Shangri-La Fort cooperating with CARA in search, but BGC cats yet to be found

Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA) Welfare Philippines on Tuesday shared an austere update on the search for the missing cats from Bonifacio Global City.

More: Where are the BGC cats? Shangri-La Fort issues statement, denies micro-managing FB page.

On their official Facebook page, CARA said that they were unable to find the BGC cats in the location identified by Shangri-La Fort —  Ilaya Street and Anastacio Street. They also conducted a search in Cloverleaf Park, Guadalupe Nuevo.

They noted that these streets are not in Taguig City, as previously claimed.

In an interview with dzBB, CARA Senior Volunteer Gem Faisan said that these busy and noisy streets will cause the cats distress, adding that their chances of surviving there are slim.

"Imposible po na mag-survive ang mga pusang na katulad ng cats of BGC na sanay sa tahimik sa magulo, traffic, at masalimuot na lugar na 'yon," Faisan said.

Faisan informed the public that the cats are spayed and neutered, describing them as clean and healthy-looking. The cats are also comfortable with people — which made rounding them up easy — and encouraged people to be on the look out for them.

If found, CARA asked people to take a clear photo for reference and send them to the group's official Facebook page. 

Meeting with Shangri-La Fort

CARA in their statement and Faisan in the interview clarified that Shangri-La Fort has been cooperative and apologetic about their handling of the situation.

Representatives from Shangri-La Fort told Faisan they had decided to "relocate" the cats as they "have entered the premises of the hotel."

"There should have been better ways to deal with it," she said. "'Yong Shangri-La po, to be fair, they admitted the lapses on their parts. They were very ignorant on how to deal with these cats."

Faisan said that she explained to Shangri-La Fort General Manager John Rice, an Australian, that most of the Filipinos must have thought that the cats were placed inside sacks and drowned.

Although he tried to assure her that this was not how the cats of BGC were handled, he admitted that not a single employee from Shangri-La Fort was present to monitor Pest Buster's operation.

In their statement, CARA "raised the issue of Pest Busters’ non-cooperation with the search and rescue, and even with the confirmation of certain pieces of information, such as the exact locations of the relocation/rehoming operation" during the meeting.

CARA will be conducting more searches and will be following up on Shangri-La Fort's claims that some cats were adopted by employees.

Faisan additionally reminded the public that  animal welfare is human welfare. "Kung makakita po tayo ng stray [animals], huwag po nating saktan," she said. — Aya Tantiangco, GMA News