Homeless but not Hopeless

When we moved into our present home exactly one year ago, it became clear to my husband and me that we were definitely not in Metro Manila any more. Our quaint little house is tucked away in the forested hills of Catalunan Grande, a 30-minute ride away from downtown Davao. There were only four houses on our street. In the morning, the place looks more like some eerie deserted subdivision but in the evening, the symphony of crickets, fruit bats, and lizards, the disco-dancing of fireflies, our own version of Van Gogh’s starry night, and the cool mountain breeze will tell you otherwise. Indeed life is here in Davao! 

But one particular “life” that caught our attention was this native dog that has taken residency in our street. She looked like any typical stray – thin and covered with mange, thus prompting us to give her the nickname Gally, derived from galis. 

Gally was the neighbourhood’s dog. Other strays would grace our street but Gally was the only fixture. When it rained, she would seek shelter in an abandoned half-constructed house just a roof away from ours. She had these eyes that looked perpetually sad yet sweet. I guess that helped her way into all of our hearts. During the day, our three neighbours would feed her by dumping some leftovers on the ground right outside their gates and driveways. My husband and I however took a step further by making sure that she eats from a dog bowl every night, with some fresh water to drink. She would drink for a straight 5 minutes – proof that it was her only liquid intake for the day. And to cure her skin disease, my husband, who is a veterinarian, would regularly sneak some medicine into her food. 

For the first few months, Gally would eat from her bowl outside our gate. Though she was really docile, Gally like any other stray dog naturally has some trust issues so it took us some considerable time before we finally got her to come inside our carport to eat. We preferred to feed her inside because there were many times before when she got bullied by the larger stray dogs who would visit the street. We believe that Gally used to have a home and probably was abandoned. She isn’t like the usual strays that are belligerent and fearful. She wouldn’t gobble up her food like any starving animal. She would eat daintily, looking up bashfully once in a while, as if asking with her eyes, “Is it okay to finish all these grub?”

Finally, we saw the positive results of the medication that we’ve been giving her. Her mange was now gone, except for a few scabs. And her coat was now thicker and brighter. But the best development was that Gringa, our own little diva dog, has finally become friends with her Ate Gally. Whenever my husband would take Gringa out for her routine evening walk, Gally would literally tail them. They have become a pack!

Although Gally still refused to let us pet her, we were thrilled enough to see her gallop towards us whenever our car would arrive at night. It was like coming home to a grand welcome; like a parent being greeted with warm hugs by the kids.  This dog has certainly translated our presence into something positive. Every night while my husband fed her in our carport, I would hear my husband talk to her; coaxing her to come near so that he could further check her up. Gally took baby steps toward him as the months passed by. 

Ever since Gally showed such enthusiasm and openness, my husband and I started to toy with the idea of adopting her. But seeing that our neighbours have also grown a fondness for the adorable stray, we thought that it would be quite unfair for Gally, and probably even traumatic, if we keep her inside the house the whole day while my husband and I are at work. We knew that her life is practically in danger if she continues to live on the street, but for the meantime we had to settle with doting on her during evenings and weekends. As long as we were assured that she was fed during the day then we saw no immediate need to take her in officially. And besides, she’s been living on this street unharmed for quite some time already. If our street had been in the middle of the city then we would have taken a more aggressive stride towards rescuing her. But Gally was relatively happy and content house-hopping among us neighbours – all four of us. Neverthless, we still looked forward for the right time. My husband and I were hopeful that a perfect prompt to adopt her would happen soon.

But yesterday morning as my husband and I walked towards our car to get to work, the sky was gray and giving off a drizzle. As if the weather wasn’t forlorn enough, our hearts sank at an unbelievable sight. Gally was lying on her side in the middle of the road – lifeless. I wailed the moment I realized that it wasn’t a bad dream. I was awake. But Gally was now in an endless sleep. 

My husband’s frown slowly turned into a face of weeping little boy as he bent towards her. At this point, our other neighbour had already stepped out with a large sack to carry Gally’s dead body. He told us that she was hit by a car last night. Our neighbour also wore a miserable face as he gingerly placed Gally’s body inside the sack. “Ilubong nako ni didto banda.” He said he’ll bury the body as he pointed to a piece of land near his backyard. We nodded and thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

The ride to the office felt like a slow funeral procession as heavy traffic jammed the highway. Why do drivers move slow in the rain? To avoid accidents? Or is it simply to avoid dents on their cars? And yet last night during the rain one stupid, heartless maniac of a driver just didn’t mind putting a fatal dent on a living creature’s body. 

