A security guard in a mall in Quezon City was sacked from his post after allegedly throwing a puppy from an overpass on Tuesday.
In a viral Facebook post, Janine Santos, the witness of the incident, said that the security officer threw the puppy from an overpass outside the mall to drive the children away from their premises. The puppy was immediately rushed to a nearby veterinary clinic but eventually died.
"PATULONG PO!!!!!!!!!! UNG TUTA PO BINATO NUNG GUARD DITO SA SM NORTH!!!!!!!!! Pinapaalis nung guard ung mga bata, ayaw umalis nung bata. Ang ginawa tinapon nung guard ung aso mula footbridge. Hindi tama yan!!!!! Napakalala mo!!" the post read.
"May isang lalaki po na kinausap ung guard ang sbe nung guard dun sa lalaki: "Wala akong pake." Lahat po ng tao na nakasaksi halos maiyak dahil sa kawalang hiya nung security guard," she continued.
Santos said the puppy's cause of death relayed to her by the veterinarian was brain damage and nose bleeding.
Her post, as of this writing, garnered over 92,000 shares, prompting concerned animal groups to rally against the act of cruelty.
In a statement, the management of SM North EDSA extended its sympathies to the children who owned the puppy. They also announced that they have since dismissed the security guard.
"With extreme sadness, we sympathize with the group of youngsters regarding the incident that happened outside our mall today," the statement read.
"We have called the attention of the security agency to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the matter. The Security Guard has been dismissed and is no longer allowed to service any of our malls nationwide."
They also condemned the incident, reiterating that their establishment is pet-friendly.
Meanwhile, RJC Corporate Security Services Inc. said they are thoroughly investigating the incident.
“We sincerely regret the incident that happened at a mall in Quezon City today involving a group of children and their pet. We are thoroughly investigating this incident together with the public authorities and the parties involved,” it said in a separate statement.
