Lorna Oberes and her partner Edwin Casas along with unidentified caretakers have been named respondents in the complaints filed against them by the City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) on July 5, 2023.
The respondents were accused of violating Sections 16 and 17 of City Ordinance (CO) 2526, which penalizes individuals who harm animals, and Section 6 of Republic Act (RA) 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.
Section 16 of CO 2526 prohibits “any person to torture any animal or neglect to provide adequate care sustenance,” while Section 17 states that “acts of cruelty to animals shall be absolutely prohibited in Cebu City.”
Cruelty to animals refers to acts or omissions towards animals that cause them to suffer from unnecessary pain, suffering and distress, according to the ordinance.
Section 6 of RA 8485 declares torturing, neglecting to provide adequate care, sustenance, or shelter, or maltreating any animal to be an offense.
Report
DVMF head Dr. Jessica Maribojoc said in a sworn judicial affidavit that the DVMF conducted animal health services in Adlaon on May 15.
They later received a report from Barangay Councilor Loedilto Gabud regarding Oberes, who allegedly abandoned the dogs in her residence, risking the safety of other residents.
During the initial inspection on the same day, the DVMF personnel discovered more than 100 malnourished dogs exhibiting cannibalistic behaviors in Oberes’ abandoned residence.
In an earlier report, Maribojoc said she was surprised upon learning about the existence of a dog shelter in the barangay.
She learned that some of the neglected dogs had escaped from the shelter, and attacked and killed animals belonging to Roland and Marivic Tan. The harmed animals included turkeys and sheep, resulting in damage amounting to almost P500,000.
In a press conference on May 31, Oberes said her partner, Casas, allowed her to stay in Adlaon, and promised her that he would provide financial assistance for the dogs.
She initially had 30 dogs, but their number increased to 40 due to the lack of birth control and interventions.
Non-registration of dogs
Oberes admitted that she did not register her dogs because she was unaware of the law requiring their registration.
Oberes further confessed that she had not been living in Adlaon since February 2023, and she had not conducted any monitoring of the dogs she left behind, leaving their care solely to the caretakers.
Maribojoc said from May 17 to 19, the DVMF conducted a rescue operation in coordination with Barangay Adlaon, Cebu City Government, the Philippine National Police, and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
A total of 101 malnourished dogs were rescued from Oberes’ uninhabited house.
In the last week of May, around 32 dogs were scheduled for euthanasia or mercy killing because of their frail state. But the DVMF postponed it as there were people who promised to adopt some of them.
While waiting for their adoption, nine of the dogs died.