Picture me a pooch, please

Party pooches, pampered pooches and pretty pooches – they came to the South Court, Rockwell Powerplant Mall last Saturday for the launching of the second Rustan’s Pet Center (the first one is at the Shangri-La Mall). And with the opening of the Pet Center came the traveling Celebrity Pooch Gallery.

The Rustan’s Celebrity Canine Gallery puts the dog-human romance in the still frames of the country’s leading lensmen. Tom Epperson, Bengy Toda, Jun de Leon, Lita Puyat, Wig Tysmans and Apa Ongpin were among the photographers tasked with shooting the celebrities and their pets.

Now, the celebrities from all walks of life that came and allowed themselves to be photographed are a clear sign that pet loving knows no boundaries. Humans like presidential daughter Luli Arroyo with Frankfurter, her Dachshund, Rustan’s Marketing Corp. and SSI president Nedy Tantoco with her five pooches (Lhasa Apsos and Yorkshire Terriers), Philippine STAR’s YStyle editor Celine Lopez with Bruno her Chihuahua, actor Richard Gomez with Simba his Boxer, TV hosts Julius Babao and Tintin Bersola with Kamatz, a Siberian Husky and Chinchin, a Chowchow, fashion vanguard Tina Maristela Ocampo with Juan her Italian Greyhound and basketball star Alvin Patrimonio with his Chihuahuas Taco and Salsa, Philippine Canine Search and Rescue Foundation’s moving force Renee Speltz with Tex her Chocolate Labrador, to name just a few.

While we walked through the exhibit and took a real good look at the photos of the humans and their canines, we were awed at how the photos were able to capture the relationship that exists between the two.

But seeing these pooches and their humans up close and very pretty was even better. "We had a hard time taking the photos of the dogs and their owners," said Tom Epperson at the launch. "But it was fun."

Indeed.

The pooches at the South Court were the bigger celebrities that day. It was amazing to see just how well-behaved some of them were and then there were others. Some of the pooches even had their nannies in tow who made sure that the pooches were always picture perfect.

"Can your dogs do any tricks?" asked Tessa Prieto-Valdes who came dressed as Cruella de Ville and played host with Apa Ongpin for the night. "What, no tricks?" she sighed.

It was also an opportunity to catch up on pet news. Oscar Lei of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) said they are doing well with the PAWS Animal Rehabilitation Center (PARC) in Marikina. As we comment on how well cared for the pooches are, Oscar tells me with pride that some of the dogs that were rescued by PAWS and were put in PARC for adoption have been relocated to the United States. "We have been able to home 39 percent of the dogs that we have rescued. And since we opened almost a year ago we have had around 100 dogs in our shelter," he adds. "There are many kinds of pet lovers out there and many more who are willing to adopt homeless dogs." In fact, Oscar says, some of the volunteers of PAWS are foreigners who themselves have opted to take a dog or two home with them.

Yap, yap and a thousand barks for them.

No doubt, the doggies and the humans at Rockwell that Saturday were happy that Rustan’s Supermarket, Metro Magazine and Pedigree embarked on this project which captures just what pet love is really all about.

A must visit are the two Rustan’s Pet Centers, which not only have the best and hottest Pedigree products around but are staffed by pet lovers who can give shoppers and their canines a tip or two on dog care. A real treat for dogs and their humans too.