[WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTENT]

A severed head of a baby was held reportedly in the mouth by a stray puppy in the upland barangay of Campo 7 (Siete), Minglanilla, Cebu.

Residents believe the stray puppy and a mother-dog devoured the body of the newborn.

According to Hilario Alisoso, a resident, he saw a stray puppy holding an "object" in between its teeth on Monday, January 5, 2026. He surmised it was the head of a doll.

Another resident, Judy Ubcial, said he thinks the same.

When they went close to the puppy, the animal dropped the “object.” They saw upclose that it was the head of a newborn baby, wet with slimy fluid and bloodstains.

They said that the face and the head are clearly visible, and so they believe it is newly born.

The two, along with other residents who were stirred by the incident, tried to locate the body of the baby. They found a cloth with bloodstains and slimy fluid not far from where the head was found.

As no body was found, they surmised that the stray dogs could have eaten the body.

According to Dr. Alice Utlang, a retired city veterinarian and an expert in animal behavior, a dog does not eat human beings and other dogs. However, when a dog is famished, it will devour anything for survival.

The severed head was already buried, as of this writing. 

Based on initial investigation of the Minglanilla Police, it is possible that the baby was a victim of abortion, thrown in the grassy area where the dogs found the body.

The authorities condemned the act and vowed a case to be filed against the culprit, including the parents in case the culprit is a juvenile, according to Police Lt. Col. Maria Theresa Macatangay, chief of the Minglanilla Police Station.

A few residents said they noticed a car near the area on Sunday, January 4, 2026, but could not determine whether a body was dumped.