Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 8485)
The primary purpose of Republic Act No. 8485 is to protect and promote the welfare of all animals in the Philippines by supervising and regulating the establishment and operations of facilities used for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating, or training animals, whether for trade or as household pets.
For purposes of the Act, pet animals include birds.
Any person, association, partnership, corporation, cooperative, or government agency or instrumentality, including slaughterhouses, must secure a certificate of registration from the BAI before operating pet shops, kennels, veterinary clinics, veterinary hospitals, stockyards, corrals, stud farms, stock farms, or zoos for breeding, treatment, sale, trading, or training of animals.
The certificate is issued upon proof that the facilities for animals are adequate, clean, and sanitary, and will not be used for or cause pain and/or suffering to the animals.
The Director supervises and regulates the establishment, operation, and maintenance of facilities for animals, including ensuring comfort during transport, minimizing sickness and death, and preventing cruelty. The Director may call on other government agencies to assist in enforcement.
They must provide adequate, clean, and sanitary facilities, sufficient food and water for animals in transit for over twelve hours, and ensure no cruel confinement or restraint. Transport without a written permit from the Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry is prohibited, and cruelty during transport is punishable.
The Committee on Animal Welfare is created under the Department of Agriculture to issue rules and regulations implementing the Act, set safety and sanitary standards, review guidelines every three years, and ensure strict enforcement of the law’s provisions.
It is unlawful to torture, neglect, maltreat animals, subject dogs or horses to fights, kill animals except under specific permitted circumstances, or use animals for unauthorized research or experiments.
Violators are punishable by imprisonment of six months to two years, a fine of ₱1,000 to ₱5,000, or both. Officers responsible for violations by corporations serve the imprisonment if imposed. Foreign violators may be deported after serving their sentence.