The discovery in Bulacan of dumped corpses of pet dogs and cats has prompted inquiries by the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation into apparent cremation fraud. For the grieving families, the demand is both personal and practical: Account for what happened to the beloved pets whose remains they had entrusted to an aftercare provider.
Ceejae Perez’s family thought Ivy had returned home in an urn. Then photographs from the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, showed a bag bearing their dog’s name and weight: Ivy, 14.6 kilograms. The family had entrusted her remains to Ahjay Paws Aftercare in Bacoor, Cavite, after she died on Oct. 23.
“What are these ashes you sent us?” Perez said in a Facebook post, translated from Filipino. The question now extends beyond one grieving household. By Nov. 4, police reported that 250 pet owners had come forward with complaints against the crematorium. Twenty containers of purported ashes had been submitted for forensic examination.
Investigators must establish what happened between collection of the animals’ remains and delivery of the urns. For the families who believed that the transaction had completed a farewell, the search reopens a loss.
Before the posts went viral
Luna and Furry Siblings brought the discovery to wider attention through Facebook posts beginning Oct. 30. But Bulacan residents had noticed the remains earlier. In an Oct. 31 report, residents said they had discovered sacks along New Town Street in Barangay Minuyan Proper in San Jose del Monte on Wednesday morning, Oct. 28. A worker identified as Ronnie said he initially thought the sacks contained ordinary rubbish, then complained to the barangay when an offensive smell developed.
Barangay workers subsequently buried the remains nearby, citing sanitation concerns. The distinction matters: Residents raised the initial alarm; the rescue group’s documentation helped connect the dumped pet bodies with families who had paid for aftercare.
Luna and Furry Siblings said it visited six veterinary clinics and two cremation providers while tracing leads. PetMed Animal Clinic lent a scanner, but the group reported finding no microchips in the remains. Names and weights written on the bags became its principal public clues. The initial count also changed. Reports first described 29 animals, including three cats.
On Nov. 1, the rescue group clarified that the original recovery involved 25 animals, saying a barangay watchman’s correction had caused the confusion. GMA News Network subsequently reported 22 dogs and three cats. That revised count should not be confused with later recoveries or the number of complaints.
The investigation has widened to other locations in San Jose del Monte. PAWS personnel found 31 dead dogs in eight sacks at a septic-tank site in Barangay Minuyan IV on Nov. 3. It identified city veterinary worker Jennifer Soro as having reported that location as early as November 2025. Soro said she had been instructed by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office to leave the remains there because of health and safety concerns. Her account requires a response from the office and an examination of its records.
Another location in Barangay Minuyan V was documented in May 2026. These are leads, not proof that one operator was responsible for every site. The differing inventories require reconciliation. Claims circulating online about thousands of dumped pet bodies are yet unverified and cannot substitute for recovered remains, records and testimony.
A second loss
For pet owners, the investigation has created an ordeal they never expected: examining photographs and livestreams to find a beloved animal they thought had already been cremated.
Ann Flores wrote that she and her family were mourning Brandon when they learned that his body had been recovered. “This is no longer about how much we paid for the crematorium service,” she wrote. She thanked Luna and Furry Siblings for retrieving Brandon and Pets in Peace for offering transport and aquamation services.
Flores and Johanna Marimon, whose dog Max was recovered, separately thanked Aeternal Paws for subsequent aftercare.
Marimon described watching livestreams without knowing whether her pet’s name would be called. Bringing Max home brought relief, she wrote, but did not end her concern for other families.
Dianne Agana said Snowy was among the dumped animals. She also questioned what had happened to three dogs previously entrusted to the aftercare provider. That fear is not evidence that the animals’ remains had been dumped, but it illustrates how the discovery has unsettled earlier customers.
Ems Tarnate Radziwon, writing about Red, demanded an explanation that goes beyond an apology. “We deserve to know exactly what happened, who was responsible, and why this was allowed to happen,” she wrote.
Their posts describe more than dissatisfaction with a purchase. They describe losing confidence in the final act of care they arranged for animals they regarded as family.
