How pets change lives

We are often told stories of how pets figuring in films and television shows have often run away with the narrative much to the chagrin of directors, producers and actors. In fact, it is a standard warning to all to be doubly careful when working with animals and children.

There is also that belief that pets get so close to their masters that they will do anything to save them, even to the point of dying for them.

Dr. Nielsen Donato of VIP “Vets in Practice” and GMA 7’s Born to be Wild was our family vet for the longest time; he even made sure our old Labrador Elmo would stay in his Laguna Wildlife Park and Rescue Center, co-run by Wilma Redler for Feathered Friends Foundation, whenever we would be away for long periods of time.

Speaking of VIP, Dr. Nielsen’s partners in the practice are doctors Nick and Marga Carpio, plus Dr. Mike Velhagen. From Dr. Marga, we read of cases involving sagip or healthy animals who fall ill while their sick owners get well. A well-documented case is that of writer and breast cancer survivor Bibeth Orteza who had a Labrador and a German Shepherd who fell ill with cancer while she got cured.

 Then, of course, there are stories that deal with a pet who changes the life of his human, and we can only think of Bwakaw starring Eddie Garcia and the dog “Bwakaw” whose ill-tempered aging closet gay master did a complete turnabout from one with no friends to one who accepted his station in life. The partnership in this film was appreciated by millions that it even got to show in various festivals abroad.

Recently, the British Manchester Guardian carried the story of an eight-year-old Lorcan Dillon diagnosed with selective mutism disorder. After talking as a child, he stopped speaking completely in nursery school until a kitten dubbed Jessicat arrived and after six months Lorcan started conversing with the cat. We don’t know how this true to life story will end as Lorcan talks only with Jessicat and not yet with humans.

At a silent film festival at the Shangri-la, we got to watch The Artist, a French film set in the era when silent films were being supplanted by talking pictures. The portion that stuck to our memory was the part when the silent star Valentin, drunk and depressed over happenings, angrily sets on fire his collection of films and passes out while the fire takes over the entire house. Valentin’s loyal dog Jack played by Uggie went on to become more famous than the film’s star Jean Dujardin as George Valentin.

 Uggie attended the American Film Institute premiere of the film, walking the red carpet along with the human cast, and later promoting the film on television shows in the UK. He won the Palm Dog Award for Best Performance by a Canine at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival; was named Nintendo’s first-ever spokesdog in 2012; became spokesdog for PETA encouraging adoption from shelters; and made a cameo appearance in the 2012 comedy film The Campaign.

An Akita puppy named Hachiko is sent from Japan to the US where he is found at the train station by college professor Parker Wilson played by Richard Gere in the true-to-life story, Hachi. Parker is instantly captivated by the dog and vise-versa. Each day, Hachiko brings Parker to the train station and returns for him in the afternoon to walk him home. One day, Parker suffers a fatal heart attack and dies. At the train station, Hachiko waits with no sign of Parker but he returns day after day waiting at the station for him for nine years until he also dies. One day, Parker comes at the station calling out Hachiko’s name. Hachiko lifts his head in recognition as his spirit leaves his physical body to greet his master and their spirits come together forever.

A statue of Hachiko has been placed in the Shibuya train station in celebration of this true story of a dog and his human friend.

There is nothing as winning as the story of man and his pet that could put human love stories to shame. We can think of Disney’s Lady and the Tramp, Einstein, Lassie in his many versions, and Bolt voiced by John Travolta.

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