AN ANIMAL shelter in Davao City expressed concern about being at risk of being permanently closed over a “baseless complaint” filed by their neighbors before the City Government of Davao.
In a Facebook video, Ken Amante, owner and founder of Happy Animals Club, said that they cannot rescue any other animal anymore due to orders from the local government to permanently close their shelter.
He claimed that officials of the City Health Office (CHO), who padlocked the animal shelter, said “they will confiscate their animals and take them to the dog pound”.
Closed-circuit television footage was also included in the video, in which officials can be heard saying that “the shelter could be abandoned, their license may be revoked, and the animals inside their shelter will be confiscated.” The owner also emphasized why “the CHO had been so eager to act on a baseless complaint”.
“It makes no sense to shut down an animal shelter for no reason. What is the motivation of the City Health Inspector in ordering us to close? Something definitely smells fishy here but it’s not the shelter,” Amante said.
Amante also said that their neighbors bought the next-door lot, where the animal shelter was situated, in 2019, by which time, the shelter had been there for five years.
“The reason they (their neighbors) filed this complaint is because they want to harass us into moving. Our landlady passed away and our neighbor’s relative is trying to take control of this property,” Amante said in the video.
However, he said that “instead of their neighbors securing an eviction order from the rule of Court, they decided to file a complaint at City Health about the foul odor”.
Amante also said that they are willing to relocate somewhere else, but it would be terrible for them to be driven away by a false complaint, as they do not have the funds to relocate immediately.
“So unless you can donate at least P5 million needed for setting up a new shelter, please do not suggest "JUST MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE" because it's really not a feasible option [sic],” Amante said.
SunStar Davao had tried to reach out to CHO but they did not respond as of writing. ICE