Two dogs inside a wire cage were spotted strapped to the roof of an SUV while the car drove at high speeds on South Luzon Expressway in Manila, Philippines.
A photo taken by ABS-CBN’s Charie Villa on Sunday showed the Isuzu Crosswind with plate number UDY 624.
In her Facebook post, Villa said: “Poor puppies on top of an AUV speeding along SLEX. Driver was a woman. The dogs were terrified.”
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said its records show the plate number should be on a Nissan Sentra 1995, not an Isuzu Crosswind. This is an impoundable violation.
Meanwhile, Ashley Fruno -- senior campaigner of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) -- has condemned the woman, saying, “Transporting animals in such conditions would be terrifying for the animals, and puts them at constant exposure to the sweltering heat and downpours, in addition to being dangerous. Dogs are pack animals who like to be with their human ‘pack’ at all times – that means riding inside the car with the family."
PETA has reminded the public to secure their pet animals inside vehicles when travelling.
This is not the first time that a netizen has posted alleged abuses by pet owners.
Some owners have been penalized because of of maltreatment of animals. There were the pictures that went viral on Facebook of a dog in a sack tied to the back of an SUV, as well as a cat left to dry on a clothesline.
The Animal Welfare Act prescribes that, “Any person who violates any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction by final judgment, be punished by imprisonment of not less than six (6) months nor more than two (2) years or a fine of not less than one thousand pesos (P1,000.00) nor more than five thousand pesos (P5,000.00), or both at the discretion of the Court.”
Some lawmakers are already pushing for amendments to put more teeth to the bill.--Source: ABS-CBN News/Photo by Charie Villa