AFTER an alleged animal abuse post that went viral on Facebook, the management of Araneta City in Cubao assured the netizens that they put the safety and welfare of cats in the mall premises first.
The said mall was prompted to make a statement after drawing flak on social media over an alleged misconduct towards stray cats around the vicinity of the mall.
On Saturday, in a Facebook post from a page named Cats of Araneta City, a page dedicated for volunteers that are looking out for the welfare of the cats around the said area, it can be seen that a cat was kept inside a net.
This drew a lot of negative comments from numerous concerned netizens, stating that the welfare of these cats must be prioritized by the mall, and urged other people to report the said incident and rescue the cats from the mall.
Moreover, a core volunteer from the page and CARA Welfare Philippines, Luchie Diaz, told ABS-CBN News that the cat in the photo was in clear discomfort, as it stayed inside a net for several hours before she saw it on Friday.
“Naawa sila doon sa cat. Parang nagha-hyperventilate na, hinihingal na at nakalabas ang dila. So there was no cage or cat carrier… we were able to transfer the cat to the carrier and was sent to the vet for kapon, because hindi pa siya neutered,” said Diaz.
“We told Araneta City that… the best for these cats is to follow the kapon procedure. If the cat is already [neutered], dapat ipa-adopt,” she went on to say.
The volunteer emphasized the idea that these cats roaming around the area should be up for adoption after being neutered rather than being transferred outside Araneta City’s premises as this might cause more harm than good.
Aside from this, the page, in a social media post, alleged the business center would catch cats “daily for 2 weeks.” The cats, according to the post noted, were “dumped outside” and “has been sent to the pound already.”
Araneta City’s statement
Yesterday, May 6, Araneta City already released a statement towards the said incident. Stating that me management was in constant communication with Diaz, and that their only goal was to gather cats and keep them away from dangerous areas.
“The stray cat in the viral photo is currently safe in a pet carrier at Gateway Mall, and is awaiting to be neutered. All other cats have been adopted or are being monitored,” Araneta City said on their page.
“Not a single cat was sent to the city pound. The management has also reminded all personnel to make sure that all cats are safe and treated properly.”
The business center also highlighted that they are mindful of the safety and welfare of all the cats in the area. Moreover, they’ve been coordinating with other volunteers as well to implement cat-friendly initiatives.
“Last year, we invited Cats of Araneta City to give our personnel basic training on proper cat handling and treatment. We will continue to work with these groups to ensure that Araneta City stays true to its commitment to being a safe place — both for our patrons and for animals.”
