A home for every animal
Iam always in awe of people who adopt an Aspin (Asong Pinoy) or a Puspin (Pusang Pinoy) — whether these folks adopt the dog or cat from a shelter or take them home off the streets — it doesn’t matter. What happens is that they do (bring them home and care for them as their own), and it’s amazing.
I have said it often enough, and to this day I continue to say it — that one day I, too, will be able to adopt a shelter animal or take home a stray off the streets. But for now, I admire those who do and every day before I sleep I pray to the Big Dog in the heavens that he bring more people to bring the homeless pets home.
Every day we pass them by. These often mangy and skinny dogs and cats who dodge our cars as we fly by them in the many streets of Metro Manila. They are the same dogs or cats who scrounge around the garbage or pick up the food that we drop so that they can have at least something to eat, no matter how meager.
I know, I know, the stories of these street animals are no different from the many street kids we see daily. Perhaps even their stories of survival might be the same.
The Difference
There is no government agency dedicated to the welfare of homeless animals (to give them low-cost medical care or provide them with a halfway home).
Perhaps if we could get the homeless dogs and cats to be registered voters they would be given more attention. Sadly, that ain’t never going to be so. And, for many an animal lover, the pain and suffering of these animals are as real as yours and mine.
FIND US HOMES
The dogs and cats we see on the streets are domesticated animals, once family pets, thrown out into the streets because their owners can no longer afford to feed them or they got sick.
People who are unfamiliar with spaying and neutering of their pets (a safe, surgical procedure done by veterinarians to keep animals from reproducing) think that the only way they can get rid of their unwanted pets is to give them to neighbors, who may or may not be prepared for the responsibilities of pet ownership. There are others who make their animals get lost or “pag-ligaw” — the cruel practice of dumping animals in faraway places where they won’t be able to find their way back home.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating people about kindness to animals and responsible pet ownership. PAWS has an Animal Shelter that cares for homeless animals who are victims of cruelty.
PAWS does not take in all strays, and neither does it propose to solve the problem of pet homelessness solely through its animal shelter.
But PAWS believes that through a combination of sheltering, education, spaying and neutering campaigns, and by lobbying for stronger animal welfare laws it will be able to help lessen the homeless animals.
Time For Home
PAWS and Purina recently launched the “Homeless Not Worthless” campaign, which aims to make people aware of the plight of animals on the streets. The eye-opening TV ad and supporting posters focus on the typical experience of a street cat and a street dog.
Through its shelter, PAWS aims to showcase its adoption program by focusing on stories of animals once deemed ugly, hopeless and worthless, who have now been fully rehabilitated and are in need of good homes.
The campaign calls on everyone to help PAWS in whatever little way they can because its life-saving work is important for the community and for the animals that are in its care.
Every life is worth living to the fullest.
Recenlty PAWS brought some shelter dogs to the “Homeless Not Worthless” media launch held at SM Mall of Asia.
The joint efforts of PAWS and Purina with the help of SM have resulted in GaraPAWS. These are drop boxes located in all SM Supermarkets where people can drop a donation and help a street animal.
Among the shelter animals present were Makisig, who was rescued from the dog meat trade. He was crammed in a truck bound for Baguio along with 100 other dogs, most of them already dead from suffocation and dehydration. Makisig is now the only one left for adoption. Reno, who had a huge lump on his nose and forehead, was found underneath a jeep at the corner of Real St. and North Ave. in Cubao, QC. After having undergone chemotherapy (sponsored by kind PAWS patrons) for the tumor on his face, Reno is now ready to go to a good home. Pansy is one of four puppies hurled over a wall and severely maltreated by a Quezon City resident who is now facing charges of animal cruelty. Pansy needs a gentle, softspoken “parent” who will be patient and assure her that no one will hurt her again.
The kittens were Fred and George. These two male kittens were found on top of a garbage heap in Mandaluyong. Now, they are at the PAWS kittenery with the other bottlefed ‘survivors’ waiting for a good home.
