Saving lives one paw at a time

IT all started with a social media post.

Malou Perez had just quit her job as a financial advisor when she saw a post on Facebook telling the world about some 50 dogs in Bacolod City Pound who were scheduled to be killed, not by euthanasia, but by gunshot. 

Not knowing what to do next, a heartbroken Perez shared the post on her timeline just like any other dog lover would do. Later on, a friend asked if she wanted to save the dogs before the shooter turns them into target practice.

Without any idea on how to run an animal shelter, she took a bold “yes”. And those three letters changed her life and the lives of thousands of animals she took under her wing. 

Courtesy: Malou Perez on Facebook

On October 2018, PAWSsion Project, a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes stray and abused animals, came to life.

There wasn’t really a plan to put up a permanent shelter but Perez realized that the project cannot not end with just saving 50 dogs.

“What difference will [it make] having to save these batches of dogs be if next week meron na naman ulit, then in another pound, it’s the same? That was really what kind of pushed me to start an organization,” she said.

Several months later, PAWSsion received a report that about 100 dogs are set to be killed in Bulacan. The rest is history.

PAWSsion Project is currently tending to over 600 animals. At least 280 dogs and around 40 cats are in the Bulacan shelter, while the rest are in Bacolod.

The organization caters to a variety of rescues, such as the stray animals scavenging in the streets, physically abused pets, hit-and-run victims, and even those cats and dogs who were used for breeding and were eventually neglected when they were no longer useful.

Five years and two sanctuaries later, PAWSsion isn’t a project anymore but a reality. You might even call it a mission. 

The PAWSsion mission

With over 10 million strays in the Philippines, Perez said the goal of PAWSsion Project was to curb the growing number of homeless animals by addressing the problem through more humane ways. Spaying and neutering are the most efficient ways to control it, she said.

In line with this, the organization conducts several other programs to help animals in need, including free spay and neuter drives, relief drives for animals affected by natural disasters, stray feeding, adoption drives, fundraising and crowdfunding events, sponsorship programs, and merchandise sales.

Courtesy: PAWSsion Project on Instagram (@pawssionproject) 

The Philippines has enacted the Republic Act No. 8485 or The Animal Welfare Act of 1998 that intends to promote and protect the welfare of “all terrestrial, aquatic, and marine animals” in the country.  Amended in 2012 through the Republic Act No. 10631, the Act ordains the avoidance of abuse, maltreatment, cruelty and exploitation of animals by humans. 

This can be done by ensuring the “appropriate standards of accommodation, feeding and general care, the prevention and treatment of disease and the assurance of freedom from fear, distress, harassment, and unnecessary discomfort and pain, and allowing animals to express normal behavior.”

Violating the Act could result in imprisonment of up to three years and a fine not exceeding P250,000, depending on the severity of the case.

However, it was previously legal to euthanize animals through gunshot in the Animal Welfare Act for the sake of animal population control and if it is determined and certified by a licensed veterinarian.

PAWSsion Project Committee Head on Content Ish Rodriguez said that killing dogs in the Bacolod City pound using a gun is allowed to make space for other pets in the pound. 

“The Bacolod City Vet was choosing this method to execute this mandate,” she said.

Fortunately, the organization was able to abolish the said ruling and transform it into a no-kill pound in 2021.

Saving lives

Although still a small organization with limited manpower and resources, PAWSsion Project has been extending significant help to stray animals by rescuing them from the streets and their abusers, rehabilitating them in order to resolve their health issues, and putting them up for adoption to find their furever homes.

However, due to low adoption rates, the organization has no other choice but accept that the shelter will be the rescues’ furever homes.

This is a similar case to almost all of the dogs that have been rescued from the Bacolod City Pound in 2018. Most of them are still at the Bacolod shelter ever since.  Because of this, Rodriguez said that they just make sure they live the rest of their furry lives loved and taken care of.

Moreover, upon rescue, all animals are baptized with new names, even those who have lesser chances of survival due to their awful state upon rescue.

“Every time we rescue an animal, we want to give them a name so that they cross the bridge with at least having a name. They crossed the Rainbow Bridge knowing that someone had actually seen them, that someone actually cared for them during their final hours,” said Perez.

Restoring their health

According to Perez, rescuing is just day one. The real and back-breaking deal begins with the rehabilitation of these rescued animals.

While spectators might think the only work that organizations like PAWSsion Project do is picking up cats and dogs from the streets and bringing them to a rescue shelter right away, she underscored that they have safety protocols to follow before taking in these furry creatures.

