Animal welfare groups joined the owners of the 29 pets found dumped in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, as police vowed to go after those responsible
Pet owners who paid to have their beloved dogs and cats cremated, only for the animals to turn up dumped in a vacant lot, trooped to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to seek justice, joined by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF).
“PAWS is currently at the National Bureau of Investigation Headquarters, coordinating with the Environmental Crime Division,” the group said, adding that several of the owners with them are the primary complainants in the case.
The case drew outrage online after the decomposing remains of 29 dogs and cats, sealed in plastic bags, were found along a road in Barangay Minuyan Proper, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. The animals were allegedly entrusted to a pet crematorium in Bacoor City, Cavite, whose clients had paid for cremation and received urns of supposed ashes.
On the same day, the Philippine National Police (PNP) listed the possible charges against those responsible: estafa, syndicated estafa, and violations of the Code on Sanitation, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Consumer Act. Affected customers may also file civil claims for damages.
“Any form of deception that exploits the trust of grieving pet owners is deeply concerning and must be addressed with the full force of the law,” PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.
“To the affected pet owners, we recognize the pain and distress this incident has caused your families,” he added, urging them to keep and submit their receipts, cremation certificates and transaction records.
Police were also told to review CCTV footage to trace the route of a white van allegedly used to dump the remains. The NBI, meanwhile, said it will run forensic tests to check whether the recovered animals match pets brought to the facility and whether the ashes given to owners are authentic.
The allegations against the crematorium remain under investigation.