Harassed to Move? Animal Shelter Cries Foul Over City Government's Closure Order
"Something smells fishy here, but it's not the shelter."
(SPOT.ph) A beloved animal shelter in Davao City is at risk of giving up its rescues following a closure order from the city government.
Happy Animals Club is a no-kill shelter that has over 200 animals in its care—and it started with a nine-year-old boy named Ken Amante who exchanged his pocket money for food to feed strays in 2014. It’s the first shelter of its kind in Davao City.
Now grown up, Amante shared in a October 18 video that his neighbor, Mamaril Construction, filed a complaint to the City Health Office (CHO) for “foul odor” from the shelter—a claim he says is false and no more than an attempt to evict him from his property. He has been managing Happy Animals Club in the area since 2014.
For this, Happy Animals Club was ordered to close in violation of City Ordinance No. 0291-17 under the Revenue Code of Davao City with regards to the rules and regulations on sanitation.
“The neighbors bought the next-door lot in 2019, by which time we’ve already been here for five years but they didn’t file until now. The reason they filed this complaint is because they want to harass us into moving,” Amante said. “Why is the City Health Office so eager to act on a baseless complaint? What was the motivation of City Health Inspector Marc Serrano in ordering us to close? Something definitely smells fishy here, but it’s not the shelter.”
@happyanimalsclub Our shelter was ordered to close by the City Government of Davao. We are grateful for support from the public in our ongoing quest to overturn the closure order. #animalshelter #davaocity #davao #rescuedogs #rescuecats ♬ original sound - Happy Animals Club
Many have brought up the option of moving, but Amante believes “it is wrong for us to be driven away by a false complaint” and the lack of budget to set up a new shelter makes this unfeasible to consider.
“It is outrageous that the city government shut down an animal shelter when all we do is rescue animals and need,” Amante said, adding that Happy Animals Club has stopped taking in rescues since the city government had also padlocked the shelter’s front gate.
Also read: 10 Animal Shelters and Organizations Where You Can Adopt, Not Shop
Davao city government responds to Happy Animals Club's calls for re-inspection
The Davao city government has finally responded to Amante’s pleas with a statement two days after the issue was brought to light on social media (Pawssion Project founder Malou Perez created an online petition calling for a re-investigation on October 18, Wednesday, which has received over 31,000 signatories as of writing).
In the statement, the CHO’s Environmental Sanitation Division said they tried to conduct a series of inspections in response to the neighbor’s grievances, but the sanitary inspector was denied entry to Happy Animals Club on four separate occasions.
They claimed they gave Happy Animals Club time to fix the odor and noise issues, but found no improvement. This resulted in the issuance of a closure order on September 27.
“We commend you for rescuing animals in need, however, such acts must be carried out in accordance with the law,” CHO wrote in the letter to Amante. “Please know that we are doing this not only for the residents but also for the welfare and benefit of the animals. We want to ensure that the very animals you rescue are able to live in a safe and sanitary environment.”
An offer to re-inspect the shelter is now on the table.
Amante's response? He said the CHO's statement contained "blatant lies." The Happy Animals Club never denied entry to any city official, he said in a Facebook post.
Also read: This Bulacan Shelter Housing Hundreds of Strays Is At Risk of Losing Its Space
How to adopt from Happy Animals Club
Amante said that the city government officials will be taking the rescues to the dog pound, where unclaimed animals will automatically be disposed within 72 hours. Those who want to help Happy Animals Club in preparation for the worst case scenario can opt for adoption.
Every dog has been vaccinated and dewormed. The adoption process includes a visit to the shelter, a home visit, and a signed agreement form. Shelter visits are by appointment only, so walk-ins will not be entertained. Once greenlit for adoption, Happy Animals Club will deliver the rescue to your home, free of charge.
Potential owners must permanently live in Davao, have a stable income, and have a gated or fenced house.
Happy Animals Club is at Barangay Matina Aplaya, Davao City. For more information, visit Happy Animals Club on Facebook.