REPUBLIC

ACT NO.
8485
AN ACT TO PROMOTE
ANIMAL WELFARE IN THE
PHILIPPINES, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS “THE ANIMAL
WELFARE ACT OF 1998”
What is RA No 8485 all about?
•This Act protect and promote the welfare
of all animals in the Philippines by
supervising and regulating the
establishment and operations of all
facilities utilized for breeding,
maintaining, keeping, treating or training
of all animals either as objects of trade or
as household pets
What is the purpose of animal welfare
and rights?
•Animal welfare refers to the state of
the animal; the treatment that an
animal receives is covered by other
terms such as animal care, animal
husbandry, and humane treatment.
Protecting an animal's welfare
means providing for its physical and
mental needs.
What is the main implementing agency of
RA 8485?
• There is hereby created a Committee on Animal Welfare
attached to the Department of Agriculture. The Law declares
torturing, neglecting to provide adequate care, sustenance or
shelter, or maltreating any animal to be an offence.
• The Committee shall be composed of the official
representatives of the following:
(1)   The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);
(2)   Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS);
(3)   Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of
Agriculture (DA);
(4)   Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
(5)   National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) of the DA;
(6)   Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) of the DA;
(7)   Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA);
(8)   Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines
(VPAP);
(9)   Philippine Animal Hospital Association of the Philippines
(PAHA);
(10)   Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS);
(11)   Philippine Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(PSPCA);
(12)   Philippine Society of Swine Practitioners (PSSP);
(13)   Philippine College of Canine Practitioners (PCCP); and
(14)   Philippine Society of Animal Science (PSAS).
What are the penalties in violating RA
8485?
• Violators of any provisions of said law shall be
punished by imprisonment ranging from six (6)
months to two (2) years or a fine ranging from one
thousand pesos (P1,000.00) to five thousand pesos
(P5,000.00) or both at the discretion of the court.
Provided, that any person who shall subject any dog
or horse to dogfights or horsefights as provided in
section 6 hereof shall be punished by imprisonment
of six (6) years and one (1) day to eight (8) years or a
fine of fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) or both at
the discretion of the court.
• Approved by:
• JOSE DE VENECIA, JR.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
• NEPTALI A. GONZALES
President of the, Senate

This Act, which is a consolidation of Senate Bill no. 2120 and House Sill No. 9274 was finally
passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 2, 1998 and February
3,1998, respectively.

• ROBERTO P. NAZARENO
Secretary General, House of Representatives
• HEZEL P. GACUTAN
Secretary of the Senate

• Approved and Signed by:

FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

On February 11, 1998

Did you know that RA 8485 was already
amended?
• It is the purpose of this Act to protect and
promote the welfare of all terrestrial, aquatic
and marine animals in the Philippines by
supervising and regulating the establishment
and operations of all facilities utilized for
breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating or
training of all animals either as objects of trade
or as household pets. For this purpose of this
Act, pet animal shall include birds.
Penalties of Violators
Any person who subjects any animal to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect
shall, upon conviction by final judgment, be punished by imprisonment
and/ or fine, as indicated in the following graduated scale:
“(1) Imprisonment of one (1) year and six (6) months and one (1) day to
two (2) years and/or a fine not exceeding One hundred thousand pesos
(P100,000.00) if the animal subjected to cruelty, maltreatment or
neglect dies;
“(2) Imprisonment of one (1) year and one (1) day to one (1) year and six
(6) months and/or a fine not exceeding Fifty thousand pesos
(P50,000.00) if the animal subjected to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect
survives but is severely injured with loss of its natural faculty to survive
on its own and needing human intervention to sustain its life; and
“(3) Imprisonment of six (6) months to one (1) year and/or a fine not
exceeding Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) for subjecting any animal
to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect but without causing its death or
incapacitating it to survive on its own.
• Approved,
(Sgd.) FELICIANO BELMONTE JR.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
(Sgd.) JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
Acting Senate President
• This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 3329 and House
Bill No. 6893 was finally passed by the Senate and the House of
Representatives on June 6, 2013.
(Sgd.) MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP
Secretary General
House of Representatives
(Sgd.) EMMA LIRIO-REYES
Secretary of the Senate
• Approved: OCT 03 2013
(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
President of the Philippines
 Thank
You!
Presented by:
Anthony Fritz Lanot
Airah Shame Angustia N. Dacio
Jhenzel Franz Marie Fernando