A new breed of pet owners

At the recent Scaredy Cats and Dogs event of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), I noticed that more and more pet owners have begun to see the beauty of adopting native pets — Aspins and Puspins. A clear sign that the advocacy of PAWS, under its executive director Anna Cabrera, has touched the lives of many.

Adopt, don’t buy is the battle cry of PAWS — and it is great that many have taken up the cause and made it their own. Proof positive of this was the increasing number of Aspin and Puspin entries at the recent Halloween event.

There were two Puspins who got awards: Halim-Aw-Aw Award (Minnie Mouse) and Hali-Meow Award (Ariel). And the Mandaluyong Animal Shelter also had its own entry and the Sunday Parkday Gang which used Aspins to represent local vegetables.

I have also met lots of folks who rescue Puspins in the places where they live — or others who make sure that they put a bowl of cat food outside their homes for the strays that come by daily.

I am also aware that there are still many who would rather throw unwanted litters of kittens in the trash or down the canals of the villages  — as I, too, have rescued litters of kittens that have been cruelly thrown into trashcans.

As the season of giving and kindness approaches, it is my prayer that all people would become kinder to our native dogs and cats — #Stopcrueltynow.

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Overpopulation of strays and rabies are a growing problem in many smaller communities in the country. It is no wonder that many dogs have had to be put down because of these. There is a cost for getting shots yearly for our pets and sometimes many cannot afford the costs.

Pet birth control

Enter the Philippine Pet Birth Control Center Foundation (PPBCC), an organization that aims to eradicate rabies and lessen animal abuse through controlling the pet population by providing low-cost and free neutering services.

PPBCC is the brainchild of vet Dr. Maricelle Licuanan-Resurreccion and her co-founder JV Genesis Floresta. The foundation also includes vet surgeons Dr. Joden Oliver Sumeldan, Dr. Avelino Verdadero Jr., Dr. Leonardo Odon, Dr. Justin Go. The admin people are Christina Santos and Ma. Abegail Barnachea.

PPBCC aims to make neutering affordable and accessible to everyone. They also want to spread awareness about the benefits of neutering to the pets and the community. Pet overpopulation causes numerous problems such as rabies threat, animal abuse, cruelty, and abandonment. Neutering has been one of the most effective and efficient ways to control pet overpopulation.

PBBCC was founded by Dr. Maricelle Licuanan-Resurreccion, also known as Doc Mace, who has been an advocate of neutering and has provided low-cost neuter services throughout her practice as a veterinarian surgeon. A few years ago, she started ‘Kapondasyon’ where her team provided free spaying and neutering in different barangays.

“I want to reach as many pet owners as possible,” shares Doc Mace. “I hope that with our foundation, we will be able to reach more communities.”

PPBCC has four main programs:

1) Low-cost neutering or Kaponaffordable — available to everyone who wants their pets to be neutered, only P500 for cats and P1,000 for dogs regardless of gender. This is a highly subsidized program of the foundation.

2) Free neuter services for indigents. Indigent pet owners do not have to worry about not being able to afford the low-cost rates because the foundation offers it for free; they just need to provide proof of indigence that can be requested in their local municipality.

3) TNVR and CNVR program — Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return (TNVR) or Capture Neuter Vaccinate Return (CNVR) is a program that is slowly being introduced in the Philippines, although it has been successfully applied in different countries. This program focuses on controlling the population of stray and feral animals.

4) Neuter outreach mission (mass neutering).  PPBCC Foundation visits different locations in the Philippines to do mass neutering, usually a two to three-day event that is coordinated with the local government unit. The team neuters 100-250 pets a day.

The foundation has also established its first neuter clinic where they can cater to up to 200 pets a day. It is located at 155 Boni Avenue, Brgy. Plainview, Mandaluyong City. They also plan to open up satellite clinics in the Visayas and Mindanao. PPBCC also visits cities and provinces in the Philippines where they can conduct mass neutering.

Help needed

The foundation relies on the support of the community — as of now they have no international support or big corporate sponsorship. Donating for their outreach missions and general funding will immensely help them to continue the work that they do.

If you want to help Doc Mace and the PPBCC, visit 155 Boni Avenue, Brgy. Plainview, Mandaluyong City,  email info@ppbcc.org or call 949-5941.

For information, visit ppbcc.org.