Theres nothing like a happy and healthy pet! Yesterday, Saturday, the 16th of August, CARA (Compassion and Responsibility for Animals) did just that -- make sure that the cats and dogs in Moriones, Tondo were happy and healthy by offering free vaccination, medical consultation, and grooming. Thats not all. They also brought home loot bags with a lot of treats!
Some 350 pets and their humans gathered in the Moriones basketball court as early as 8:00 AM. Together with their owners, they came on foot, in boxes, rode bikes, tricycles, pedicabs, etc. The mood was festive, but there were no flashy cars, yayas or drivers to escort these critters... no sophisticated cages, collars, nor fancy doggie or kitty clothes. A lot of them were cradled very lovingly like human babies.
The owners of a few dogs with telltale signs of abuse and neglect were given lectures on responsible pet ownership. We could only hope that they learned something from our homilies.
Being one of Animal Welfare Coalitions institutional members, CARA was assisted by other AWC individual members, Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) and LovePets.com. It sure was one feel-good Saturday. Congratulations CARA, for a job well done!
Please check out the front page of the Philippine Star today, Aug. 17, 2008 for the full story. Click on the link below to view some of yesterdays scenes in Tondo, Manila.
Theres nothing like a happy and healthy pet! Yesterday, Saturday, the 16th of August, CARA (Compassion and Responsibility for Animals) did just that -- make sure that the cats and dogs in Moriones, Tondo were happy and healthy by offering free vaccination, medical consultation, and grooming. Thats not all. They also brought home loot bags with a lot of treats!
Some 350 pets and their humans gathered in the Moriones basketball court as early as 8:00 AM. Together with their owners, they came on foot, in boxes, rode bikes, tricycles, pedicabs, etc. The mood was festive, but there were no flashy cars, yayas or drivers to escort these critters... no sophisticated cages, collars, nor fancy doggie or kitty clothes. A lot of them were cradled very lovingly like human babies.
The owners of a few dogs with telltale signs of abuse and neglect were given lectures on responsible pet ownership. We could only hope that they learned something from our homilies.
Being one of Animal Welfare Coalitions institutional members, CARA was assisted by other AWC individual members, Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) and LovePets.com. It sure was one feel-good Saturday. Congratulations CARA, for a job well done!
We received an anonimous email containing a truly amazing story. We all know some very special animals. In fact, EVERY animal is very special in its own way, just like us. But sometimes, one comes along that is VERY special. Take a close look at this and marvel at what will power this dog must have. Heres a tribute to a very special dog!
Include pets in all disaster plans, veterinarians urge Part 1 By Tessa Salazar Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:24:00 05/08/2008
MANILA, Philippines—The devotion that some people lavish on their equally loyal pet animals comes to the fore during disasters, according to an American veterinarian who has been running an animal hospital with round-the-clock emergency coverage for 35 years. Barry N. Kellogg has been witness to such occasions, including Superhurricane Katrina, which wreaked havoc in New Orleans in 2005. Kellogg, who was among those who organized a rescue response team in Katrinas wake, said many New Orleans residents drowned because they refused to leave their dogs behind. They wouldnt evacuate before the storm. They wouldnt go to the shelter because they couldnt bring their animals. So they stayed in their houses, and the waters came, and they drowned. So we have to be ready for disasters and take care of the animals, he said. Kellogg, 65, a senior veterinary advisor of the Humane Society International (HSI), was also among the leaders of the Veterinary Medical Assistance Team honored by the American Veterinary Medical Association for aiding in the search-and-rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Along with Dave Pauli, 52, regional director of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Kellogg has been conducting training sessions for Filipino veterinarians, rescue volunteers and animal control officers. The sessions involve emergency preparedness, humane handling of stray animals, and quick spaying and neutering (a simple surgical process that disables the reproductive organs of female and male animals). Kellogg recalled how his rescue team plucked stranded pets from the flooded houses in New Orleans. He said the team was not fully prepared and was forced to transport the animals in a closed truck to the surrounding cities, hopefully to be reunited with their owners. But the temperature then was 130 degrees, and all the animals in the truck soon died from the heat. We want to see Filipinos make [disaster preparedness] plans that include animals so that you dont experience that kind of situation, Kellogg said during a recent seminar in Makati City. Mona Consunji of the Philippine-based Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) agreed, saying that if there were international disaster preparedness plans for humans, local animal welfare groups should have one for animals, too. The training sessions are being organized by the AWC together with the Department of Agricultures Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI), the HSUS/HSI, the Provincial, City and Municipal Veterinarians League of the Philippines, and Merial Philippines. Sessions were conducted at the Makati Park and Garden on April 30 and at the DA-BAI on May 2 and 3. The next sessions are scheduled at the Aklan State University on May 11 to 21 and at the Central Luzon State University on May 22. Humane handling At the training sessions, Pauli—who has led animal rescue teams in large disaster areas like the Red River floods of North Dakota/Minnesota and cities ravaged by Hurricanes Opal, Ivan, Charlie, Rita and Katrina—demonstrates alternative stray catching techniques developed during his 28-year experience in rescuing wild and domestic animals. One of Paulis more notable animal containment exploits involved 26 African lions on the loose in Ligertown, Idaho, more than 10 years ago. His concept revolves on the principle of using the least amount of restraint so as to lessen the stress on both animals and human handlers. You have to invest time [in capturing stray animals]. Its not about dominance; its about interaction [with them], he said. Pauli said with a smile that his rescue work with raccoons stuck in chimneys, bats trapped in attics, and woodpeckers rattling on houses had allowed him to put himself through college. He has devised ingenious methods for homeowners who wanted to get rid of unwanted guests but did not want the creatures hurt in the eviction process. He managed to pest-proof houses without using pesticides and developed trapping techniques that did not frazzle the animals more than what was necessary. Most pest control companies would spray [poison] on the bats. Thats much easier, but it doesnt solve the problem, Pauli said.
