REPUBLIC ACT NO 8485

AN ACT TO PROMOTE ANIMAL WELFARE IN

THE PHILIPPINES, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
“ THE ANIMAL ACT OF 1998”
 SECTION 1.

It is the purpose of this Act to protect and promote the

welfare of all the animals in the Philippines by
supervising and regulating the establishment and
operations of all facilities utilized for breeding,
maintaining, keeping, treating or training of all animals
either as objects of trade or as household pets. For
purposes of this Act, pet animal shall include birds.
 SECTION 2

No person, association, partnership, corporation, cooperative

or any government agency or instrumentality including
slaughterhouses shall establish, maintain and operate any pet
shop, kennel, veterinary clinic, veterinary hospital, stockyard,
corral, stud farm or stock farm or zoo for breeding, treatment,
sale or trading, or training of animals without first securing
from the Bureau of Animal Industry or certificate of
registration thereof.
 Cont. SECTION 2

The certificate shall be issued upon that the facility of such

establishment for animals are adequate, clean and sanitary and
will not be used for, or nor cause pain and/or suffering to the
animals. The certificates shall be valid for a period of one (1)
year unless earlier cancelled for just cause before the
expiration of its term by the Director of the Bureau of Animal
Industry and may be renewed from year to year upon
compliance with the conditions imposed hereunder. The
Bureau shall charge reasonable fees for issuance or renewal of
such certificate.
 SECTION 3

The Director of Animal Industry shall supervise and regulate the

establishment, operation and maintenance of pet shops, kennels,
veterinary clinics, veterinary hospitals, stockyards, corrals, stud
farms and zoos and any other form or structure for the confinement
of the animals where they are bred, treated, maintained, or kept
either for sale or trade or for training purposes as well as the
transport of such animals in any form of public or private
transportation facility in order to provide
 Cont. SECTION 3

maximum comfort while in transit and minimize, if not totally

eradicate, incidence of sickness and death and prevent any
cruelty from being inflicted upon the animals.
The Director may call upon any government agency for
assistance consistent with its power, duties and
responsibilities for the purpose of ensuring the effective and
efficient implementation of this act and the rules and
regulations promulgated.
Cont. Section 3

It shall be the duty of such government agency to assist

said Director when called upon for assistance using any
available fund in its budget for the purpose.
 SECTION 4

It shall be the duty of any owner or operator of any land, air

or water publicly utility transporting pet, wildlife and all other
animals to provide in all cases adequate, clean and sanitary
facilities for the safe conveyance and delivery thereof to their
consignee at the place of consignment. They shall provide
sufficient food and water for such animals while in transit for
more than twelve (12) hours or whenever necessary.
 Cont. SECTION 4

No public utility shall transport any such animal without a

written permit from the Director of Bureau of Animal Industry
or his/her authorized representative. No cruel confinement or
restrain shall be made on such animals whole being transported.

Any form of cruelty shall be penalized even if the

transporter has obtained a permit from Bureau of Animal
Industry . Cruelty in transporting includes overcrowding, placing
of animals in the trunks or under the hood trunks of the vehicles.
 SECTION 5

There is hereby created a committee on Animal Welfare

attached to the Department of Agriculture which shall, subject to the
approval of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, issue the
necessary rules and regulations for the strict implementation of the
provision of this Act, including the setting of safety and sanitary
standards within thirty (30) calendar days following its approval.
Such guidelines shall be reviewed by the committee every three (3)
years from its implementation or whenever necessary.
 The Committee shall be composed of the official representatives of the
following:

• The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)

• Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS)
• Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA)
• Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWD) of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
• National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) of the DA;
 Cont. SECTION 5

• Agricultural Training Institute (ATI)of DA;

• Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA);
• Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines (VPAP);
• Philippine Animal Hospital association of the Philippines (PAHA);
• Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS);
• Philippine Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA);
 Cont. SECTION 5

• Philippine Society of Swine Practitioners(PSSP);

• Philippine College of Canine Practitioners (PCCP);
• Philippine Society of Animal Science (PSAS).

The Committee shall be chaired by a representative

coming from the private sector and shall have two (2) vice-
chairpersons compose the representative of the BAI and
another from the private sector.
Cont. SECTION 5

The Committee shall meet quarterly or as

often as the need arises. The Committee members
shall not receive compensation but receive
reasonable honoraria from time to time.
 SECTION 6

It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal,

to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or
maltreat animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfight, or
cause or procure to be tortured or deprive of adequate care.
Maintenance or shelter or maltreatment or use the same in
research or experiments not expressly authorized by the
Committee on Animal Welfare.
Cont. SECTION 6

The Killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs,

goats, sheep, poultry rabbits, carabao, horses, deer
and crocodiles is likewise hereby declared unlawful
except in the following instances.
 Cont. SECTION 6

• When it is done as part of the religious rituals of an

established religion or sect or a ritual required by tribal or
ethnic custom of indigenous cultural communities;
however leaders shall keep records in cooperation with
the Committee on Animal Welfare;
• When the pet animal is afflicted with an incurable
communicable disease a determined and certified by a
duly licensed veterinarian.
Cont. SECTION 6

• When killing is deemed necessary to put an end to the

misery suffered by the animal as determined and certified
by a duly licensed veterinarian;
• When it is done to prevent to an imminent danger to the
life or limb of a human being; and
• When done for the purpose of animal population control;
 Cont. SECTION 6

• When the animal is killed after it has been used in

authorized research or experiments; and
• Any other ground analogous to the foregoing as determined
and certified by licensed veterinarian.

In all the above mentioned cases, including those of

cattle, pigs, goat, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, deer and
crocodiles the killing of animals shall be done through
humane procedures at all times.
Cont. SECTION 6

For this purpose, humane procedures shall mean the

use of most specific methods available as maybe
determined and approved by the Committee.
Only those procedures approved by the Committee
shall be used in the killing of animals.
 SECTION 7

It shall be the duty of every person to protect the

natural habitat of the wildlife. The destruction of said
habitat shall be considered as a form of cruelty to animals
and its preservation is a way of protecting the animals.
 SECTION 8

Any person who violates any provisions of this act shall, upon
conviction by final judgment, be punished by imprisonment of
not less than six (6) months nor more than two (2) years or a
fine of not less than One thousand pesos (1,000.00) not more
than five thousand pesos (5,000.00) or both at the discretion of
the Court. If the violation is committed by an alien, he or she is
immediately deported after service of sentence without any
further proceedings.
SECTION 9

All laws, acts decrees, executive orders, rules

and regulations inconsistent with the provision of
this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SECTION 10

This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

after its publication in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.
Approved:

(SGD) JOSE DE VENECIA JR. (SGD) NEPTALI A. GONZALES

Speaker of the House of President of Senate
Representatives

This act, which is a consolidation of senate bill no. 1020 and House Bill No. 9274 was
finally passed by Senate and House of Representatives on February 3, 1998, and
February 2, 1998 respectively.

(SGD) ROBERTO P. NAZARENO (SGD) HEZEL P. GACUTAN

Secretary General Secretary of the Senate
House of Representatives

Approved , February 11, 1998

(SGD) FIDEL V. RAMOS

President of the Philippines