Estafa. You file estafa! When Pet Cremation Becomes an Alleged Criminal Deception
Dr. Geoff Carullo, DVM, FPCCP, DPCVSCA
- Articles
- 3 min read
Imagine paying a pet crematorium to give your beloved dog a dignified farewell.
You receive an urn. You bring it home. You believe your pet has finally been laid to rest.
Then, days later, you discover your dog’s body dumped in a vacant lot.
So whose ashes have you been keeping inside your house?
This is the disturbing question emerging from the controversy involving Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium in Bacoor, Cavite.
The discovery of 26 animal remains in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, has prompted complaints from grieving pet owners who believed their animals had already been cremated.
Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla has ordered the establishment closed. As of November 2, authorities are encouraging 47 complainants to cooperate in pursuing possible criminal charges.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has identified a possible criminal violation: ESTAFA under Article 315(2)(a) of the Revised Penal Code.
Under Philippine law, estafa through deceit may arise when someone makes fraudulent representations that induce another person to surrender money.
Consider these questions:
If the evidence establishes these elements, the matter may go beyond an ordinary contractual dispute.
It may constitute criminal fraud.
However, the law requires proof that the fraudulent representation occurred before or at the time payment was obtained. Failure to perform a service, by itself, does not automatically establish estafa.
Preserve your receipts, payment confirmations, conversations, photographs, cremation certificates, and other relevant records.
These may become important evidence when filing complaints with the police and prosecutors.
For veterinary clinics that facilitated these transactions, cooperate with investigators and preserve your own documentation.
The responsibility of any individual or establishment must ultimately be determined through evidence and due process.
Pet cremation is a business built on trust.
Families are not merely purchasing a service. They are entrusting the remains of an animal they loved for years.
If an establishment knowingly collected money for cremations it never intended to perform, the affected families deserve more than explanations and apologies.
They deserve accountability.
Because when grief is exploited for financial gain, the issue is no longer just about animal aftercare.
It is about possible criminal deception.
And that is precisely why the allegations deserve a thorough investigation.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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