The two dogs who witnessed the gruesome murders of their humans in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City, were rescued a week after the incident.
The pet dogs were left alone with no food and water. One of them was left inside the house, while the other one was outside the gate.
Animal welfare organization Community Animal Rescue Efforts (CARE) Inc. said, “only a few paid attention to two creatures left behind” following the tragedy in Barangay Tangub.
CARE, in a Facebook post, said their rescuers were informed on April 10 about the living conditions of the two pets, whom they named Prince and Michael.
“With no food and water for a number of days, Prince was padlocked inside and Michael braved the heat and cold outside the gate,” the group said.
They added that concerned neighbors had given Michael food.
“Prince, obviously an ‘eyewitness’ to the gruesome murder of the family, was growling and secluded himself under the bed. When approached by rescuers, he initially exhibited fear and confused aggression, a symptom of trauma. Gripped with fear, it took a while for Prince to develop calmness,” CARE said.
Michael, on the other hand, “exhibited confusion and remained dormant outside the gate waiting for his master to let him but who will no longer be there forever,” they added.
On Sunday, April 11, the group was able to rescue the two dogs after Station 8 policemen opened the gate of the house so the dog could be rescued.
Malou Perez, founder of the animal welfare group PAWSsion Project, will foster the two dogs.
Perez said the two dogs were traumatized and confused about what happened.
“I’ll be fostering them until they are rehabilitated, emotionally at least. I’ll have them vaccinated and neutered,” she said.
She said that they had Prince checked by a veterinarian because he was the “most traumatized” because he was on site when the killings happened.
“Let’s pray for justice and the repose of the soul of the family, and that the dogs will understand that they will not see them anymore,” she said.
On April 4, Jocelyn Espinosa-Nombre, 59, her sister Remedios Jemma Espinosa, 69, their nephew John Michael Espinosa, 35, and his six-year-old daughter were murdered at their home.
Their bodies were already in a state of decomposition when they were found three days later, April 7.
The suspect, Christian Don Tulot, 39, had admitted to the killing and will be charged with multiple counts of murder.*