Puerto Princesa’s top vet warns of disease danger after dog ‘gang raped’

dog
File photo via Pixabay.

Puerto Princesa’s chief vet has warned of the dangers of sex with animals following the alleged “gang rape” of a dog in the city.

As we reported on Thursday (January 10), an animal rights group made the claim on its Facebook page this week. 

Strategic Power for Animal Respondents (SPAR)-Philippines gave few details of the alleged attack, but posted 16 photographs related to its claim, which have since been removed by Facebook moderators.

dog
The Facebook post that made the claim that a dog had been gang raped in Puerto Princesa this week.

Now, the Puerto Princesa City Veterinary Office (CVO) has warned that having intercourse with animals can cause the possible mutation of bacteria and viruses to cause disease in humans.

Speaking to Palawan News, CVO chief Dr Indira Santiago said the risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease (STD) higher for people having sex with animals rather than with fellow humans.

“What we do not know now is maybe the symptoms are not yet manifesting on him and if he has a girlfriend or wife and he is involved in other forms of sexual activity, there is a possibility that he can transfer secretions he got from the dog to another human.”

She added that even dogs can be carriers of sexually transmitted diseases, adding there was no medication available for such infections. She did not elaborate on what STDs are commonly found among dogs.

However, she also emphasised that sex with animals was a moral wrong more than it was a practical danger. “This is outside the scope of human morality,” she said.

“In the eyes of the Lord, such activity is repulsive. It’s not within the scope of man’s morality. Second, we cannot control disease transmission. We can see that right now, various diseases are coming out.”

She added that her office was going to investigate the alleged sex attack as an act of animal cruelty.

In their original post, the animal rights activists had warned the alleged dog rapists could be a “threat to the community. Please guard your Pets and daughter, who knows they will be next!” The Bacolod-based group is also investigating the claim with the help of a lawyer based in Puerto Princesa.

UPDATE: PLN has consulted with a British veterinary surgeon (an alumni of the Royal Veterinary College with more than 50 years of experience). He was categorically certain that sexually transmitted diseases do not exist amongst dogs, and certainly could not be passed to humans. He did, however, question why a fellow vet would raise such concerns, over and above any obvious moral and welfare issues when discussing the gang rape of domestic animals. 

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