BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - The City Veterinary's Office (CVO) warned Sunday that dog meat being sold here maybe dangerous for human consumption because most of these do not go through the proper process of meat inspection. Dr. Brigit Piok, city veterinarian, said dog meat sold in the market is highly questionable and, thus, dog meat lovers should take the necessary precautions to prevent them from contracting illnesses related to eating the favorite delicacy in the Cordillera. Aside from violating provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act, dog meat lovers are exposed to extreme danger considering that they do not know whether or not these are free from diseases that pose a serious threat to health. Piok said dog meat eaters could easily contract diseases like rabies since the dog meat supply being sneaked into the city from the different parts of the lowlands do not pass through the required quarantine inspections conducted by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and the CVO.
She said consumers of dog meat being served as exotic menu and ''pulutan'' in many restaurants in the city may not be safe since parasites from poorly cooked meat can be easily transmitted to humans. While the law allows the butchering of dogs and the serving of dog meat during indigenous rituals, Piok said the dog meat trade is prohibited. Most illegal dog meat traders are being apprehended by law enforcers while they are transporting the dog meat for butchering from the lowlands to the city proper. Piok said her office still receives reports that dog meat is being rampantly traded in the city public market from underground traders who usually ply their trade under the radar of government inspectors
