October is for animals
MANILA, Philippines - Oct. 4 is World Animal Day or WAD. Animal lovers in the Philippines will be celebrating with a series of events such as an animal blessing, a fun dog dash, a conference to be attended by local animal welfare groups and a fundraising concert dubbed “Voices for the Voiceless.”
According to the official World Animal Day website, “World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. Since then it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and is widely celebrated in countries throughout the world. Oct. 4 was chosen as World Animal Day because it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.”
In the Philippines, our World Animal Day ambassador is PAWS’ executive director Anna Cabrera, who is busy coordinating with other animal welfare groups for the various WAD activities.
“Celebrating animals and our relationship with them is important. A big part of our job involves distressing issues like reports of animal cruelty or neglect,” shares Anna. “But there is also much to celebrate such as the fact that there is now greater awareness on why people should be kind to animals and why animals deserve to be treated with respect.”
The Philippine WAD celebration kicks off at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on Oct. 1 with “The Great Dog Dash” — a fun race for dogs 16 inches and below (from top of head to the tip of its paws). Dog owners need to bring proof of updated rabies vaccination and the P300 registration fee, which will go to PAWS Animal Rehabilitation Center. Participating dogs must also be well-socialized and friendly to humans and other dogs. Female dogs should not be in heat.
“The Great Dog Dash” is not about the dogs, but it also about the way their humans behave. Since the winners are determined by which dogs crossb the finish line first, it is always enjoyable to see the humans wave squeaky toys, tempting their dogs with treats and calling out to their pets just to get them to run through the 10-meter track
After all the excitement of the dog dash, pet owners can unwind as they listen to animal-loving celebrities like True Faith, Freestyle, Regine Tolentino, Jay Durias, Rodjun Cruz, Edgar Allan Guzman, Aliya Parcs, Jan Nieto and other special guests who are slated to be perform at the music hall.
There will also be free dog-grooming booths, face painting for kids, an agility demo and other fun activities that both pets and pet lovers can enjoy the whole day. Mall goers will also get to know more about their local animal welfare groups as they browse through the booths of Animal Kingdom Foundation, SAWS, Compassion and Responsibility towards Animals (CARA), Earth Island Institute, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and PAWS.
This WAD celebration is made possible through support of SM Mall of Asia, Alpo, Friskies and Nestle Koko Krunch in cooperation with McDonald’s, Frontline Plus, Pet Express, Belo Essentials, BetterDog and The Philippine Star Pet Life Section.
* * *
On Oct. 2, PAWS and Eastwood City will host a pet blessing at the Eastwood Open Park at 5 p.m. with a procession of the statue of St. Francis of Assisi around Eastwood commencing at 4 p.m. In line with their duties as responsible stewards of God’s creation, pet owners will get to renew their pledge of commitment to their companion animals while pets will be blessed by celebrant and animal lover, Father Joey Paras, SDB. This annual pet blessing is made possible through the support of Pet One & Frontline Plus.
And finally, animal welfare organizations and animal protection group working across the country will come together in the first ever Philippine Animal Advocates Conference for Transformation (PAACT) to be held at the Discovery Suites on Oct. 3. The conference will serve as a networking forum where animal welfare groups can assist one another in developing better animal welfare programs and discuss topics such as animal welfare legislation, running spay-neuter clinics and how to mount effective humane education campaigns. Inquiries and registration for this conference may be addressed to philpaws@yahoo.com.
