National Geographic abandons dolphin show

Another victory for the dolphins  that is great news.

“We deeply apologize to our NGC viewers and followers who were offended by the media partnership. Rest assured that NGC will continue to champion the cause of protecting the environment,” NGC Philippines posted in response to several objections made on its Facebook page.

With the pullout of the National Geographic as sponsor of the dolphin show, which ends its run tomorrow, tickets are now being sold at half price. 

A clear sign perhaps that people are not willing to watch the show anymore. Yes, there is hope for animal welfare in this country of ours.

I have been told that the venue owner, Araneta Center, has kept a hands-off posture on the controversy. In an earlier report, Araneta Center’s marketing officer Carmela Garcia refused to comment on the issue, saying that they only provided the venue and had nothing to do with the actual show.

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Last week Petlife wrote about the protest action made by members of animal welfare groups like the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Earth Island, Dolphins Love Freedom Movement display anti-dolphin banners inside the dolphin show as a sign of protest last Dec. 30.

Anna Cabrera of PAWS informed me that the protesters at the show were allowed to stand on the floor of the dolphin show for about a minute with their banners unfurled.

Doug

“One of our volunteer-photographers heard someone from the audience whisper: ‘Is this part of the show?,’” Anna added. “ Finally, the bouncers received instructions to remove us from the stage area. We paraded the anti-dolphin show banners for as long as we could as we were roughly shoved out of the venue. We continued the picket outside and distributed flyers.”

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Petlovers from all walks of life will gather tonight at the Bow & Wow Black Collar Benefit Dinner for PAWS. This event will help PAWS raise funds to keep its animal shelter running.

Income from its low-cost spay-neuter clinic isn’t enough to cover the PAWS Animal Rehabilitation Center’s whopping P150,000 monthly overhead costs.

Aside from the fancy dinner by Cibo and giveaways courtesy of Bow and Wow, guests can also look forward to seeing PAWS celebrity volunteers who will attend to show their support for PAWS and to raise funds for the many animals rescued by the organization.

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The Bow & Wow Black-Collar Ball is at 6:30 p.m. at The Gallery of Greenbelt 5. A New Year benefit dinner whose proceeds will go to The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), the Bow & Wow Black-Collar Ball will aid The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in carrying out its activities, notably rescuing adoptable animals wasting away in the streets, and connecting the abandoned animals with responsible pet parents. Bow & Wow joins PAWS in ingraining in people that animal companions ought to be loved, trained and reared with loving attention, safeguarded from accidents and protected against disease. Among the celebrity pet lovers who will grace the event and support PAWS are Carla Abellana, Regine Tolentino, Pia Guanio, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Bimbo Cerrudo and Frenchie Dy.

Mandy

Tickets may be purchased at any of the Bow & Wow stores on the fifth floor Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City, or at the lower ground floor of Greenbelt 5, Makati. Tickets are priced at P2,000 (for a regular ticket with no dog in attendance) and P3,000 (black-collar ticket with one dog).

Wines are courtesy of Wine Story. While the event encourages attendees to bring along their furry friends, guests are also welcome even without their pooches.

For more information, call 501-3680/638-3372, or e-mail marketing@bowandwow.com.ph.

See you there tonight.

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More pets up for adoption:

Doug was found entangled in barbed wires in an empty lot one rainy Saturday night. Doug’s improvised leash (made out of cloth) was so short that he couldn’t even sit down without getting wounded by the wires. A PAWS volunteer rescued him. He has recovered quite beautifully from the cuts and bruises. Doug is one of the oldest dogs at the PAWS shelter. And though he is at the so-called sunset years of his life, PAWS hopes a kindhearted soul will take him in and show him that it is never too late to enjoy life to its fullest.

Mandy likes high places and playing tag with the other cats in the PAWS cattery. She is affectionate and loves being walked on a leash!

Siam is the calm and contemplative one. Just watching her can soothe your soul and help you find inner peace.

Seb was found crawling on the street as a teeny-weeny pup. His x-rays show that he has lost the use of his hind legs due to severe trauma to his backbone.

Still, Seb runs happily around the office, dragging his hind legs behind him with reckless abandon. PAWS hopes to get him a special “wheel chair” so he can  run even faster and find his way to a loving home.

Bambi was once malnourished and very skinny. But Bambi surprised everyone by giving birth at the PAWS shelter. Her pups all got adopted but nobody wanted Mommy Bambi. Bambi is a graceful dog who loves being taken out for long leisurely walks. Easy to handle and very intelligent.

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The PAWS shelter is closed for today as staff members prepare for the fundraising dinner. Interested adoption applicants for the following rescued animals can call or visit starting Monday.

For more information, call 475-1688 or log on to www.paws.org.ph.