Include pets in all disaster plans, veterinarians urge Part 2 By Tessa Salazar Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:24:00 05/08/2008
Save, not kill The HSUS/HSI emphasizes the importance of spaying and neutering because the procedure constitutes a critical part of the animal control program, which aims to decrease the number of stray and unwanted pets, Kellogg said. Fewer stray animals mean fewer animals to find foster homes for, and, hopefully, a smaller number of animals to be euthanized, he said. When Kellogg administers the fatal cocktail of drugs to an unclaimed or diseased pet, he cannot help but look into the animals eyes—and the sadness there makes him weep. One would think that after all these years, he would be numb to all that suffering by now. But no, he said, the pain of putting an animal to sleep was still and always heart wrenching. I became a veterinarian to save animals, not to kill them, Kellogg said. When I have to put them to sleep because theres no home for them or theyve been hit by a car, it bothers me a lot. Spaying and neutering can also prevent compassion fatigue among animal handlers and veterinarians, Kellogg said. Compassion fatigue occurs when there are just too many stray and unwanted animals to look out for, he said, adding that those who work in slaughterhouses suffered from such a condition. Population pyramid There is no exact figure of the total pet population in the Philippines, AWCs Consunji said. But she cited a global estimate of 10 percent of the total human population—meaning about 8 to 9 million pets in the country at any given time. Without spaying or neutering, a dog is capable of producing about 70,000 offspring during its lifetime by having a litter, and each member of the litter having its own litter, and so on and so forth, Kellogg said. A female cat, her mate and all of their offspring, producing two litters a year, with 2.8 surviving kittens in a litter, can produce a generation numbering 11.6 million in 9 years, he said. Kellogg and the rest of the HSUS call this pet family tree a population pyramid. According to Consunji, spaying and neutering decrease the risk of both the pet and the owner/handler contracting certain deadly diseases. For example, spaying and neutering have been known to decrease the incidence of cancer among pets, as well as rabies brought by stray and poorly cared for animals. The stray animal population can very well provide the link between the existence of rabies in the wild and rabies among humans, the HSUS/HSI said. Also, Kellogg said, animals that have been fixed do not look for a mate anymore. So they dont run out into the streets and get hit by a car, he said. Affordable procedure The cost of spaying and neutering varies widely—from about P400 in agencies such as the Philippine Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to about P15,000 in private veterinary clinics. Pauli said that in places where pet owners could not afford the procedures, the community shared the cost. We have programs where veterinarians donate to pay a third [of the cost] and the pet owner pays another third so that we spread the cost out. The veterinarians can also write off the donations as tax-exempt, he said. Consunji said the AWC and DA-BAI had yet to determine the final cost of its own spay-neuter campaign. Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A very proud moment for AWC recently, as Sec. Arthur Yap shows his support for the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (UDAW) as well as RA 9482. UDAW is an international effort at United Nations level to improve the lives of all animals on our planet.
Nancy Cu Unjieng and Grace Mercado of CARA were doing the rounds at the Womens Correctional in Mandaluyong when they chanced upon rescuing Pogi. Nancy and Grace chased a garbage truck upon being informed that a dog was in a sealed sack that was thrown into the truck. Catching up with the truck in a tricycle, Nancy and Grace ordered the garbage collector to give them the dog. The collector denied that there was a dog in the truck. Nancy insisted.
