A viral video showing the killing of an American bully dog in Sadanga, Mountain Province, has sparked calls for justice from animal welfare groups. The incident occurred on December 4, and while the parties involved reached an amicable settlement, a criminal case against the perpetrator is ongoing. Advocacy groups emphasize that such settlements do not absolve criminal liability under the Animal Welfare Act.
In a grainy video from a gathering in Sadanga, Mountain Province, on December 4, a gray-and-white American bully named Axle can be seen wandering at the back of the group, sniffing another dog and weaving among small children. Suddenly, a man pulled out a large wooden club from behind him and began clobbering the animal. The dog appeared stunned, but the beating continued off-camera despite screams from mostly elderly women. Axle died from his injuries.
The video was uploaded to YouTube and quickly garnered thousands of views after being shared on TikTok and YouTube. On December 5, the Sadanga local government unit's Facebook account requested an online media outlet to remove its story, stating the matter was being 'properly addressed' by the families involved. It claimed the killing had been settled amicably, and the video was subsequently taken down. However, the report continued to circulate on social media, drawing over 50,000 reactions on a Facebook post about American bully breeds, with the hashtag #JusticeforAxle going viral.
On December 9, the Sadanga town government issued an official statement confirming that a case filing was ongoing against the perpetrator, identified as a local government driver, not councilor Daniel “Dongpop” Dawadeo as mentioned in several posts. The Animal Kingdom group released a statement urging the town government, police, and barangay leaders to fully uphold the Animal Welfare Act of 1998. 'With this in mind, we urge authorities to ensure any action involving animal harm or cruelty is evaluated in accordance with the law’s standards and penalties. Any amicable settlement between parties must not invalidate or circumvent the legal protections given to animals,' it said, adding that dogs are not mere property. The group noted that protecting the voiceless aligns with Sadanga's traditions of unity and dignity.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) stated on Wednesday that any settlement does not preclude justice. 'Many believe that justice is now impossible because of discussions circulating online that Axle’s owner has allegedly reached a settlement with the offender, but this is not true and justice is still possible despite,' PAWS said. 'Even if such a settlement is true, it applies only to the owner’s civil claim, but this does NOT erase the offender’s criminal liability. Under the Animal Welfare Act and other special penal laws, criminal responsibility remains and the law can still be fully enforced.' It called on witnesses or those with direct knowledge to pursue legal action to ensure the criminal case proceeds.