JessicaRulestheUniverse.com

Thousands of stray dogs and cats roam the metro every day, taking shelter and rummaging for food in dumpsters. Most of them were abandoned by irresponsible pet owners who let their animals breed incessantly or left them to wander the streets when taking care of them became a burden. Many of these dogs end up in illegal dog fighting dens or are butchered and sold.
The ‘Homeless, Not Worthless’ campaign of Nestlé Purina, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and SM Supermalls has been launched to support PAWS in their mission of seeing to the well-being of such animals. PAWS, a 50-year-old volunteer organization that works for the prevention of animal abuse and promotion of compassionate animal treatment has constructed the Paws Animal Rehabilitation Center (PARC) with funding from Meralco and International Fund for Animal Welfare. PARC, which has 36 dogs and 149 cats in residence waiting for adoption, serves as a treatment center for low-cost neutering of dogs and temporary animal shelter for abandoned or rescued animals from the streets and from abusive owners.

You can donate your coins to the campaign in the “GaraPAW”—red plastic canisters in strategic locations at SM Malls. To give bigger donations or adopt pets from the PAWS Rehabilitation Center, concerned citizens can text PURINA to 2338 (for Globe subscribers) or 0917-599-23-38 (for non-Globe subscribers). An automated message will give texters the option to donate cash, or to adopt (Purina DONATE CASH, Purina ADOPT). Each text message costs P2.50, a part of which goes to PAWS. Globe subscribers can readily donate through G-CASH by typing the following: Send amount MPIN to 2882 + 10 digit mobile number (e.g. 0917-1111111).

Cash donations can be deposited for Philippine Animal Welfare Society to BPI US Dollar Account No: 3944-0021-61, Philippine Peso Account No: 3943-0086-11 (SWIFT No: BOPIPHMM) or PNB Peso Account No: 072-8301740 (SWIFT No: PNBMPHMM). Checks are also accepted and payable to “The Philippine Animal Welfare Society”, PAWS PARC, Aurora Blvd., Katipunan Valley, Loyola Heights, QC. tel no +632-4751688.

Are you the proud human of adopted stray cats or dogs? Tell us how you met and what made you decide to bring them home. Email a picture and a short description of your pet/s to saffron.safin@gmail.com. If your entry is posted here, you will receive a gift pack from Purina. Maximum two entries per person, please; each entry can feature as many dogs and cats as you wish. Prizes have to be claimed in Metro Manila. The contest will continue as long as supplies last.

Koosi adopted me in 1999. I found her rolling around in a patch of sunlight in front of the Today office. I put her in a shopping bag and took her home. To this day she likes crawling into shopping bags. She turns 10 on April 12. She is a terrible snob. When she wants attention she bites my toes.