My husband and I were silent during the ride. I knew we were thinking of the same thing but we were too guilty and heartbroken to verbalize it – we should have had taken her in earlier than we had planned. But it’s too late now. Gally won’t be greeting us tonight anymore. No more of those sweet sad eyes looking at us. I may not have a photo of her but her image is tattooed on my mind.

We will forever remember our darling Gally. She has definitely inspired us to become more conscientious about strays, especially those roaming in our area. But my husband and I can’t save all the Gallys in our midst. We hope though that more Davaoeños will grow a bigger heart and open their homes for the other Gallys out there. At the same time, we pray that more people will have the compassion for the Aspins (Asong Pinoy or native dog) and refrain from being breed-conscious.  The say it takes a village to raise a child. But for us and our neighbors, it only took a street with only four houses to make a stray dog feel at home. 

In 2010, my husband and I designed this logo for a local animal rescue group
here in Davao City. We hope that more stray dogs will find loving new homes.

Breeding a Pet Project

Hi Readers!!! Wow! Been out of the blogosphere for a long time again. It's been almost 10 days since my previous post and that's because I've been busy breeding a pet project! Don't worry, it's not a puppy mill business but it sure is about dogs and cats, and any other furry friend you have in your life (your hairy boyfriend not included!) . This is going to be by far the biggest endeavour that I have taken so far so I am taking this opportunity to let you know that the coming days and weeks for me will even get busier. So pardon me if I could not update this blog as often as I used to. Not to worry because once everything's set, you my dear readers will be the first one to hear all about this "pet project" and I will be giving you the full account. For now, I'll just have to keep you guessing. The clue: it's a combination of what Joseph and I love to do. :-) Any guess? To those who already know, zip the lip for now please, hehehe. Thank you and please keep us in your prayers!

Watch Video Clips from the 2nd Dine with PAWS

If you missed the pooch party, check out these videos from the successful charity dinner organized by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society, with its major event partner Purina. The event was directed by my good friend and "boss" Rich Ilustre (Shall We Dance & Talentadong Pinoy). I was privileged to be the event's writer again for the 2nd time around (pro bono of course as my way of supporting the advocacy). Proceeds of the project will go to the organization's various programs and the further improvement of the shelter, the PARC (Paws Animal Rehabilitation Center). Watch the videos and get to know the Golden Heart Awardees and the Order of the Platinum Paw Awardees.

Part 1 -- montage of event clips & PAWS AVP


Part 2 -- PAWS General Director Anna Cabrera talks about the org's programs


Part 3 -- PAWS Golden Heart Awardees


Part 4 -- more PAWS Golden Heart Awardees


Part 5 -- Jojo Isorena, Philippine Dog Whisperer (Order of the Platinum Paw Awardee)


Part 6 -- Purina (Order of the Platinum Paw Awardee)


Part 7 -- Karylle... finally found LOVE that would last a lifetime (Order of the Platinum Paw Awardee)


Part 8 -- Performances by the guest celebrities


Visit the PAWS website to learn more about how to be a volunteer...

Dine with your BFF!

Forget Sharon and Ai-Ai. Their movie of the same title may be out but the real BFFs are you and your canine pal. Nothing's more unconditional and FOREVER than the BEST FRIENDSHIP you can ever have.

In celebration of its 55th Anniversary, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is pleased to invite all dog lovers to the 2nd DINE WITH PAWS Charity Dinner, to be held at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on May 30 (Sat) at 630pm.

Call or text 0917-8352405 for tix inquiries.

Below are some photos from the first ever Dine with PAWS in 2007 @ Bonifacio High Street. Proceeds of this successful event helped raise funds for the building of the outdoor cattery and animal quarantine area at the PAWS Animal Shelter. Celebrities and their equally superstar dogs walked the red carpet and dined on a gourmet feast.

I wrote the program script that evening (probono), the same way I did for their other events: "Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa" (advocacy on the asong pinoy), "Pet Luau" and "Furry Tales". It's my way of supporting PAWS and showing my heart for pets -- dogs in particular. Through Director Rich Ilustre, I became active in extending my hand in any way I can for the organization and its advocacy, especially after our Hollis died.



(2007 Dine with PAWS photos are courtesy of Rich Ilustre & a PAWS volunteer multiply website)

Marley & Me

Marriage Movie Marathon 3

The third marriage movie on our marathon list is “Marley & Me” (2009) starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. Yes, in case you don’t know, this movie is about marriage. Before anything else, I’d like to commend the chemistry between Jen & Owen. It felt real. But what was even more realistic was the movie’s story. To those who expected that this would just be another Romantic Comedy because of the stereotypical Hollywood stars on top bill, or probably a run-of-the-mill Disney-esque Family film because there’s a canine involved, you might have been disappointed. This movie is actually a memoir in motion. Based on an autobiography by John Grogan, "Marley & Me" is a simple straight-to-the-point chronicle of his family life and how their pet Labrador Marley figured out in the entire story.