The dog apparently heard the commotion and forced his head out of the sack. Nancy and Grace saw him and shouted at the collector to surrender the dog to them. The man did not have any choice because Nancy said she will put him in jail. In short, Pogi was rescued.
A kind lady in the correctional fostered Pogi for a few months. When she left the correctional, Nancy took him in. Pogi was adopted last week by a Canadian couple who will be taking him with them back to Canada next year. They have renamed him Skype.
Stars attend Kythe Foundation Christmas Party at National Childrens Hospital by Tet Ordono
I attended the Kythe Foundation Christmas party yesterday at the National Childrens Hospital. Patients from the cancer and neuro ward were gathered together at the social hall for some entertainment lots of treats. The program was hosted by celebrities.
To hit two causes with one stone, I brought along AWCs petition forms for people to sign. Reception was fantastic esp. from the stars! They were Christian Bautista, Ricky Davao, Alessandra Da Rossi, The Company Y, Philippine Idol winners, Rudolf Yaptinchay, Ranny Raymundo and Jennica Garcia.
Signing the petition forms should have taken only a few seconds, but each had an enthusiastic story to tell about his or her own pets.
Arms Cruz, one of the Phil. Idol winners, had endless stories about her 15 cats (talo ako, I only have 12). Being a feline lover myself, I was ALL ears! She has sung in a couple of PAWS events and volunteered to do it too for the coalition.
Jennica Garcia (daughter of Jean), immediately gave her contact number and is very interested in doing volunteer work. I promised to send her the website connection.
The Company Y is having a concert at the Pen on Sunday, 5 PM and they even suggested that I bring the forms to the hotel if I decide to watch. They claim to have lots more animal-loving friends who wouldd be more than willing to sign.
The most significant conversation though was with Ranny Raymundo. As soon as I introduced myself, he asked if my animal welfare group had anything to do with the recent I-Witness episode on horses. He said he cried while watching the show then felt rage at the realization that this cruelty has gone on for years with most people being unaware of it. Before we parted, he said: If you guys ever need my help for the coalition, Ill gladly BARK for you!
This set of pictures proves once again that animals have the ability to show compassion and have feelings of friendship towards their own kind (and us for that matter).
One dog was killed in a road accident and his or her friend tried to revive the victim and even attempted to bring it to safety. Unfortunately to no avail. What an ordeal for both these dogs!
Amazingly enough, the pictures show people taking photographs with their cell phones, but let me ask you this question: Is any of the humans showing compassion towards the dogs, one of which is frantically trying to save the others life???
MANILA, Philippines -- In what was to be its last hours as a maltreated working horse, Conde finally found a way to get even with his cruel master: The 16-year-old horse collapsed in front of the Philippine Daily Inquirer office on Chino Roces Avenue in Makati City and found the attention he probably never received in his entire life.
The sight of Conde being forced by his owner to get up was unbearable as a number of Inquirer employees accosted the owner, 65-year-old Jose Hernandez, who even tried to load the crippled horse into a jeepney.
Its not every day that you see a horse collapse in front of your office. Seeing the owner force the horse to get up was too much and one just had to intervene, said editor Aries Espinosa, one of the employees who first rushed to the scene and called a veterinarian.
According to the responding staff of Modomo Veterinary Clinic in Makati, the horse which was pulling a sulky and heading for the Philippine Racing Club at the Sta. Ana Race Track, was malnourished and severely dehydrated. A sulky is a lightweight, two-wheeled cart usually pulled by a horse or dogs.
The condition of Conde is so despicable. Yes, the horse is already old with his hind legs showing evidence of fractures. But the evidence is clear that the owner was maltreating the horse, said Dr. Percy Modomo, who used up eight bottles of dextrose to revive the fallen horse.
Irreversible
But in the end, Modomo decided to put Conde to sleep as his condition was irreversible. The doctor volunteered to take the body for safekeeping and later informed the Inquirer that it would be buried in his farm in Lipa City in Batangas province.
Rebutting the veterinarians claim, Hernandez insisted that he was taking good care of his horse which he claimed he had sold but bought back a few months ago.
Hernandez, who failed to show a registration for the horse, said he sold Conde several years ago for P20,000.
Conde became a sulky racer and had different owners. When his last owner realized that he no longer needed the horse and voiced his intention to have Conde slaughtered, I decided to buy the horse back for P5,000 three months ago, said Hernandez, who left the scene with the sulky after realizing he could no longer take his horse home.