Perez noted that animals should be clear of any viruses and disease before letting them in so as not to compromise the health of the other pets under their care.

She added that they have to bring every rescue to a veterinary clinic to get them assessed.

“There are airborne diseases that we have to be very careful about, and there are a lot of tests being done even for just one rescue,” said Perez.

“The ultimate goal of the rehabilitation of the rescues is ultimately to have them vaccinated, spayed, and neutered so that they can free roam out there,” she added.

Aside from providing medical attention to rescues, PAWSsion Project also ensures that these animals are well fed and are receiving proper exercise throughout their stay in the shelter. The organization’s core team is composed of around 30 people who are in-charge of the whole operation in the shelter. There are also about 50 volunteers who help in conducting activities, such as feeding, bathing, and taking the animals for their walks. 

Courtesy: PAWSsion Project on Instagram (@pawssionproject) 

Finding their furever homes

Once the rehabilitation is done and the rescued animals are healed and cleared from diseases, most of them are free roaming. Meanwhile, there are other pets who are in need of isolation, but the organization ensures that cages are spacious enough to allow them to walk around freely.

Most animals are isolated by group, but there are special cases, especially those who have violent tendencies due to acquired trauma from their previous owners, where they need to be separated from the rest in order to foster a safe environment for the rescues.

Aside from the labor, she said rehabilitation also requires a significant amount of money, which is mostly spent for veterinary fees, medicine, and other health necessities.

Once the rescues have been vaccinated, neutered, and spayed, Perez said they are put up for adoption. Oftentimes, they post these pets using their social media pages. PAWSsion Project also conducts adoption drives to help these animals in finding a family that will love and cherish them.

And because the organization treats every rescue “like their own children,” Perez noted that they tend to be very careful when screening prospective adopters to ensure that the animals will be properly taken care of. She also mentioned that all of the animals in both shelters are dear to her and the team, which is why it is all the more important to have them adopted into a loving family.

“When we rehome animals, adopters go through a thorough screening and we make sure that everyone in the household is on board with the decision to adopt.  We also make sure that you have the financial capacity to take care of them because taking in a pet requires financial responsibility,” she said.

The screening usually takes place online via Zoom or Facebook Messenger after the applicant has completed the adoption form available on the organization’s official website. Meanwhile, an in-person screening is done when there are adoption drives.

During this stage, PAWSsion Project often asks several questions to ensure the rescued animals will be safe and will be well taken care of when they are rehomed. Perez said they often ask adoption applicants about several things — if there is a recent death in the past six months and the cause of such demise. 

“There are certain deaths that are caused by viruses. We reject the application if the cause of their pet’s death was distemper, and other things like that,” she said.

The organization also requires a P1,000 adoption fee. Perez said this is a way for them to gauge if the applicants have the financial capacity to take care of the pet they want to adopt.

She further said it also serves as their donation to help the organization as they care for more than 600 animals.

If the rescue has been successfully adopted, Perez mentioned the organization keeps track of the pet’s state and wellness by receiving updates through messages and photos from the adoptees through a private group chat. Unlike other rescue organizations, PAWSsion Project ensures that the rescues are in good care even after being rehomed. 

“We make sure that our rescues go to the best homes possible. We have a private group chat for all of our adopters where they send updates on the rescue,” she said.

Courtesy: PAWSsion Project on Instagram (@pawssionproject)

Other ways to help

Aside from adoption, people who share the same love for animals can also donate, sponsor a rescue, and volunteer to help the organization in accomplishing daily tasks in the shelter. Perez said both monetary and in-kind donations are important to maintain the sanctuaries.

PAWSsion Project spends at least P400,000 to P500,000 operational costs, which excludes vet bills and the funding to support their regular programs.

People can also opt to sponsor a rescue for only P1,000 per month. They can choose a rescue of their choice or let the organization decide which pet will be assigned to them. This amount intends to cover the rehabilitation expenses of the rescues as they await their adoption.

Aside from this, PAWSsion Project also welcomes individuals who want to volunteer to help in the shelter for a day. They can assist in feeding, walking, and playing with the animals in the sanctuary. Walk-in volunteers can drop by their shelters from Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Perez said the organization envisions that one day, the group will no longer have to rescue animals on the streets because the community treats them with respect, and the government has strengthened animal welfare in the Philippines.

“Our hope and dream is that we no longer have to rescue animals because they are already welcome in the community. We no longer have to rescue animals, because every [local government unit] does their part because people choose to adopt instead of buying animals,” Perez told republicasia.

Courtesy: PAWSsion Project on Instagram (@pawssionproject)