During a recent raid in the Philippines, AWIP investigators working alongside the Philippine National Police intercepted a delivery bound for a roadside slaughterhouse. A female dog meat trafficker was arrested. Inside the vehicle, investigators found one dog, already dead.

We named her Mila. Her legs were bound so she could not move. Her muzzle was tied shut so she could not breathe. Veterinarians confirmed Mila suffocated to death. She did not die instantly. She died restrained, conscious, and helpless slowly losing the fight for air until her body shut down.

A criminal animal cruelty case has now been filed against the trafficker responsible for Mila’s death. But cases like this often end quietly. Weak penalties. Minimal consequences. When cruelty is punished lightly, traffickers learn they can do this again and they do.

This case must be different. Mila’s death was not an accident. It was deliberate restraint that led to suffocation. Prosecutors must pursue the maximum penalty permitted by law. Anything less tells traffickers this brutality is survivable for them, even when it’s fatal for dogs.

Sign now if you agree that Mila's abuser and killer should face the maximum penalty for her crimes.