PAWS Animal Rehabilitation Center
written by halfawakehaiku
on May 26th, 2009
, 2 comments
(5 votes)
Jammed in between the hills of Marikina and Loyola is an unassuming plot of land that serves as a refuge for abused and abandoned animals. The shelter was put up and run by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society or (PAWS) with the help of a handful of donors. It is a center where PAWS conducts rehabilitation and some services like low cost animal neutering and veterinary services. They also lobbied for the passing of the Philippine animal welfare act and proponents of the Dr. Dog program which seeks to use animal therapists in aiding the health of children in hospitals.
The compound holds between 60 cats and 40 dogs at any given time. That’s why they also espouse the adoption of animals instead of the usual practice of buying from breeders and pet stores. The stories of some of the animals will surely break your heart, like this dog who was found half dead with her skull almost crushed underneath a truck she had to go through multiple surgeries for him to survive. Or Hagrid the rescue dog who was rescued form a vacant lot when his owner decided to abandon him there tied to a post, exposed to all the elements and no food. A lot of these animals have a history of beatings and were just nursed back to health by the volunteers. Naturally, some have to go through therapy to rid them of their fear of humans. Those that have completed their therapy are
There are a lot of opportunities for people to help, people who drop by are given a tour of the facility in hopes that the awareness they obtain at the center will translate to kindness and empathy to strays. Or maybe a new home for one of the dogs or cats that are in the center. Volunteers can opt to be part of other programs like the fund raising committee, lobbying, animal rescue team, humane education or if not, just help out by cleaning the pens, feeding the kittens or just walking as many dogs around the spacious compound. Volunteers as young as 10 come to the center to show some of TLC to these wonderful survivors hungry for love and attention and ready for a second chance at life.
For more information on how you can help, visit:
http://www.paws.org.ph/
Check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VexUzglGJ-U
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