What’s being investigated
Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla ordered Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium closed on Oct. 31, after officials met with owner Jonathan Legaspi and more than 30 pet owners. According to the mayor, Legaspi acknowledged sending some animals to Caloocan for cremation but failed to produce sufficient documentation or CCTV footage establishing that the procedures occurred. He also could not assure customers that the returned ashes were those of their pets.
On Nov. 2, Revilla said Legaspi was no longer cooperating with authorities and would await the filing of cases. The operator has denied wrongdoing, according to PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co, who said on Nov. 4 that it maintained the animals had been cremated and the ashes returned. Police said the investigation would continue.
The NBI opened its probe on Nov. 2, assigning its Environmental Crimes Division, supported by regional offices in Central Luzon and Calabarzon. NBI Director Melvin Matibag said investigators would examine complaints, permits, equipment, CCTV and the chain of custody, the record of who received, transported and handled each animal.
The bureau also proposed forensic examinations to determine whether the recovered bodies corresponded to clients’ pets and whether the returned ashes could be authenticated. After meeting owners and advocates on Nov. 3, Matibag announced plans to subpoena people and documents. He also warned against threats to complainants.
PAWS executive director Anna Cabrera reported 191 affidavits and submissions, with 12 owners of recovered pets formally seeking its assistance. Those figures are not interchangeable with the PNP’s 250 complainants, nor are they counts of cases already filed in court.
A criminal investigation must distinguish customers whose pets have been recovered from those seeking reassurance about earlier transactions. Both groups deserve answers, but their circumstances cannot be treated as identical evidence against a service provider.
The legal distinction
PAWS has emphasized that dumping dead animals turned over for cremation does not, by itself, establish an Animal Welfare Act violation. But that does not leave the alleged conduct beyond the law.
Along with the NBI, PAWS has identified possible estafa under Article 315(2)(a) of the Revised Penal Code. Supreme Court jurisprudence requires proof of a false representation made before or alongside the fraud, reliance that induced the complainant to part with money or property, and resulting damage.
A failed service is not automatically criminal fraud. Evidence of deception matters. Animal Kingdom Foundation lawyer Heidi Caguioa has also identified possible violations of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, alongside estafa. Section 48 of that law prohibits dumping waste in public places.
“This case is not simply an issue of improper waste disposal,” Caguioa said. She framed it as a question of accountability and professional responsibility.
PAWS is offering free legal assistance and helping prepare complaints, while Luna and Furry Siblings leads documentation and identification efforts on the ground. The Philippine Animal Rescue Team has also assisted in connecting affected owners.
PAWS has called for a nationwide examination of pet crematoriums, not merely an investigation of one establishment. It asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government to mobilize permit checks; health authorities to examine sanitation; and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to investigate disposal practices.
It also sought clarification from the Bureau of Animal Industry on applicable regulation and assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry concerning consumer remedies. These are requests for agency action, not confirmation that every department has begun an investigation.
Senators have proposed legislative scrutiny: Francis Pangilinan announced plans to include pet crematoriums in proposed animal-welfare reforms, and Pia Cayetano said she would seek an inquiry into regulatory gaps. Peta Philippines campaigner Jana Sevilla pointed out that animal guardians entrust providers with their pets’ remains expecting dignity and respect.
The practical test is whether that trust can be supported by verifiable records: identification at intake, documented transfers, proof of the promised procedure, and an explanation of what was returned. A certificate should be something a provider can substantiate, not something a grieving customer must simply believe.
After the urn
The police examinations and NBI investigation are ongoing. The available updates do not establish laboratory findings about the returned ashes or a court determination of anyone’s criminal responsibility. Pet owners are being urged to preserve receipts, certificates, photographs and correspondence. The documents matter because they connect individual payments and promises with particular animals and handlers.
For the families, however, the question remains painfully direct: Where did our pets go? They were not asking a business to reverse a death. They paid for a service and trusted that their pets would be treated properly. They should not have been compelled to search a dumping ground to find out if that promise was kept. CS
Read more: When Barks and Meows are Terms of Endearment in Living with Pets
