWIP, dogfighters often use weighted collars and poles to build aggression in dogs. However, in this case, the suspect allegedly rushed the training process.
Investigators were alarmed to discover that a puppy, only eight weeks old, had already been used in a fight.
“The condition of the dogs when we found them was really pitiful. All three dogs had scarring on their face that was consistent with dogfighting. They had open injuries and wounds that needed to be treated urgently at the veterinary clinic,” Jacob Lloyd, CEO of AWIP, said.
The rescued dogs have been turned over to AWIP for rehabilitation.
Authorities continue to investigate whether the suspect is part of a larger illegal dogfighting network in the country.
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