According to a source who refused to give his name, Hernandez used Conde as a form of transport from his stable on Mojica Street in Bangkal, Makati, to other places in the city but more often to the Sta. Ana Race Track, just a few blocks away from the Inquirer office.
Slaughterhouse
But he told me of his plan to eventually slaughter Conde because he was already old and sickly, said the source, who added that Hernandez had a slaughterhouse in his stable.
According to Mona Consunji of the Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC), a horse may be considered a food animal but there should be a process that must be strictly followed in slaughtering. The slaughterhouse should also be licensed.
Consunji rushed to the scene after she was informed of Condes plight and assisted the horse during his last hours.
Responding authorities, PO2 Rory Jay Fernandez and PO1 Richard Calalay of the Makati police, said they would investigate the slaughterhouse in Bangkal that Hernandez owns.
Hernandez could be held liable for Condes fate under the Philippine Animal Welfare Act, which makes it unlawful for any person to torture, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal, including horses.
Several motorists who saw Conde along Malugay Street that afternoon already noted that the horse was limping. Bystanders also noted that Conde was already on his knees as he was nearing the Inquirer office.
Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, last Sunday, October 7, Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) jointly organised an animal blessing event together with Hobbes and Landes, Texas Road House Grill and Krispy Kreme.
We had a big crowd and it made quite a chaotic afternoon. With pets and their humans packed in the covered walk areas of B2 and B3 waiting for the activities to start, the Blow-up Babies crew attempted several times to set-up their velvet umbrella for the photo shoot (which kept on falling because of the dogs passing). The waiters of Texas Road House Grill on the other hand had to dodge big dogs, socializing dogs and be on alert for the super small dogs. There was no way one could walk in that area without being crushed by a human or bumped by an animal. Only the cats and the exotic animals had their own space.
A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop. The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isnt looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.
Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds. The seagulls shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Aberdeen, Scotland, and helped himself to a bag of chips. Since then, hes become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips.
Customers have begun paying for the seagulls stolen bags of chips because they think its so funny.
One of our member associations is CARA and their volunteers manned an information booth on World Rabies Day. As may be seen from this picture, fun was had by all. Applause for this crew!
Alaska Zoo Board has announced it intends to relocate Maggie, the 27-year-old African elephant who has long been the centre of controversy, to the Performing Animal Welfare Societys (PAWS) spacious elephant sanctuary in Northern California. A lot of thanks goes to IDA - In Defence of Animals, as they put on a great campaign to free Maggie. Full story: http://www.adn.com/front/story/9300026p-9214619c.html
AWC Trustee Luis Buenaflor receiving award from Merial Philippines on behalf of the Animal Welfare Coalition, August 27, 2007, Tiendesitas, Pasig City.
Global Warming is obviously a hot topic these days. Although as a geologist Im not personally convinced of many of the assumptions (climatic changes have always been part of our planets history and will continue to be so), I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that its a bad idea to poison ourselves and our environment, let alone the animals that we love and depend on.
Takeshi Nozawa wrote to us to tell us about this very interesting contest:
I am Takeshi Nozawa, a staff from Cool the Earth contest. I am emailing to inform you to one of eye-opening contest held in Japan. From July 19th-September 5th 2007, with the aim of curbing global warming as much as possible and keeping the earth cool, we are calling for ideas from around the world for reducing carbon dioxide(CO2) emissions.
Based on the innovative ideas we receive, prototype projects will be conducted in Japan to establish models for reducing emissions. The results of these projects will be reported to the global community in the hope that this will promote further innovation towards reducing CO2 emissions.
MICKEY MOUSE PROMOTES UNHEALTHY MEAT PRODUCTS AND ANIMAL SUFFERING
Our collegues from Animal Friends in Croatia have started an action against the association of Disney animal figures with unhealthy meat products and animal suffering.
The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health together with the Animal Welfare Coalition, Merial and friends would like to invite you and your pets to the World Rabies Day and Homeless Animals Day celebrations on September 8, 2007, 1:00 p.m. onwards, at the Tiendesitas Pavilion, C5-Libis, Pasig City.
The fantastic campaign entitled Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare has reached the 500,000 mark. Please spread the word to all those that you know and help us reach 1,000,000 in the Philippines.
Pilipinas 1M Signatures for the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare
At the Central Plaza, Eastwood City Mall, Libis, Quezon City, the campaign to collect 1 million signatures for the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare was launched. Our popular idol Heart Evangelista signed the declaration along with many other community leaders.
This important event shows to the world that the Pinoy mean business when it comes to animal welfare. Well done to all those involved!
