The year 2020 saw a lot of animals being rescued as more humans reported abuses against animals and posted about dogs and cats who needed to be saved immediately.
Rescuers were able to rescue hundreds of animals in Batangas City after the eruption of Taal Volcano because netizens reported their location and shared posts on the appeal of animal welfare groups for help such as dog food, cat food, and other items needed to get them out of danger zones.
During the lockdown due to Covid 19, netizens helped rescue animals who were abandoned or left behind with no food and water.
After the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, rescuers were alerted by netizens to the plight of dogs abandoned by owners who fled to evacuation centers, and dogs stranded on rooftops.
Likewise, many individuals are now helping animals by fostering and adopting rescues from animal welfare groups.
Indeed, everyone can save a life. By sharing posts, by reporting abuses and dogs and cats in need of rescue, by fostering, by adopting, by donating food and funds for the medical treatment of rescues.
Animal welfare advocates are grateful that the campaign against animal abuse and neglect has gained more ground as many have joined the campaign to help animals, and more people are now more aware of the existence of a law against animal abandonment and neglect, the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8485 as amended by RA 10631).
It is hoped that the support for animal welfare will continue and will multiply a thousand fold in 2021.
Rescuers and animal welfare advocates have been moving continuously to help animals in need. But they need everyone’s support to help more.
Allow me to introduce you to two animal welfare groups. Their founders tell you below how the group started and what they need to continue their work.
I hope you can extend help to these groups who help animals in need.
Pag-amuma, EO R. Cedeno, founder
“PAG-AMUMA is a Visayan word which means to nurture or to care for.
The sanctuary was born on August 16, 2015 as a Facebook page. However, I have been doing animal advocacy work for quite a long time.
The rescuing started in 2013 when there was a plea from a young girl whose dog was shot. She and her family could not afford to bring the dog to a veterinary clinic for treatment.
I responded to her call for help and had the dog treated. When he was declared as completely healed, I adopted him. We named him Luke.
He was my first rescue. That was the time when I found out that there were like-hearted people because saving Luke was a group effort and to think I did not personally know these people.
One rescue led to another then another.
Since most of these dogs and cats did not have anywhere to go, I decided to take them into my home. My pack grew from one dog to ten dogs in about six months and the rest is history.
I had to move residences five times just to have ample space for the dogs and the caretakers we have to hire to help me take care of the dogs and cats.
Pag-amuma now has 50 plus dogs, 10 cats, and a chicken named Blackhawk. The sanctuary is located in a 1,000-square-meter property in Tagaytay City. The facility has three caretakers who handle the needs of the furries.
Eighty percent (80%) of the animal residents are adopted, some were surrendered or abandoned, several are from the pounds, others were rescued after the Taal volcano erupted. A lot of the animal residents were former strays or lived on the streets. Some of our cats came from the rescues of Ayala MRT. We have a couple of senior dogs.
Most of the dogs have been spayed or neutered, while all cats have been fixed or spayed/neutered.
Since Pag-amuma is now full and can not take in more rescue at this time, I usually help in rescue operations, specially cases wherein someone needs to talk to the barangay people.
I also help in the local community when it comes to vetting and feeding dogs. I regularly assist feeders of homeless dogs by sourcing dog food donations.
Part of an ongoing project is to answer calls for dog and cat food assistance for other shelters in Cavite. Pag-amuma sees to it that we can share what we have with others so that dogs in other shelters can also eat. This is the most we can do.
Pag-amuma is grateful to some kind people who help feed and care for rescue dogs and cats in its care.
But Pag-amuma needs help to :
1. reinforce the kennel structure as it is already dilapidated;
2. build dog houses around the perimeter;
3. have four dogs neutered; and
4. dog food and cat food for stray feeding and to share with shelters in the area whose supplies are not enough for the rescues.
For those who want to help us out, please visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pagamuma. You can send us a message directly. Thank you. “
Reach Out for Animal Rights, Inc. (ROAR, Inc.), Jhet Manio, founder
“I started out as a simple pet owner. It opened my heart to be a responsible one until one day, it opened my eyes to other animals. I became a donor, a volunteer, and a rescuer. Together with other friends and volunteers, we decided to put up a group that aims to help other animals, rescuers, and indigent pet owners.
We aim to give aid to animals in need, may it be a stray, a rescue, or those in pounds. We also extend help to pet owners who need assistance with their pets.
At the moment, we are caring for rescued and fostered cats along with rescued dogs, including a senior dog who was hit by a vehicle and was left for dead on the street.
We provide a temporary home for rescues until they are completely healed and rehabilitated. We look for adopters and screen potential adoptive families.
These past months, we have extended help to families with pets who were affected by the typhoon.
Up to this day, we are feeding strays and focusing on our spay and neuter program done. We have dogs and cats spayed or neutered monthly with the help of our partner sponsor and licensed vets.
ROAR Inc. wishes to continue feeding strays and having dogs and cats spayed or neutered to help control the animal population and thus help lessen the number of dogs and cats who will be abused, abandoned, neglected, and killed.
To help us continue our work for animals in need, please contact us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Reachoutforanimalrightsincph/. Thank you.”