“Marley & Me” first of all isn’t just about Marley, the dog. This is not like one of those Shaggy, Lassie or Beethoven movies. Marley didn’t save the day. Marley was not kidnapped for his fur. Marley was not made into a lab rat. Marley just happens to be the pet dog of the Grogans, and on many levels a representation of the responsibilities that come along with family and married life. Marley, as a very unruly dog, is symbolical of marriage itself – some days it’s charming but most days it’s such a chore. Just like Marley, marriage is not something you can return if it’s not behaving right. Just like Marley, marriage can sometimes be messy but hey you’ve just hafta pick up the poop and clean up.

The movie resonates a lot to Joseph and me because being dog lovers ourselves and childless to boot, we feel the pain of having to fill those gaps in our fledgling marriage; facing the social pressure to conceive by smiling up front and shedding tears inside our hearts; and living out our daily domestic humdrums and ironing out our various individual differences.

There’s also the issue of careers – giving up our “ambitions” to settle down. Some unmarried people are quick to say that marriage is not supposed to stop you from becoming what you’ve always wanted to be. And I know married people would agree with me that priorities do change. Although we used to have those BIG dreams of climbing our ideal career ladder, our families naturally become more important. When we were single, it would have been much easier to just call it quits when things start becoming unbearable in the office. When we were single, we had more freedom to open the doors of working and studying abroad. We can’t afford to be jobless now but it’s not about being slaves to our obligations and losing ourselves in the process. Marriage is all about becoming unselfish.

We see that in “Marley & Me”. Jen Groger (Jen Aniston) leaves a high-paying newspaper job to take care of the new baby because she doesn’t want to be one of those parents who just see their kids awake for an hour a day. John (Owen Wilson) on the other hand, gives up his dream of being an international reporter in exchange for a more laid-back, closer-to-home job as a columnist. It’s not exactly the hardcore journalism career that he had hoped for but he’s not complaining.

Warning to single people, domesticity can be dull. But personally, I think marriage becomes mundane only when the husband and wife living out that married life are boring people themselves. Good thing, Joseph and I stir each other. To quote my husband, “How will I ever get bored with you? You’re crazy!” Hahaha! Speaking of perking up the partnership, I guess Marley also provided the sugar & spice in their family. Marley kept them running, "literally" and figuratively. So I think it's apt to say that married couples should determine what's the "Marley" in their marriage. It doesn't have to be literally a pet... the Marleys in marriages differ and that all depends on the kind of couple/family that you are or want to be.

Our Dog Died on Cebu Pacific...

I’m not sure if writing about this now is any good at all. However, after watching the Today Show this morning and learning about this new Pet Airlines (Pet Airways) that exclusively and SAFELY carry pets as passengers and NOT as cargo which entails a lot of risks, I can’t help but remember and be shuddered about our dog's tragic fate on board Cebu Pacific Airlines last March 25, 2006. Blogging about this now and dragging a stalwart company into bad light might even get me into some trouble here. After all, it’s already been 3 years since the incident happened. It was a delicate legal case that had a weak fight merely because we were toppled over by “technicalities”.

Hollis was my mom’s baby; an adorable male pug who at that time was barely 2 years old. He was my mother’s only source of joy. Being a hard-at-work nurse at one of New York City’s biggest hospitals and living alone at that time, Hollis proved to be more than just my mom’s companion… he was the love of her life in the lonely big city. I got to meet Hollis when I visited my mom in 2005. At first, I had some resentment over the couch-hogging canine. He was practically like a spoiled child! We were practically fighting over my mom’s attention and even over bed space. And he always won. Can you believe it? I admit. It was really petty and ridiculous of me to be jealous about a pet. After a few more days of being alone with him at home while my mom’s at work, I finally got to know him more and more and soon fell in love with the fella.

And that is why when my mom decided to come home for a vacation in the Philippines, I was excited that she was going to bring Hollis along. Of course at first my mom was worried. It was going to be a long flight. So she made Hollis undergo the necessary health and travel competency check-ups. She checked with Korean Air about their pet handling services. She made sure that Hollis was fit to travel and that the airline she was flying on was competent to handle pets on board.

Finally on March 23, Mama Medy and a very energetic Hollis arrived in NAIA. Hollis immediately recognized me at the arrival bay and jumped on me as soon as I got to them. It was a happy reunion. Mama’s two spoiled brats are together again. In a couple of days, they will be flying again, this time to Davao City to spend a Holy Week vacation with our entire family. Hollis and Mama stayed at my condominium for the meantime. I would not be able to join them on their Davao trip so they decided to hang out with me first. This was also meant to give Hollis some rest in between flights. Even up to that point, Hollis showed no signs of any illnesses or symptoms that would lead us to conclude that he was sick prior to boarding the local flight to Davao.

March 25 came and as expected, the pre-Holy Week madness has taken its toll on the airports. At that time, Cebu Pacific still held its terminal at the old Manila Domestic Airport. It was cramped. It was chaotic. It was just crazy. The queue was just too impossibly long. Anyone who has ever experienced being at the old Manila Domestic Airport during peak seasons know what I’m talking about. Even though Mama, Hollis together with my sister Cindy and Kean arrived at the airport 2 hours before their flight, they still almost missed the check-in time. The counter was already just minutes away from closing down when they reached it. Now this is where things started to get in disarray. The following details happened as told to me by my sister.

Because my family was already running late, the baggage check-in was done hastily and that included Hollis’s cage. My mom asked though if she could just bring the dog inside the cabin since it’s just an hour and a half flight but of course the check-in crew said it was not allowed and that all live animals were supposed to be carried as cargo. Concerned about Hollis, my mom was naturally uncomfortable with the situation. And as usual, like most unhelpful employees out there who don’t know what good customer service is all about, they were obviously annoyed by my mom’s mounting queries and smugly answered with the standard reply, “It’s SOP!”

Time was running out. It was only minutes away before the final call for boarding. My family was pressured. The check-in crew was impatient. The airport terminal was just one noisy jungle. My mom practically had no choice. She wasn’t used to this pandemonium. She has not traveled on local Philippine flights in a very long time. My sister had a little kid in tow, and she wasn’t a very experienced flyer too. If I had been there, I would have controlled the situation much better but regrettably I wasn’t around.

When Hollis peeked out of his cage and Mama Medy lovingly said goodbye, nobody thought that it would actually be their last moment together. Flight 5J961 from Manila arrived in Davao International Airport at 6:20 in the morning. Mama waited for Hollis’s cage to roll out on the conveyer belt. Most of the passengers’ baggage had already been picked up but still no sign of Hollis. Then a commotion was happening at the cargo disembarkation area. Mother’s instinct kicked in. Mama ran towards the place and for a few moments there, my sister said Mama practically turned white. Inside the cage was Hollis’s dead body.

Upon receiving the news via cell phone, my Aunt Sally Jonson who is a Veterinarian, rushed to the airport. By the time she reached the scene, more conflicting matters have already transpired. There was no authorized Veterinarian on site to conduct and record an initial external examination on the body. When my Aunt finally reached my mother who was still in severe shock, she was already holding two pieces of documents. One is a Certification from the Veterinary Quarantine Services declaring that her dog was found dead on the particular Cebu Pacific Flight, and another document – the dog’s Cebu Pacific transport paper with a stamp saying: Goods received in good condition.

My Aunt was aghast to learn that my mom was “forced” to affix her signature even if she “refused” because they said that they could not release the said cargo if she didn’t sign the papers. As usual, they used the all-time favorite spiel “It’s SOP!” I know that my mother should not have signed it but please don’t blame her. She was in shock. She didn’t know anyone in the airport. And clearly, Cebu Pacific capitalized on her frail state of mind. My mother was tired, confused, maybe even in denial, and that alone is proof that she wasn’t mentally healthy to carry out such standard operational procedures.

Hollis was brought to my Aunt Sally’s friend’s clinic at around 4pm. His body was opened for a necropsy examination at Dr. Baby Vilela’s clinic, conducted by Dr. Velila herself together with Dr. Ferrazzini, and witnessed by Dr. Jonson, my Aunt. Here were the necropsy findings:

click to see larger image

So basically, the report concluded that Hollis died of hyperthermia or heatstroke. It was officially summer already during that time of year here in the Philippines. Blame it to Global Warming, what used to be just hot has now become smoldering hotter. Of course, to be fair, the veterinarians who did the necropsy had to state some predisposing factors such as Hollis being a brachiocephalic breed. This is a term used to describe the characteristic short muzzle of certain breeds of dogs such as pugs, shih tzus, and bulldogs. The short muzzle causes the dog to be hypersensitive to heat and humidity, requiring special attention. Difficulty breathing, wheezing, and snorting are common among them. Another predisposing factor was that Hollis was clinically obese. I told you he was a spoiled-rotten pooch, right?

However, given the circumstances that it was indeed fatally hot in the Philippines when New Yorker Hollis came to town and that he was unfortunately by textbook standards physically predisposed to have hyperthermia, these are all non-conclusive to the cause of his death. There were certainly a lot of other factors at play in this ill-fated incident.

As far as we, his family and his NYC veterinarian is concerned, Hollis was in good health condition when he arrived in Manila. His Korean Air transport permit, New York health records, vaccination certificates and the fact that he survived a much longer 12-hour flight from New York to Manila was proof enough. And that is why it was really hard for us to accept heartless stories concocted by Cebu Pacific, specifically by Mr. Millo, the cargo manager who signed Hollis’s transport papers, claiming that the aircraft’s cargo area had a below zero temperature making it impossible for the dog to die of heatstroke hence ending his contention that the dog must have already been sick or even perhaps dead before boarding the aircraft.

When I heard these stories from the Cebu Pacific cargo personnel, I really wanted to hunt this man down and give him a dose of his own medicine. Guess what? Two days after the incident, Mr. Millo was already nowhere to be found. Apparently, he resigned just a couple of days after Hollis’s death. What I could not understand was how careless and lenient Cebu Pacific is to their employees. Clearly, there was still an unsolved case in their hands involving this person and yet they let him go just like that?

When I went to Cebu Pacific to air my grievances and launched a deeper inquiry into the incident, they could not answer my questions anymore because they claimed that the manager directly involved in the case is not with them anymore, therefore casually stating that in the absence and in the clear disconnection of the subject in question to the company, that frees Cebu Pacific of any liability. Tweety Sumagui, the claims processor they assigned to deal with me said that they could only handle this fairly through documents at hand. And much to my dismay, they played the trick card on me. Remember that transport paper that my mom was FORCED to sign agreeing that she has received the cargo in good condition? Well, they shoved that piece of shitty paper on my face and said that technically there’s no case because my mom already signed the disclosure clause.

Just because of that, my plans on filing a legal case went up in smoke. At that time, I wasn’t that close yet to the people I know at the Philippine Animal Welfare Society. I didn’t know a thing. I researched on the laws governing animal cruelty and unfortunately it didn’t suffice.

The most that Cebu Pacific offered as payment for damages was four thousand pesos! Good grief. Of course I refused to accept it. No money could ever pay for the life of a lost loved-one. My mom was a complete wreck. When I started to pursue the case, my mom had already gotten back to NY. I didn’t want to further traumatize her. She has vowed not to be on any of their flights anymore. I was so overwhelmed too. On one hand, I wanted to purse the case and fight for Hollis. But on the other hand, one look at our animal welfare laws already gave me a sinking feeling. Wake up Jill! The Philippine Law doesn’t care about animals. If this was in the US, this would have been a multi-million lawsuit. Sadly, we are here in the Philippines where generally dogs are still dogs.

Looking back, I regret not having the same courage I have now for writing this story and publishing it for all to read. I guess it’s true. When you’re in the middle of a traumatic incident, everything seems to be a blur. Hollis has been gone for 3 years now but we haven’t forgotten him, especially my mom. His remains were cremated and I got a memorial wall for him at the PAWS Animal Shelter.

Case or no case, we stand by our belief that Hollis did not merely die of natural causes. At some point during the investigation, I heard speculations that the specific aircraft that carried Hollis Cebu Pacific Airbus 319 was not technically proficient to carry live animals in its cargo. I have not made any further investigation on this matter. All I know is that Mr. Millo himself claimed over a telephone conversation with my Aunt that he was actually the one who submitted a request to Mr. Lance Gokongwei to allow such aircraft to carry live animals. We don’t know whether this Mr. Millo is intelligent and qualified enough to render recommendations that warrant a scientific and legit engineering basis. Unfortunately, Cebu Pacific stands by its claim that Mr. Millo is already not connected with the company for further interrogation. For them the case is already closed.

So what’s my point in blogging the story now after 3 whole years? I’m not here to point an accusing finger. Not even to haunt Cebu Pacific. 3 years ago, our case fell into a lot of cracks. We weren’t prepared for the fight. So I guess all I want to do now is to let people know, pet owners more specifically, about this incident. If this happened to our Hollis, to our family, then it could certainly happen to you too. In the light of that cat serial killer case in UP Diliman versus this new Pet Airlines in the US, we can clearly see how far we have to go to fight for strong and working Animal Welfare laws in this country. 3 years ago, I admit, it was a long shot challenging Cebu Pacific with the words “See you in court!” And then I realized that this is the same fear that causes a lot of injustice in our country. When things are wrong we really do have to speak up and stick it to the man!