Aspins beat all obstacles

It was scorching last Sunday, but that did not stop mixed breed dogs, Aspins, and their owners from trooping to Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill to socialize, join in the fun games and be feted in an event that celebrated the unique qualities of being a mutt.

“Ready-Set-Dash,” organized by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in cooperation with Venice Piazza and Alpo, was an event exclusively for mixed breed dogs as part of the organization’s campaign to promote the beauty of Aspins (Asong Pinoys).

PAWS has been campaigning quite successfully as seen from the turnout last Sunday, for the acceptance of Aspins as equal to purebred dogs.

“Anything associated with the kalye or street was derogatory,” quipped Anna Cabrera, PAWS executive director. “We continue to promote a whole new perspective of the Aspins that majority of pet owners and even professed animal-lovers tend to take for granted.” 

The PAWS Aspin Club was formed in 2010. Under the leadership of its president Nice Rodriguez, the club aims to provide owners an opportunity to socialize their native of mixed breed dogs through fun pet activities like a doggie day spa, dog walks for a cause, basic obedience training sessions and the like which were enough to make any purebred canine drool with envy.

It was heartwarming to see a combination of Aspins and mixed breed dogs, there were 40 of them, making practice runs or walks through the obstacles that PAWs and BetterDog had set up for the event.

Four for PAWS: Director Rich Ilustre, Anna Cabrera, Heart Evangelista and Chet Martinez

“Ready-Set-Dash” had 10 challenges that were meant to test the dogs’ agility, nose work, obedience and overall rapport with their owners.

The obstacle course made up of ramps, hoops, tunnels and fun canine games was transformed by Jojo Isorena of BetterDog into a virtual play-land for the dogs.

In “I Made It Through The Rain,” the dogs had to go through an arch with drizzling water with the owners having the choice of going through the arch themselves if their canine partners were unwilling get wet.

“Temptation Alley” required dogs to walk through a path strewn with every irresistible treat imaginable. Aspin contestants had to focus on following their owners and not eat any of the hotdogs, pork liver and fried chicken dangling on the fence

Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) executive director Anna Cabrera with event hosts Chico Garcia and Patricia Hizon

The test, which challenged a lot of dogs the most was, “The Eggs Factor” where dogs had to use their sense of smell to find the hidden treat inside one of 15 plastic eggs scattered on the floor.

Other fun challenges were “Sit-Sirit-Sit” (fastest to sit), “Through the Fire” (jumping through a hoop), “Spelunker” (going though a cavern tunnel) and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (crossing a long plank).

From 40 Aspin and owner tandems, the following emerged as the top three winners, having garnered the shortest times in completing the challenges. Alya Honasan and her Aspin Kikat were third place, Nice Rodriguez and her Aspin Manda were second and first place went to Victoria Francisco and her Schnauzer-Pom mix called ChocNut.

 Kikay and Manda were dogs rescued by their respective owners, showing the typical plight of most Aspins in the Philippines.

At the end of the race event hosts Chico Garcia and Patricia Hizon called on PAWS celebrity spokesperson, Heart Evangelista, to unveil PAWS newest Aspin campaign.

Heart posed with three shelter dogs to encouraged everyone to adopt an Aspin from local shelters or pounds, saying that her family herself has over 30 dogs, many of them Aspins.

 Heart proudly professes that she, like the majority of Filipinos, comes from a mixed lineage. “And just like the Aspin, we are all 100 percent beautiful!” she said with a big smile.

The PAWS Aspin Club’s Ready-Set-Dash was made with the support of Venice Piazza, Alpo and BetterDog Canine Behavior Center, Frontline Plus, McDonald’s, Swell Sweets and The Philippine STAR Pet Life Section.