THE OPERATION-03/30/2006--While convoying with the whole AKF team off to Tabaco City with the police leading the way, I was feeling a bit edgy. I have been contacting the dog-trader since last night and I couldn’t reach him. I can only hope he is already in that building of the old market so that not much people will further delay the stakeout.
Planning with the police, the senior inspector and his man did a last minute exploration of the target area and we agreed I’d call him right away as a go signal.
Bringing Brando in the truck with me, the driver parked across the alley of the old building. Immediately, I saw the trader’s wife boiling water in a big cauldron. Two dogs, heads protruding, are tied unmoving in a straw sack along the posts of the ruined building. The floor is filthy. This is where the dogs are slaughtered. In the open building of the old market, it is disturbing.
The trader, Arabski, was not around. His wife told me he’s on his way. I decided to fetch him in his house. He was talking to his daughter when I got there. He told me he is waiting for some dogs to be delivered since he has paid for them already and he wanted to comply with my order; two dogs died last night of suffocation when he kept them inside the straw sacks. I noticed another dog tied to his pedicab. I told him I don’t have much time and hurried him with the deliveries. He told me to hop in his pedicab. He asked for additional deposit.
Collecting the dogs, we went straight to the old market. There, his son helped him unload the dogs. While watching his wife boiling water, I heard a painful yelp and saw one dog trembling and frothing in the mouth. I did not see it but one observer said the son hit the dog with an iron bar.
There where young kids around us now. Risky.
Arabski took out two knives and a big square wooden plank, an improvised cutting-board, and started shaving the fur of one dog with a broken neck. I distanced myself from him after rearranging his pedicab to distort his view of the alley where the police might enter. I dialed Senior Inspector Llaneta’s number and muttered, “Okay na, Sir!” Facing in Arabski’s direction, with a number of observers standing around watching him do his thing, in my peripheral vision I can see Inspector X approaching followed by his men. Instinctively, I approached Arabki and took the knives off the floor while he was pouring hot water on the carcass of the dog. Inspector Llaneta, coming from behind, tapped Arabski’s shoulder and announced the arrest.
As expected, I got some strong word from the apprehended trader and members of his family. It’s all in the day’s work. One wicked illegal slaughterhouse decommissioned.
Five fine-looking dogs were rescued and are now relaxing in Legazpi City dog pound facing Albay Gulf.
UPDATE:
APRIL 17, 2006---After nearly a month of staying in the pound, the two black dogs, one with white stripe on his forehead, one off-white colored male dog, and one male with orange-brown color were given for adoption to 4 persons thru the coordination of Legazpi City Veterinarian Nancy M. Andes.
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