It was love at first kiss for Sharon Cuneta

Perhaps it is the canine version of the Cinderella story.  After the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) got a call from a volunteer about a sorry-looking and mangy dog found along Quezon Avenue, the PAWS people rescued the severely weakened animal from the streets. The dog turned out to be in such a pitiful state that the original plan was to put it out of its misery. Fortunately, PAWS veterinarian Dr. Wilford Almoro didn’t give up. He carefully reassessed the despondent animal and decided something could be done. True enough and with a lot of patience and care at the PAWS shelter, the once forlorn dog regained her health and is on the road to full recovery. She has regained the characteristic sturdy build of her breed. Her fur has also grown back to reveal that she is a Chow Chow that lives up to the description of “puffy-lion dog.”

But that is not all. She has likewise found a home and become one of the much-loved pets of a well-known personality. Sounds like one of those highly unlikely plots of the television telenovelas? Well, you’d better believe it because it is true. The fortune of that previously wretched dog has been reversed so that her new mistress now is the multi-awarded singer, actress and Megastar Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan.

How did it happen that Sharon found Rosie. “Volunteers from PAWS were guests in my show. I love animals; believe in the causes that the animal welfare group espouses, so I made up my mind to visit the shelter to see what I can do to help,” she relates. “I saw Rosie when she was still in quarantine and something about the gentleness of her demeanor tugged at my heart.”

Sharon shares that caring for Chow Chows is not an entirely new experience for her family as daughter KC’s Chow Chow Popo and a female named Mochi share their home. “They say that Chow Chows can be quite temperamental and not everyone can handle them,” continues Sharon. “But apart from being too frisky sometimes, the ones we have are good natured and even-tempered.” She jokes that daughter KC’s Chow Chow Popo “has to stay with the lola” and stays in a kennel built for the bigger dogs with a female named Mochi. The two dogs peacefully share the living space with two Beagles names Bea and Cupcake (daughter Frankie’s dogs), and KC’s Shih Tzu who is named Grandpa “because he snores like a lolo.” A 12-year-old Rottweiler named Noelle lived amicably with the rest of the pack until she died after Christmas.

Sharon would come to the PAWS shelter after office hours — when no other visitors or guests were around — to check on the shelter animals.  She would chat with PAWS staff members for hours about her dogs.

When she saw Rosie in the PAWS quarantine kennels — all mangy, and very sad-looking, Sharon was visibly very affected. She had Chow-Chows of her own and was shocked that people could treat animals in such a cruel way.

Even when Rosie looked horrible, Sharon asked for her to be brought into the office so she could hold her and kiss her. After spending a few moments with Rosie, she immediately said she would adopt her — that she would sponsor all of her needs, together with some of the special-needs dogs at the PAWS shelter.

Sharon is very passionate about animals. She always points out that they are “God’s creatures, too” and wished that many people would also come to realize that companion animals like cats and dogs give so much more to humans in terms of relieving us of stress and teaching us how to appreciate life.

Sharon was so excited to do the campaign when PAWS informed her that she could make a huge difference for shelter animals. 

It was Sharon who gave the shelter Chow Chow its name “Rosie.” She was originally called “Queenie” but Sharon promised herself that her next dog will be called Rosie, and once she fell in love with the hairless dog in the quarantine kennels, she asked the staff if she can rename the dog “Rosie” because she was adopting her.

Dogs share the indoor space with the family, too. There is Kaia, a Maltese that daughter Miel likes to call her baby, and a Bichon Frise called Aristotle (nicknamed Arie) that son Miguel is particularly attached to. “We may have favorites but we love all of them very much,” says Sharon. “The dogs teach my kids responsibility. They teach the kids to share.” She muses that Rosie will probably be an “indoor dog.”

Sharon has fond memories of childhood pets. “My brother and I always had dogs when we were growing up. All kinds —  Dobermans, Pekingese, Shih Tzus and even local dogs. In my 20s I had eight Pomeranians including a male named D-boy” (named in honor of Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez who gave her the dog as a present). Dogs even got to share her acting career. There was Blondie, a favorite Japanese spitz who was featured in the movie P.S I Love You. And of course, she had a screen name. “She was called Blondie in the movie,” Sharon laughingly recalls. Another favorite is Solomon, a Shih Tzu that she and husband Senator Francis Pangilinan had before Frankie was born. “She was like our first baby.”

What does Sharon say when people say that with so many social problems, pet lovers like her are wasting resources by spending on animals? “I understand where they’re coming from and I wish I could solve everybody’s problems,” she says matter of factly. “But sadly, that’s the reality especially in our country. I think many of us do what we can to help. We are conscious so that we are not remiss with our obligations to our fellowmen, But I also know that our pets give back to us with their unconditional love. Animals are also God’s creatures and my family has a lot of affection to give. So our pets can be included in that circle of love.”