07/02/2026
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IT IS HORSE CRUELTY AND IT MUST END!
Equine expert Ma. Teresa Gozon-Viterbo has weighed in on the viral horse-dragging incident in Misamis Oriental confirming what animal welfare groups and witnesses on-site observed: the act of forcibly pulling the horse with a truck was not training, but cruel handling.
โThe bony and visibly undernourished horse showed clear signs of distress in the video. He was being forcibly dragged while under evident stress, offering little resistance, exhibiting heavy, labored breathing. These observable behaviors are consistent with acute physical pain combined with psychological distress and indicate trauma rather than any acceptable form of normal handling, restraint, or training, โ said Gozon-Viterbo, an equine expert who has worked with horses for over 10 years. She is also the only equine therapist in the Philippines certified by the international federation for horse sports โ Federacion Equestre Internacional (FEI)- and a certified Equine Assisted Psychotherapist.
โA photo of his eventual collapse confirms that the maltreated horse had reached its physical limits. I kept shaking my head when I saw that statement from the owner that the animal was โrecumbentโ or resting. A horse that collapses is ill or severely fatigued. A healthy horse would never lie on the road like that.
Dragging a horse will cause soft-tissue tearing, joint- dislocation, internal and external injury, and extreme psychological distress.
It is plain and simple cruel handling, not training.โ
PAWS has earlier called for witnesses to help the organization in filing a case of abuse against the horse owner and truck driver identified by news outlets as Jose Castro.
The vlogger who posted the video of the collapsed horse has not been responsive to messages from the media and PAWS volunteers.
Princess, one of the witnesses to the horse being dragged by the truck (but not the horseโs eventual collapse which happened a few minutes after the horse passed their group) said โKitang kita po namin na hirap yung kabayo kase paakyat yung daan na yun. Halos lahat ng nakakita nagko comment na kawawa yung kabayo nung dumaan.โ
Both PAWS and PETA Asia have notified and sought the assistance of the Bureau of Animal Industry โ Animal Health and Welfare Division to investigate the incident and file charges.
โHowever, none of the animal cruelty incidences that PAWS has reported to BAI for decades has actually ripened into the BAI filing charges against animal offenders, โ says PAWS Executive Director Atty. Anna Cabrera. โIt is a continued cycle of requesting for witnesses to come forward so that non-government organizations can file these cases. It is frustrating because if the BAI is undermanned and underfunded, then this is even more true for animal welfare NGOs.โ
The Expanded Animal Welfare and Protection Act or the ALAGA Bill (Animal Life Advocacy and Guardianship Act) which will improve the enforcement of the current Animal Welfare Act has already been submitted for filing at the Senate and in Congress.
Advocates are still hopeful that charges will be filed against the cruel horse owner, if not by PAWS, by government agencies mandated to implement the law.
โThis incident should not be normalized as a typical day of horse training. The cruelty must stop,โ says Cabrera.
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Witnesses may contact PAWS at [email protected]
Urge local officials and the BAI AHWD to make a stand and take action against horse cruelty.