Although contacts had been established by email and phone over the past few months, representatives of AWC in the Philippines and WSPA Asia had never actually met. Until last Tuesday 17 July that is! Taking advantage of the fact that both our European Affairs Coordinator, Michel van der Kleij, and Saneekan Rosamontri of WSPA Asia were in London, a social meeting was arranged.
Fortunately, despite the apparent blessings of modern communication machinery and the intricate London public transport system, we managed to locate one another. Michel was accompanied by his wife Neressa and it turned out the ladies had some very important interests in common, such as ... the inevitable shopping at Harrods. Somewhat surprisingly, there was still time to discuss animal welfare policies, basic organisation and funding items.
We were extremely pleased to hear that Saneekan is very much looking forward to visiting our offices in the Philippines and attending meetings with AWC officials towards the end of this month.
In this article, you can read how the Mayor takes strong action against traders that violate the Animal Welfare Act RA 8485 and how this relates to unsafe meat.
Andy Leuterio shows grave disrespect for animals and is definitely NOT FUNNY
In the Motoring section of the Philippine Star, journalist Andy Leuterio is trying to be funny but instead shows gross disrespect for animal life. We all know that hes wrong too: cats are intelligent and loving creatures that make FANTASTIC family pets. Trying to be witty at the expense of our fellow earth inhabitants is downright cheap and it might convey the message that killing animals on the road is normal, or worse, fun to do. This article shows that we still have a long way to go to educate members of the press ...
Dog and cat fur banned for good in the EUThe photograph title reads: Skinned Alive!
The European Parliament has agreed, with a vast majority of votes, to a ban starting December 31, 2008.
The fur now comes into the EU unnoticed, mainly from China, as a collar of a coat or a decoration on a toy. The EU-countries are allowed to decide for themselves what the sanction should be.
The European Commission decided to address this problem in november, because of the many complaints of citizens. Brussel received about 10.000 letters and 200.000 signatures against dog and cat fur in the last few years.
Studies from AMC for Fur For Animals showed a few years ago that from 93 examined articles, at least 5 were made from dog fur.
Animalsuffering Asia http://www.dierenleedazie.be/web(unfortunately, the web site is only available in Dutch but has many photographs)
Governor Niel D. Tupas presents to Luis Buenaflor, External Affairs of the Animal Kingdom Foundation, Inc., the approved Provincial Ordinance on Animal Welfare.
This is a landmark legislation as Iloilo is the first province in the country to enact a local ordinance protecting and promoting animal welfare.
Sale of dog meat now banned! Check out the actual newspaper article by clicking on the image.
VICTORY: Whale meat distributors get out of the business!
Japans fourth largest fisheries company, Kyokuyo, has pledged to stop its sale of whale meat in Japan. Its decision follows a campaign led by Humane Society International, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
In April, the coalition of environmental and animal welfare groups called on American company True World Foods, which partnered with Kyokuyo to distribute sushi in the United States, to persuade Kyokuyo to stop selling whale products. According to Kyokuyo, it has ceased production of whale products and is in the process of selling off its remaining stockpile.
Without companies like Kyokuyo, Japans whaling industry will fall flat. This news is especially timely as Japan is pushing its plan to kill even more whales at the International Whaling Commission meeting, happening right now in Alaska.
Thank you again to each of you who sent emails to True World Foods and Kyokuyo. This victory reminds us to never to give up, and that there are rewards for compassionate action and perseverance. Please share this tremendous news with others and let them know that you had a part in making it happen.
Andrew Rowan Chief Executive Officer Humane Society International
According to a reported translation of an article in the Egyptian newspaper Al-Akhbar, the countrys Veterinary Authority in Giza established a committee to eliminate thousands of stray dogs and cats in that city. The committee is reportedly planning to send 10 teams daily into the citys streets with a reported 10 kilograms of strychnine to kill dogs and an undisclosed amount of Temic (a dangerous insecticide) to kill cats. The poison will reportedly be placed in bait and distributed in areas where dogs and cats are known to gather. Strychnine poisoning is a notoriously cruel and violent method of killing homeless animals. According to the translated Al-Akhbar article, four team members will apparently surround each animal who is seen eating a poisoned bait and then stand idly by, watching while the animals flail, seize and struggle for minutes or even hours before suffocating.
Cops save dogs from stewpot: more than a 100 stray dogs were rescued in Quezon City. Check out the the actual newspaper article by clicking on the image.
3 tons of the so-called double-dead meat was seized in Quezon City. This meat is unfit for human consumption and a threat to public health. Check out the the actual newspaper article by clicking on the image.
