Actor Christian Bables has publicly called out a pet memorial chapel and crematorium for the alleged mistreatment and neglect of his beloved dog, Hope, who passed away on June 15.
According to Pilipino Star Ngayon’s report, Christian’s lawyers have sent a letter demanding a public apology from the crematorium, identified as The Haven of Angels Memorial Chapels and Crematorium Inc., for allegedly mishandling Hope’s body and the lack of proper care and respect for the deceased pet.
Christian recounted that he had paid PHP 1,000 for the immediate collection of Hope’s body. However, he was left waiting for several hours before Hope was finally picked up.
In addition to the delay, Bables was heartbroken to discover that during Hope’s “viewing,” his cherished pet had not been appropriately prepared.
In an interview with ABS-CBN, he recounted the condition he found his late pet in, “Pag dating namin dun si Hope nakabalandra lang dun hindi manlang inayos.”
He expressed his sadness over facing a distressing situation over the loss of his furry companion.
“Ang panget sa pakiramdam ‘yun kasi last time makikita ‘yung someone I dearly love, alam ko hindi lahat maintindihan nararamdaman ko. Pamilya ko kasi ‘yun[,] malaki siyang part ng support system ko,” he said.
Christian stressed that his beloved pet was not given the respect she deserved in her final moments and hoped his call for accountability would prevent other pet owners from facing similar treatment.
“I think it’s about time to speak up that animals of all kinds and sizes should be treated with enough respect and decency, buhay pa man na kasama natin o namayapa na,” he said.
He further emphasized the need for animals to be treated with respect and decency, whether alive or deceased, and aims to raise awareness to protect future pet owners and their pets from such experiences.
“Alam ko marami ding fur parents makaka-intindi ng nararamdaman ko ngayon. This is to place awareness na sana wala na furparent or furbabies na makaranas ng ganito,” said Bables.
The pet crematorium in question issued an apology to the actor a few days later, which the latter had acknowledged on his social media account.
On the official Facebook page of the Haven of Angels Memorial Chapels and Crematorium, the establishment expressed regret for failing to meet Bables’ expectations on the pick-up and preparation of the remains of his dog.
“As far as our viewing process is concerned, we placed Hope inside the chapel and on the table with flower arrangements. However, Mr. Bables had more expectations to give Hope a memorable send-off, which unfortunately, we were not able to meet,” the statement read.
It continued, “We understand the importance of this process and the emotional significance it holds to him as a pet owner and fur parent. On this matter, we apologize.”
It further assured the public that it would “use this experience to enhance our processes and ensure that such an incident will not occur in the future.”
“We are committed to providing the utmost care and attention to every pet entrusted to us, and we will implement measures to improve our services with the hope of meeting the expectations of our valued clients,” it wrote.
Following the pet crematorium’s apology, Bables expressed his understanding and acknowledgment of it, saying, “I believe accepting your apology and accountability is a step towards brighter days for me and my beloved dog at the Rainbow Bridge, Hope.”
“I hope and pray we all learn from this experience and ensure that the future of all living and breathing animals is filled with the love and care they deserve,” he added, mentioning and thanking his lawyer, Atty. Rafael Vicente Calinisan, for standing by him during the incident.
