KILLUA, the much-loved Golden Retriever who was brutally murdered and put inside a sack by a man in Camarines Sur who claimed to act in self-defense, is being castigated by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) saying his claim is false.

According to PAWS, the so-called animal offender, Anthony Solares, said that his child was chased by Killua, prompting him to take action that led him to slay the dog.

But based on the CCTV footage that was posted by Vina Rachelle Arazas, Killua’s keeper, it showed how Solares chased the dog and was able to corner it and hit it several times. 

The video showed how the dog appeared to be just trying to escape its attacker.

“The animal offender claims that this was an act of self-defense but video evidence shows that Killua, the dog, was being chased by him and none of the elements of self-defense were present,” PAWS said.

“Further, there are humane ways of animal control. The City Veterinarian’s Office can be called in for this task. Clearly, there was no reason for Killua to be killed in this manner as she was not harming anyone,” it also said.

Likewise, the group stressed said that it is “extremely upset and dismayed” over the incident, to which it highlighted the importance of filing criminal cases.

According to PAWS, they will file charges of violation of the Animal Welfare Act against Solares, as the pet owner and witnesses have submitted their affidavits.

They likewise said that they will make sure that the person involved will be held accountable for his actions.

“We call on witnesses of other crimes against animals that have been posted on social media to step forward and cooperate with law enforcement agents and seek help, if needed, for the filing of the cases,” PAWS said.

“Tagging on social media will not result in punishment unless a criminal complaint is filed in Court,” it added.