Pet matters

To the kitties and doggies of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS):

“We hope that Typhoon Ondoy wasn’t too harsh on you. Here are three bags of dog food for you to share. We hope that this keeps your tummies filled, for even a few days. There’s also a carton of milk replacer for babies without their mommies there.

“We love you and you are always in our prayers. That includes the kind people at PAWS, too. Blue was also adopted there so our parents know how special all of you are. We hope that you will also find your forever homes soon.

“Be safe everyone. Meow.

From Blue, Redd and Caramel.”

The note included a photo of the three cats curled up together in their bed. Blue was adopted by Jal Ignacio.

Notes like these and the many donations that came in at the height of Ondoy’s devastation and the Pepeng and Ramil disaster operations at the PAWS shelter kept the spirits of volunteers up.

“These notes gave us the energy to go on even when we were very tired,” said PAWS shelter director Heidi Guzon.

The outpouring of support from the many kindhearted people who sent medical supplies and food goes beyond words.

Matter of fact, the people who donated their goods did not seem to mind the traffic in front of the shelter as the Aurora flyover was closed down after Ondoy.

The Good News

Some of the rescued animals have already been adopted and others were reunited with their owners. Animals rescued from the floods have already found new homes or been reunited with their owners.

Einstein, a dog rescued from the roof of one of the houses in Provident Village, Marikina was reunited with owner, Donna Reyes.

Lyndon (or Lyn), the first dog rescued by the PAWS Rescue Team from Provident Village last Sept. 29, had been swept up by the current to the roof of one of the houses and had been without food or water for three days when PAWS found him. Lyn easily became one of the volunteers’ favorite dogs at the shelter because of his very sweet disposition. Rescuer May Felix did not even need to put a muzzle on him when she carried Lyn from the roof.

Screenwriter Jun Lana heard about Lyn’s amazing rescue and went to the PAWS shelter right away to apply to adopt the dog. Jun has three dogs of his own, and shuttles them back and forth from his condo unit to his mother’s house just so that there will be someone who will look after the dogs when he is at work.

Finn was one of the puppies found floating on pieces of debris in the middle of Laguna Lake almost two weeks after Typhoon Ondoy. Finn and his two other canine companions, Sarah and Jackie (named by PAWS volunteers), were thin and starving when PAWS found them. Jackie had to be put on fluids for three days before she could stand up. Of the three, Finn was the first to get adopted by Thelma Guzman.

“Finn’s resemblance to the dog we lost is uncanny,” says Thelma. Thelma explained that their old dog, Whoopi, had the same black and white markings although he was an adult dog. Thelma carried Finn lovingly as she would a baby when she came to the shelter last week to take him home.

More Adoptions

The monthly average adoption rate for PAWS is 10 dogs and six cats. But November promises to have the highest number of adoptees this year as the shelter has already posted eight dogs and five cats adopted a few days shy of the middle of the month.

Paul Cablayan adopted Brigitte (long-haired brown and white dog) and Nigel (short-haired brown dog); Rosabelle Fontelera adopted Blue (long-haired brown dog who looks like a fox); Leandro Lozano adopted Max the shelter cat, and Jenelle Bonifacio adopted white and orange shelter cat Joey.

Still, there are a few more dogs and cats waiting for their forever-homes: Twiggy, who was rescued in Pasig and Harry from Marikina, for example, are ready to go.  

If you are interested in adopting a dog or cat from PAWS, you just have to fill out the application forms and undergo an interview.

For more information, visit PAWS Shelter in Aurora Blvd., Katipunan Valley, Loyola Heights, QC between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays. Or call 475-1688.

PAWS continues its disaster relief operations for animals in need in Laguna on a weekly basis. Volunteers may visit the shelter during office hours to inquire about joining the outreach programs for these areas.

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I would like to share with you an e-mail I recently got from Jenny Santi:

“I would like to appeal to your convening power and influence to write about this particular issue which so deeply bothers me. This is something that I have seen with my own two eyes years back, and yet I pushed it back in my memory as it was far too painful. Now I have gathered the strength to speak out, and I need people like you to help me get word on this out.

“Years ago I went to Arranque Market with my sister and witnessed animal cruelty in one of its worst forms. A puppy vendor had, in a tightly woven net, about 10 to 12 very young puppies crammed into it. The net with the puppies inside it was placed under the scorching sun, and the puppies were wet with water from the sewage that seeped out on the sidewalk. I was so angry I screamed at the puppy vendor, and hoped that would make them reconsider what they were doing.

“My sister and my cousin were in Divisoria recently (Ilaya and Sta. Elena Sts.), where they chanced upon more puppies being sold by illegal sidewalk vendors. My sister took pictures with her Blackberry, so they are not very clear, but you can see that the puppies were being treated extremely poorly. In addition to the dogs that were overstuffed inside their cages, one on top of the next on top of the next, several puppies were dangling from the cage like inanimate puppets, obviously suffering.

“My sister reports: ‘We reprimanded the girl who was selling the puppies and she just laughed at us. I told her “Bawal yan.” She acted surprised like, ‘Bakit bawal? Pinapakain namin yan.”’ 

“We left, sick to our stomachs that we could not do more for these poor, beautiful animals. Only carrying with us fear of what their present and future holds and anger that this is considered to be permissible in our country.

“In fact, this is not the first time that I have seen puppies being treated this way. Five years ago, when we were searching for our dogs, which were stolen, we had a similar but much worse experience at the Arranque market. Twenty or so new arrivals, puppies stuffed in one blue netted bag on a filthy sidewalk, were being doused with water.

“The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) asks that we do not buy from these illegal vendors because they will only get other puppies to replace the ones that are bought. We have several extremely lucky pet dogs at home and are crushed that so many out there are suffering this fate.

“PAWS is doing such an amazing job. However, beyond this we need to do more. What can we do? Clearly, screaming at these animal vendors is not enough.”