ANIMALS

INTRODUCTORYNOTES.TheCivilCodeisrepletewithprovisionsthatrecognizeproperty
in animals. It is most commonly found under Book III, Title I (Occupation). As property,
however,theownerthereofisresponsibleforanydamagethatitmaycause(Article2183ofthe
CivilCode).

DEFINITION;UNDERTHE CORPUSJURISSECUNDUM. Broadlyspeaking,theword

"animal"isusedincontradistinctiontoahumanbeing,andsignifiesaninferiorlivingcreature,
generallyhavingthepowerofselfmotion.Generally,animalsarenotproductsalthoughthey
maybesoconsideredforparticularpurposes.1

SAME;LECTURENOTES.Anyanimatebeingwhichisnothuman,endowedwiththepower
ofvoluntarymotion.2

ANIMALSASPROPERTY.Amanmayhaveanabsolutepropertyinanimalsofadomestic
nature;butnotsoinanimalsferaenaturae,whichbelongtohimonlywhileinhispossession.
Yetanimalswhicharesometimes feraenaturae maybetamedsoastobecomesubjectsof
property.3 In Piersonv.Post,itwasheldthatpursuitalonegivesnorightofpropertyinwild
animals.Occupancyinwildanimalscanbeacquiredonlybypossession.

Animalsaregenerallyregardedaspersonalproperty.However,[o]nceanyanimalhasbeen
legitimately reduced to private control, confinement, and possession, it becomes private
property,andtheownercannotbedeprivedoftheuseofsuchanimalsexceptinaccordwithall
theelementsofdueprocess.4

Thispropertyrightinanimalsissubjecttothepolicepowerofthestate.Forexample,inthe
caseofExParteMaier,itwasheldthatstatutesmakingitamisdemeanortosellorofferforsale
the hide or meat of any deer is not unconstitutional, as an attempt to regulate interstate
commerce;itiswithinthepolicepowerofthestate.

Moreover,accordingtothelecturenotes,[i]thasbeenheldthatwhenwildanimalsarekeptfor
apurposerecognizedasnotcensurable,allthatcanbedemandedoftheirkeeperisthatheshall
takethatsuperiorprecautiontopreventtheirdoingmischiefwhichtheirpropensitiesinthat
directionjustlydemandofhim.Onewho knowingly,voluntarily,andunnecessarilyplaces
himselfwithinthereachofaferociousanimalwhichischainedupcannotrecoverfrominjuries
received.Aninjunctionwilllieagainstkeepingaviciousdogwithoutappropriaterestraint;itis

1 3B C.J.S. ANIMALS 1.
2 LECTURE NOTES OF ATTY. ROBLES
3 Id.
4 3B C.J.S. ANIMALS 3.
a nuisance.5 Thus, although pets are generally considered the property of their owners,
"property"indomesticpetsisofahighlyqualifiednature,thepossessionofwhichmaybe
subjecttolimitationandcontrolintheoverridingpublicinterest.6Infact,accordingtoSentell v.
New Orleans & C. R. Co., dogs or domestic animals are animals subject to qualified ownership,
and thus are within the police powers of the State to regulate their ownership, accessory rights
with regard to their owners and their regulation.

QUALIFIEDPROPERTY.VariousprovisionsundertheCoderecognizepropertyinanimals,
includingwildanimals,whichbelongstothepossessorthereofwhilesuchanimalissubjectto
hiscontrol.However,assoonashispossessionislost,hispropertyisgone,unlesstheanimals
goanimorevertendi.7

Relatedcase:Geerv.Connecticut

SAME;BEES.Beesareferaenaturae;butwhenhivedorreclaimedonewayhaveaqualified
propertyinthem,becausetheyhavealocalhabitation,moreofteninatreethanelsewhere,
andwhiletheymaybesaidtobewithincontrol,becausethetreemayatanytimebefelled.But
therighttocutitdownisintheownerofthesoil,andtherefore,suchpropertyasthebeesare
susceptibleofisinhimalso.8Inotherwords,themerefinderofthemonthelandofanother
acquiresnotitletothetreeorthebees.

Likewise,inthecaseofStatev.Repp,itwasheldthatthemerefindingofbeesinatreeonthe
landofanothergivesthefindernorighttothebeesortothetree.Propertyrightsinwildbees
belongtotheownerofthewoods,sothatonecannotbeconvictedoflarcenyofaswarmof
bees,thepropertyofsomeonewho,withoutright,tookthemfromatreeonthelandofanother
andleftthemthere,inahivenotbelongingtohim,whichdefendanttookaway.

