THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT OF 1998 AS AMENDED

(RA 8485 as amended by RA 10631) *amendments are in bold letters

SECTION 1. It is the purpose of this Act to protect and No public utility shall transport any such animal without a written permit from the
promote the welfare of all terrestrial, aquatic and marine Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry or his/her authorized representative. No cruel
animals in the Philippines by supervising and regulating the confinement or restraint shall be made on such animals while being transported.
establishment and operations of all facilitiesutilized for
breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating or training of all Any form of cruelty shall be penalized even if the transporter has obtained a
animals either as objects of trade or as household pets. For permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry. Cruelty in transporting includes
this purpose of this Act, pet animal shall include birds. overcrowding, placing of animals in the trunks or under the food trunks of the
vehicles.
For purposes of this Act, animal welfare pertains to the
physical and psychological well-being of animals. It includes, SECTION 5. There is hereby created a Committee on Animal Welfare attached to
but not limited to, the avoidance of abuse, maltreatment, the Department of Agriculture which shall, subject to the approval of the Secretary of
cruelty and exploitation of animals by humans by maintaining the Department of Agriculture, issue the necessary rules and regulations for the strict
appropriate standards of accommodation, feeding and implementation of the provisions of this Act, including the settling of safety and sanitary
general care, the prevention and treatment of decease and the standards with thirty (30) calendar days following its approval. Such guidelines shall be
assurance of freedom from fear, distress, harassment, and reviewed by the Committee every three (3) years from its implementation or whenever
unnecessary discomfort and pain, and allowing animals to necessary.
express normal behavior. The Committee shall be composed of the official representatives of the
following:
SECTION 2. No Person, association, partnership, corporation, cooperative or any
government agency or instrumentality including slaughter houses shall establish, 1. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);
maintain and operate any pet shop, kennel, veterinary clinic, veterinary hospital, stockyard, 2. Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS);
corral, stud farm or stock farm or zoo for the breeding, treatment, sale or trading, or 3. Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA);
training of animals without first securing from the Bureau of Animal Industry a 4. Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of
certificate of registration therefore. Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
5. National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) of the DA;
The certificate shall be issued upon proof that the facilities of such
6. Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) of the DA;
establishment for animals are adequate, clean and sanitary and will not be used for, nor
cause pain and/or suffering to the animals. The certificate shall be valid for a period of 7. Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA);
one (1) year unless earlier cancelled for just cause before the expiration of its term by 8. Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines (VPAP);
the Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry and may be renewed from year to year 9. Philippine Animal Hospital Association of the Philippines (PAHA);
upon compliance with the conditions imposed hereunder. The Bureau shall charge 10. Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS);
reasonable fees for the issuance or renewal of such certificate. 11. Philippine Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA);
12. Philippine Society of Swine Practitioners (PSSP);
The condition that such facilities be adequate, clean and sanitary, and that 13. Philippine College of Canine Practitioners (PCCP); and
they will not be used for nor cause pain and/or suffering to the animals is a continuing 14. Philippine Society of Animal Science (PSAS).
requirement for the operation of these establishments. The Bureau may revoke or
cancel such certificate of registration for failure to observe these conditions and other The Committee shall meet quarterly or as often as the need arises. The Committee members
just causes. shall not receive any compensation but may receive reasonable honoraria from time to
time.
SECTION 3. The Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry shall supervise and
regulate the establishment, operation and maintenance of pet shops, kennels, veterinary SECTION 6. It shall be unlawful for any person to torture
clinics, veterinary hospitals, stockyards, corrals, stud farms and zoos and any other for or any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, subject any
structure for the confinement of animals where they are bred, treated, maintained, or kept dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights, kill or cause or
either for sale or trade or for training as well as the transport of such animals in any procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care,
form of public or private transportation facility in order to provide maximum comfort sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in
while in transit and minimize if not totally eradicate, incidence of sickness and death research or experiments not expressly authorized by the
and prevent any cruelty from being inflicted upon the animals. Committee on Animal Welfare.
The killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs, goats, sheep,
The Director may call upon any government agency for assistance consistent with its
poultry, rabbits, carabaos and horses (* NOTE: “deer” and
powers, duties, and responsibilities for the purpose of ensuring the effective and efficient
“crocodiles” were delisted) is likewise hereby declared
implementation of this Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
unlawful except in the following instances:
It shall be the duty of such government agency to assist said Director when 1. When it is done as part of the religious rituals of an established religion or sect or
called upon for assistance using available fund in its budget for the purpose. a ritual required by tribal or ethnic custom of indigenous cultural communities;
SECTION 4. It shall be the duty of the owner or operator of any land, air or however, leaders shall keep records in cooperation with the Committee on Animal
