November 1, marks the holiday of All Saint’s Day in the Philippines. During this occasion, Filipinos troop to the cemeteries to remember their dead loved ones. They clean the tombs and offer flowers and prayers for the deceased. During this same day, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) announced that it is devoting 100 square meters of its facilities, to be used as pet cemeteries. This will serve as burial sites for these beloved, deceased pet animals, in the absence of burial sites for these dead pets. Since space is limited, these burial spaces are located atop of each other. PAWS charges excavation and burial services of P500 for small animals and P1,000 for big ones. An additional payment of P2,000 is charged if dedications in memory of these dead pets will be posted on a memorial wall which PAWS designated.
PAWS reasons out that animals need a decent burial too, aside from human beings. This system is done not only for sentimental reasons but for sanitary conditions. In the absence of a backyard or nearby empty lot, most Filipinos mistreat a dead pet by just placing them inside a garbage bag and throwing them at the back of a passing garbage truck. This is considered an undignified way of treating pets who have become part of the family for many years.
Philippine legislation on the disposal of dead animals is stated in Section 8.3, Subsection 8.3.1 of Chapter XIX of Presidential Decree No. 856, or the Code on Sanitation. Under this subsection, animal carcasses must be disposed of within 24 hours upon its death. If the animal could not be buried within 24 hours due to lack of space and the unavailability of PAWS personnel to facilitate its burial, it may be preserved by placing on ice and utilizing a black plastic garbage bag to seal it.
Related Links:
1. Philippine Laws
A. Presidential Decree No. 856 (On-line Official Gazette)
http://www.gov.ph/1975/12/23/presidential-decree-no-856-s-1975/
B. Presidential Decree No. 856, Implementing Rules and Regulations
(URL Website)
The Hrep Reference Librarian 