Relatedcase:Rexrothv.Coon

SAME;DOGS. Thecommonlawrecognizedapropertyin dogs. Dogsarepersonalproperty

althoughthepropertyrightmaybesubjectedtopoliceregulationbythestatewithoutdepriving
theirownersofconstitutionallyprotectedpropertyrightsorviolatingprinciplesofdueprocess. 9

Theownermayrecoverforitswrongfulinjury;oritsconversion;oritsunlawfulkilling.10

Dogsarenotconsideredasbeinguponthesameplanewithhorses,cattle,sheep,andother
domesticatedanimals,butratherinthecategoryofcats,monkeys,parrots,singingbirds,etc.,
5 ROBLES, supra note 2.
6 3B C.J.S. ANIMALS 4.
7 ROBLES, supra note 2.
8 Id.
9 Id.
10 Id.
keptforpleasure.Theyarepeculiarinthattheydifferamongthemselvesmorewidelythanany
otherclassofanimals,andcanhardlybesaidtohaveacharacteristiccommontotheentirerace.
Theystandbetweenanimals feraenaturae,inwhich,untilkilled,thereisnoproperty,and
domesticanimals,inwhichtherightofpropertyiscomplete.11

KINDSOFANIMALS.AccordingtotheCorpusJurisSecundum,[a]nimalsmaybebroadly
classifiedasdomesticorwild.Thefactthataparticularanimaliskeptforasociallyvaluable
purposedoesnotpreventitfrombeingawildanimal;thetestiswhethertheanimalsare,asa
class,recognizedasdevotedtotheserviceofhumans.12

Incontrast,Parasrecognizesthefollowingarethebasicclassificationofanimals13:

a) wild

b) domesticatedortamed(onceuponatimetheywerewild) (amansados)(Catabianv.
Tunocul,11Phil.49)

c) domesticortame(rearedundermanscontrol)

Itisimportanttodistinguishthenatureoftheanimaltodeterminetheliabilityoftheowner
shouldtheanimalcauseanywrongdoingorinjurytoanother.

DOMESTICANIMALS.Thosethatarenaturallytameandgentleorthatbylongassociation
withhumanshavebecomethoroughlydomesticatedandarenowreducedtosuchastateof
subjectiontotheirwillthattheynolongerpossessthedispositionorinclinationtoescape.14

WILD ANIMALS. Those that possess a wild nature or disposition and so require to be
reclaimedandmadetamebyart,industry,oreducation,orelsemustbekeptinconfinementto
bebroughtwithintheimmediatepoweroftheowner. 15AccordingtothecourtinStatev.House,
wildanimalsmaybethesubjectoflarceny,whentheyarereclaimedorconfined,orwhenthey
aredead.

CONTRASTINGDOMESTICANIMALSANDWILDANIMALS.Wildanimalsarethose
species of animals that, as a matter of common knowledge, are naturally ferocious,
unpredictable,dangerous,mischievous,ornotbycustomdevotedtotheserviceofmankindat
thetimeandintheplaceinwhichtheyarekept.16

11 ROBLES, supra note 2.

12 3B C.J.S. ANIMALS 2.
13 EDGARDO L. PARAS, CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES ANNOTATED: VOLUME 2 789 (16 ED. 2008). TH

14 3B C.J.S. ANIMALS 2.
15 Id.
16 Id.
DUTYOFTHEOWNEROFANANIMAL.Itisthedutyoftheownerofdomesticanimals
tokeepthemuponhisownpremises.Itisthenatureofcattleandotheranimalstostrayandto
dodamage,andtheownerisboundtokeepthemfromstrayingathisownperil.Thecommon
lawdoctrineisthattheownerofthecattlemustfencethemin.17

LIABILITY OF THE OWNER OF AN ANIMAL 18. One who does not own, harbor, or
controlawildanimalinflictingtheinjuriesisordinarilynotliable. However,ithasbeenheld
thatanownerofadomesticatedwildanimalisnotstrictlyliablebutmaybeliableiftheowner's
knowledgeoftheanimal'sviciousandmischievouspropensitiesareshownoriftheowner's
negligenceisshown.Moreparticularly:

(1) Theownerofanyanimal,tameorwild,isliablefortheexerciseofsuchdangerous
tendenciesasgenerallybelongtoitsnature,butnotofanynotinaccordancewithits
nature,unlesstheownerorkeeperknew,oroughttohaveknown,oftheexistenceof
suchdangeroustendency.Torecoverfordamagesinflictedbyaferociousdog,itisnot
necessaryactuallytoprovethatithasbittenapersonbefore.

(2) Theownerofamischievousanimal,knowntohimtobeso,isresponsible,whenhe
permitshimtogoatlarge,forthedamagehemaydo;itissaidthatthoughitmaybe,ina
certainsense,thattheactionforinjurybyviciousanimalsisbaseduponnegligence,such
negligenceconsistsnotinthemannerofkeepingtheanimal,butinthefactthatheis
ferociousandtheownerknowsit.Thenegligenceconsistsinkeepingsuchananimal.

(3) Oneknowinglyharboringaviciousanddangerousdogisliablefordamagessustainedby
othersfromitsbite.Keepingadogknowntobesavagestandsonthesamefootingas
keeping a wild beast. It is enough if he occasionally attacks human beings without
provocation.

ONEBITERULE.Thisisacommonlawdoctrinewhichespousesthat[t]hemerefactofthe
attackdoesnotraiseapresumptionthatthedogwasvicious,butitcanbeestablishedbyproof
thatonpreviousoccasionsithadattackedpeoplewithoutprovocation;andonewhohaslong
harboredaviciousdogispresumedtoknowitspropensities.19

17 ROBLES, supra note 2.

18 Id.
19 Id.