water public utility transporting pet, wildlife and all other animals to provide in all Welfare;
cases adequate, clean and sanitary facilities for the safe conveyance and delivery thereof 2. When the pet animal is afflicted with an incurable communicable disease as
to their consignee at the place of consignment. They shall provide sufficient food and water determined and certified by a duly licensed veterinarian;
for such animals while in transit for more than twelve (12) hours or whenever necessary.
3. When the killing is deemed necessary to put an end to the misery suffered by the
animal as determined and certified by a duly licensed veterinarian;
4. When it is done to prevent an imminent danger to the life or limb of a
human being;
5. When done for the purpose of animal population control;
the act or omission as defined immediately in the preceding
6. When the animal is killed after it has been used in authorized research of sections.
experiments; and
However, regardless of the resulting condition to the
7. Any other ground analogous to the foregoing as determined and animals, the penalty of two (2) years and one (1) day to
certified licensed veterinarian. three (3) years ad/or a fine not exceeding Two hundred
In all the above mentioned cases, including those of cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, fifty thousand pesos (P250,000.00) shall be imposed if the
rabbits, carabaos and horses (* NOTE: “deer” and “crocodiles” were offense is committed by any of the following: (1) a
delisted) the killing of the animals shall be done through humane procedures at all syndicate; (2) an offender who makes business out of
times. cruelty to an animal; (3) a public officer or employee; or (4)
where at least three (3) animals are involved.
For this purpose, humane procedures shall mean the use of the most scientific methods
available as may be determined and approved by the committee. In any of the foregoing situations, the offender shall
suffer subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency and the
Only those procedures approved by the Committee shall be used in the killing of inability to pay the fine.
animals.
SECTION 10. The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture
SECTION 7. It shall be unlawful for any person who shall deputize animal welfare enforcement officers from
has custody to an animal to abandon the animal. nongovernment organizations, citizens groups, community
If any person being the owner or having charge or control organizations and other volunteers who have undergone the
of any animal shall without reasonable cause or excuse necessary training for this purpose. The Philippine National
abandon it, whether permanently or not, without providing for Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and other
the care of that animal, such act shall constitute maltreatment law enforcement agencies shall designate animal welfare
under Section 9. enforcement officers. As such, animal welfare enforcement
officers shall have the authority to seize and rescue
If the animal is left in circumstances likely to cause the illegally traded and maltreated animals and to arrest
animal any unnecessary suffering, or if this abandonment violators of this Act subject to the guidelines of existing
results in the death of the animal, the person liable shall laws and rules and regulations on arrest and detention.
suffer the maximum penalty.
The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture shall upon
Abandonment means the relinquishment of all right, title, the recommendation of the Committee on Animal Welfare:
claim, or possession of the animal with the intention of not
reclaiming its ownership or possession. 1) Promulgate the guidelines on the criteria and training
requirements for the deputization of animal welfare
SECTION 8. It shall be the duty of every person to protect the natural habitat enforcement officers; and
of the wildlife. The destruction of said habitat shall be considered as a form of cruelty to
animals and its preservation is a way of protecting the animals. 2) Establish a mechanism for the supervision monitoring
and reporting of these enforcement officers.
SECTION 9. Any person who subjects any animal to
cruelty, maltreatment or neglect shall, upon conviction by (SECTION 11.) If for any reason, any provision of this Act
final judgment, be punished by imprisonment and/or fine, as is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, the other
indicated in the following graduated scale: sections or provisions hereof which are not affected shall
continue to be in full force and effect.
1) Imprisonment of one (1) year and six (6) months andone
(1) day to two (2) years and/or fine not exceeding All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations and other
One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) if the animal issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the
subjected to cruelty, maltreatment, or neglect dies; provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed, amended
or modified accordingly.
2) Imprisonment of one (1) year and one (1) day to one (1)
year and six (6) months and/or a fine not exceeding Fifty This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from
thousand pesos (P50,000.00) if the animal subjected to its publication in the Official Gazette, or in at least two (2)
cruelty, maltreatment or neglect survives but is severely newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes earlier.
injured with loss of its natural faculty to survive on its
Republic Act 8485
own and needing human intervention to sustain its life;
and JOSE DE VENECIA, JR. NEPTALI A. GONZALES
Speaker House of Representatives President of the Senate
3) Imprisonment of six (6) months to one (1) year and/or
fine not exceeding Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines
for subjecting any animal to cruelty, maltreatment or Approved: February 11, 1998
neglect but without causing its death or incapacitating it
to survive on its own. Republic Act 10631

If the violation is committed by a juridical person, the FELICIANO BELMONTE JR. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
Speaker House of Representatives Acting President of the Senate
officer responsible thereof shall serve the imprisonment.
If the violation is committed by an alien, he or she shall be BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
immediately deported after the service of sentence without President of the Philippines
any further proceeding. Approved: October 03, 2013

The foregoing penalties shall also apply for any other ********
violation of this Act, depending upon the effect or result of PREPARED BY: ATTY. ROY KAYABAN
THE PHILIPPINE ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY