10,000 dogs to walk for a cause

Proving that every dog has its day, some 10,000 canines are expected to come out in full force tomorrow to join the nationwide "Dog Walk for a Cause" to highlight unabated animal cruelty.

The event will also try to land the Philippines once again in the Guinness Book of World Record – this time for the "longest dog walk."

The Philippine Canine Club Inc. (PCCI), in conjunction with the city of Manila, aims to trot out as many dogs as possible for the five-kilometer walk, which begins Sunday morning in the city.

Arles Jimenez, officer-in-charge of the Manila Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (MTCAO), said they will hold "Dog Walk for a Cause" (Luv ko c Bantay) from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m. along the Baywalk on Roxas Boulevard. Registration of participants will take place an hour before the event.

The goal is not just to show off people’s precious pets, but also to draw attention to the importance of animal rights and proper treatment of dogs.

The pets will be marched close to five kilometers, assembling at Plaza Rajah Soliman in front of Malate Church, then heading toward the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CPP), before turning back toward Luneta Grandstand and Manila Hotel and heading to the starting point of Rajah Soliman. Hopefully, the early-morning schedule for the event will prevent canines (and owners) from suffering the "dog day" Manila heat.

Lawyer Byron San Pedro, president of the PCCI, said aside from promoting animal rights, the nationwide dog walk — to be held simultaneously in key cities — aims to break the 4.8-kilometer walk record set by 5,017 English dog owners last year.

"We have already coordinated with the Guinness World Record (people) for our longest dog walk to be held at Roxas Boulevard and other areas in the country," San Pedro told reporters during a press briefing at a restaurant in Quezon City.

He said they have already registered 3,000 dog participants in Metro Manila alone and more dog owners of purebred and so-called "askal" (asong kalye), or mutts, are expected to join the walk.

Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza and other local government officials are expected to attend the Sunday affair, and First Gentleman owner Miguel Arroyo — a dog owner himself — and his daughter Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo will also grace the occasion.

Organizers hope 5,000 to 10,000 dogs will be registered for the event.

San Pedro said the nationwide dog walk will also signal the start of a nationwide campaign to highlight animal rights — particularly the plight of dogs that are slaughtered and subjected to dogfights in clear defiance of the Animal Welfare Act (ACT).

Dog fighting among wealthy owners of purebred pit bulls is also reportedly rampant in Metro Manila. Bets are placed on the outcome of such fights, which are usually lethal for at least one of the dogs.

Similar dog walks will be held simultaneously in the provinces of Bacolod, Baguio, Batangas, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Albay, Zamboanga, Quezon, Dumaguete, Tacloban, Iloilo, La Union, Laguna, Olongapo, General Santos, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac and Cavite.

The PCCI is supported by its 39 affiliated clubs nationwide along with other socio-civic organizations.

The dog event also sponsors free seminars on how dog owners can better take care of their pets, A dog food company will also distribute samples of their products.

Jimenez noted that Manilans are generally dog lovers and there are hardly any reports of abuses in the city.

People in Manila "treat their dogs not as animals but as members of their own families," he said.

"As for dogfights, this cruel sport has been greatly reduced in the city and is only rampant in the provinces. There is also a visible campaign against eating dog meat." — Perseus Echeminada, Evelyn Macairan