Bulacan kennel flagged for illegally breeding dogs, keeping wild animals

“Wild animals (…) were illegally confined in small cages, surrounded by the constant barking of dogs suffering from stress and isolation. Their lives were being exploited for profit,” read a post from PETA Asia detailing the conditions at the kennel.

The Baliwag CENRO supposedly recorded the animals as having been voluntarily turned over by kennel owner Joel Viola Valderama. PETA subsequently filed a complaint requesting that the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) withhold authorization until sanctions are imposed and that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) investigate Joverman’s sales and tax records over the years.

Based on social media posts, Joverman Kennel Bulacan had been operating since at least 2021. When directed by the BAI to comment on the lack of permits, Valderama said he had been keeping and breeding dogs for years without formal authorization.

“Allowing Joverman to simply catch up on paperwork after years of breeding and selling dogs without the required permit makes a mockery of the law,” PETA President Jason Baker said in a statement.

Breeding dogs and keeping wild animals without the necessary permits can result in penalties under several laws governing animal welfare and wildlife protection.

BAI Administrative Order No. 14, s. 2004, requires all kennels, or breeding facilities with 20 or more dogs aged at least six months, to be registered with the agency.

The Animal Welfare Act, or Republic Act No. 8485, also penalizes the “neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal.”

Under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, or R.A. No. 9147, commercial breeding or captive propagation of wild animals is heavily regulated and must undergo an environmental impact study before the necessary permits can be issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and its attached agencies.

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