Carla Abellana calls for change in mindset after death of Killua

Carla Abellana. Image: Instagram/@carlaangeline

Carla Abellana, an animal rights advocate, has appealed for a change in perspective towards the “old-school” way of thinking and treatment of animals, on the heels of the tragic death of a golden retriever named Killua in Camarines Sur recently.

Killua was bludgeoned by a man who said that the dog was rabid and had tried to bite and even chased his child. However, it was found out that Killua was indeed positive of rabies, though the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) said this finding may be compromised as the dog had been buried several days prior to inspection by the Bureau of Animal Industry, in a place where other stray dogs with rabies were buried.

Speaking on the sidelines of a magazine even where she was recognized for her advocacy for animal rights last March 22, Abellana expressed hope that Killua’s case would be a wake-up call for Filipinos not to view pets as mere animals that do not deserve to have rights, and whose death should not get people to be all riled-up.

“My goodness. Isa ‘yan sa mga old-school ways of thinking kapag nila-“lang” nila ang animals,” said Abellana when asked for comment about the “hayop lang ‘yan” point of view.

“Unfortunately, ‘yung mga nagsasabi n’un are not aware na may rights for animals. May karapatan din sila and we can be held liable if we maltreat or mistreat them. Kawawa ‘yung mga nagsasabi n’un kasi hindi sila aware na nila-lang ang rights nila,” she continued.

(My goodness. It’s one of the old-school ways of thinking when animals are just seen as mere animals. Unfortunately, those who say such things are not aware of animal rights. They have rights too and we can be held liable if we maltreat or mistreat them. I feel sorry for them because they view their rights as a simple thing.)

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Wake-up call

While Abellana said she’s heartbroken over Killua’s “untimely death,” she said it’s a wake-up call for Filipinos to seriously push for the welfare of animals especially when it comes to addressing “torture and neglect.”

“Very unfortunate ang nangyari but let’s put in mind na hindi ‘yun lang ang case. Napakaraming cases na ganyan such as tragic na maltreatment, torture, and neglect. Hindi lang ‘yun nangyayari sa aso, pati rin ito sa strays,” she said while noting the widespread attention over Killua’s death is “one step closer” to animal rights to have a bigger platform in the country.

“It’s one step closer para makuha nila ang deserve nilang rights, lalo na sa mga walang compassion at pabaya sa mga hayop. It also shows that more Filipinos are becoming more aware of the Animal Welfare Act. And hindi lang aware, marami ring [nagca-call] for harsher penalties,” she further added.

(It’s one step closer for animals to get the rights they deserve, especially to people who don’t have compassion and are careless towards animals. It also shows that more Filipinos are becoming more aware of the Animal Welfare Act. And not just aware, many are calling for harsher penalties.)

The “Widow’s War” star then admitted that she’s not “surprised” with Killua’s case as maltreatment of animals happens on a “daily basis.”

“Abuse and neglect for animals is illegal. Unfortunately, not many know about this and are not fully aware that you can go to jail for it. I’m not surprised, to be honest. It sounds bad but I witnessed a lot of similar cases on a daily basis,” she said.

Abellana also underscored the importance of “filing and following through” with cases should animal abuse-related incidents happen. “I always encourage them to file a case. The least they can do ay pumunta sa barangay para i-file ‘yun.”

“Kapag hindi nila na-aksyunan, ibigay mo ang pangalan ng barangay official sa police because it’s their job,” she continued. “Ang ugali pa rin ng [ilang] Filipinos ngayon is picturan or videohan and i-post nila. Walang justice kung sa social media umiikot. The first step is to file a report and follow through.”

(I always encourage them to file a case. The least they can do is to go to your nearest barangay official to file the case. If they don’t take action, give the name of the barangay official to the police because it’s their job. Some Filipinos nowadays opt to take a photo or video, and then post it on social media. There’s no justice if you rely on social media. The first step is to file a report and follow through.)

Rewarding advocacy

(From left) Carla Abellana and KaladKaren were among the awardees at the star-studded and female-led event. Image: Hannah Mallorca/INQUIRER.net

Asked how she felt about her recognition, Abellana said being recognized for a cause she’s passionate about feels rewarding. While receiving awards as an actress is nice, she said she is glad to be able to use her platform to speak up for causes that matter.

“It’s so nice because I was recognized for what I believe in and am passionate about. Ever since, my love for animals [started] when I was still a child as an influence from my family. [I feel] really fortunate to be allowed to use my platform as a celebrity and actress,” she said.

Also recognized at the event were Iza Calzado, KaladKaren, content creator Janina Vela, and Dr. Aivee Teo, just to name a few.