End Cruel Horse Fighting In The Philippines
23,041 signatures toward our 40,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site
Horses are being forced to fight to the death in the Philippines. This cruelty needs to stop now!
In direct violation of the Republic Act No 8485 (also known as the Animal Welfare Act of 1998), horse fights and abuse have become commonplace in the Philippines, particularly in the islands of Mindanao.
In well-publicized derbies throughout the island country, a mare in heat is introduced to two stallions who then fight for the right to breed with her. The battle continues until one of the stallions retreats or dies. Many mares end up as collateral damage during the fight while hundreds of "winning" stallions die in the days following from severe internal injuries left untreated1.
Some fighters sharpen their horses' teeth for maximum bite damage. In many cases, terrified mares are mounted and raped by the winning stallions, and the losing stallion is left bloody and dying in the arena. Wounded animals often bleed from their eyes, as if they were crying blood2.
Today, bets run as high as $20,000, but the cruel practice has been going on in the region since the 1980s3.
Anyone engaged in horse fighting can be imprisoned for six months to two years and fined P30,000 to P100,000 ($676-$2,200), depending on whether or not the horse dies3.
And yet, horse fighting continues. Why?
The answer is, horse owners, promoters, sponsors, betters, and even government officials would rather keep the blood money than stand up for these animals.
The criminal horse fighting syndicate is well-financed and well-armed. Multiple governments have issued do-not-travel warnings in some areas due to sudden attacks and kidnappings from these organizations5.
Help us end this cruelty!
Sign the petition below and tell the head of the Philippine Animal Welfare Division, it's time to hold those involved in horse fighting accountable for their illegal acts!
- Emily Kent Smith, The Daily Mail (11 March 2014)"Stallions fight to the death in illegal horse-fighting bout as Philippine villagers refuse to abandon tradition that was banned in 1998."
- Network for Animals, (24 September 2019), "NFAs crusades to shut down Philippines horse fighting rings."
- Pia Ranada, Rappler (18 April 2015), "Illegal, cruel horse-fighting in Mindanao alive and kicking."
- Brian and Gloria Davies, Network for Animals, "BREAKING NEWS on gruesome horse fighting!."
The Petition:
Dear Executive Director, Philippine Animal Welfare Division,
Horses in the Philippines are suffering tortuous deaths at the hands of your citizens. I implore you to act on behalf of these innocent creatures and effectively enforce the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, which prohibits horse fights and the maltreatment of horses.
Enacted by the will of the People of the Philippines, the act states the following: "It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance of shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights, kill or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare."
If the humane treatment of animals is so important to your country that a law was put into place to protect them, why are those who continue to illegally fight horses not being brought to justice? I urge you to recommit yourself to protecting horses by putting an end to this barbaric and illegal activity once and for all. Human greed must no longer dictate the future for horses in the Philippines.
Sincerely,
