PAWS

Aspin is IN!

Aspin is in! Join the PAWS Aspin ClubWe’ve seen it so often that most of us have begun to accept it as a way of life: purebred dogs are treated differently than native dogs even if they both live in the same house.

The native dogs stay outside & are tied up or caged for life,  the perennial “bantay” in Filipino comic books. Bantay is usually brown and short-haired – the type of dog that you would usually see out in the streets. So its no surprise that he would always be referred to as “askal” (from the words “asong kalye” which means “street dog”) even if he lives with a family and is never allowed to stray outside.

Bantay is not the type of dog to be cuddled. Barking all the time, he is expected to be scary and to drive away intruders from one’s yard.

We have seen a lot of hero dogs on TV and in the movies. But Rin-Tin-Tin, Lassie, Benjie, Beethoven does not look like Bantay at all. So they must have been talking about a different dog when Western movies imparted those great home-grown values such as compassion and love for the dog who will give his life for its master.

On the other hand, Fluffy is a purebred shihtzu. She gets fed premium dog food and is taken for walks in the park. She is even brought to the mall to shop for clothes and to be groomed in a special salon. She sleeps inside the house and has her own accessory cabinet & doggie bed.

THE UPHILL BATTLE FOR ASPINS

The contrast could not have been more glaring to a group that has been rescuing dogs for its entire existence.

PAWS, founded in 1954 and reactivated by Nita Hontiveros-Lichauco in 1986, saw that native dogs are often the victims of cruelty. It is the native dog who is always rounded up to be illegally transported to Baguio and eventually killed to be served as "pulutan".

Jokes about native dogs abound. One of them refer to the native dog as the Philippine “rice” dog because it eats only rice and leftovers. The purebred dogs of course, would only eat expensive wet dog food or dry kibble

With the goal of changing society's view of "askals", PAWS encourage people to bring native dogs to their various fundraising events.

For its Halloween pet costume contest, native dogs who came in their best outfits were given prizes and bragging rights as the "Halim-aw-aw Award" winner.

PAWS put a native dog heat in "The Great Dog Dash" where native dogs raced against one another to win a gold medal

What was even more groundbreaking was the native dog beauty pageant organized by PAWS in 2006. The top 10 finalists exemplified all the best qualities of the Filipino dog. Dubbed “Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa”, it had all the elements of a beauty contest - from the swimsuit category to the casual and evening wear competition. Former Ms. Universe and animal lover Gloria Diaz sat as the head of the judging panel.



After talking to the guardians of the 10 finalists, PAWS began to see that there were a lot of people who shared the organization's love for the native dog. Among them is Nice Rodriguez who rescued Poypoy, a short-haired light brown native dog. Nice recalls that her neighbor used to be the official “owner” of Poypoy but he had left the dog to die of hunger in the streets.

Nice would regularly feed Poypoy and initially did not want to get attached to him. However, one day, Poypoy showed up with a big bruise on his neck which prompted Nice to adopt the dog for good. She had him treated by a vet and is now her faithful companion wherever she goes.




















Nice taught Poy a lot of tricks including how to catch a frisbee. This talent eventually enabled him to become the lone native dog contestant in a Frisbee competition which saw Poypoy winning 3rd place in the Manila leg.

With the positive response it has been getting from these projects, PAWS embarked on a unique campaign called "See BEAUTY Beyond BREED" that featured popular celebrities Heart Evangelista & Jericho Rosales  posing with native dogs from the PAWS Shelter.

The ads encouraged the use of the term “Aspin” (Asong Pinoy) instead of “Askal” and it showed that  native dogs were just as cute, just as intelligent and just as loyal as their purebred counterparts.

The campaign was the first to use celebrities to help drive home a point directly to the average Filipino pet owner and it was a runaway success. Not only did all the animals that Heart and Echo posed with get adopted, it also boosted adoption rates and inquiries by as much as 30%. PAWS’ shelter staff also noticed an increase in the use of the now politically-correct term “Aspin”.
























THE BIRTH OF AN ASPIN CLUB

On October 3 at 4pm, native dog owners and their ‘aspins’ are invited to the first general assembly of the PAWS Aspin Club to be held at the Bonifacio High Street.

Its SEC registration papers state that the club “aims to improve how Filipinos view & treat native and mixed-breed dogs by celebrating the unique characteristics of each dog and helping people make the right choice - the choice to adopt Aspins from shelters, pounds, or rescued off the streets.”

According to PAWS Shelter Director Heidi Guzon, “For most Aspins in our country, their lives end even before they begin with no hope, no help and no voice.

The PAWS Aspin Club was established to help unite native dog owners to incite change, and help these extraordinary dogs receive the recognition and care they deserve.”

The President of this club is no other than Nice Rodriguez, loving guardian of Poypoy.

Nice says that when you look at a crowd of pet owners flocking to dog-friendly establishments, you will hardly see a native dog in their midst.

“We hope to change the way Filipinos look at their native dogs and how they treat them." 

Being launch as part of the World Animal Day celebration, the PAWS Aspin Club already has a line-up of fun monthly activities for its members.

"We will have a special Canine Good Citizenship training, dog food cooking lessons, a Christmas outreach program, a “Dog Walk for a Cause”, a pet photo session and a "Must Love Dogs" singles party," Nice enumerates excitedly.

For those who want to become members of the PAWS Aspin Club, please bring your P500 annual membership fee and 1x1 colored photos of yourself and your pet.  Registration starts at 3PM. For inquiries, please email paws_aspin_club@yahoo.com


WORLD ANIMAL DAY UPDATE :

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), in cooperation with Bonifacio High Street, continues its celebration of World Animal Day with an exciting afternoon for all pet lovers on October 3 starting at 3pm.

Strike a pose in the pet photo area, test your canine's reflexes in the dog agility course, turn into a dalmatian or pug in the face painting booth and browse through the newest pet portal on the net.

All native and mixed breed dog owners and their pets are also invited to the 1st general assembly of the PAWS Aspin Club with special guests - canine behavior specialist Jojo Isorena with renowned theater director and proud celebrity Aspin owner, Audie Gemora. Program begins at 4pm.

And finally, in celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, cap the night with a mass and pet blessing at 5:30pm.

So come and spend a special weekend with your four-legged love ones only at the Bonifacio High Street.

This event is made possible through the generous help of Hobbes & Landes, Frontline Plus, Magnolia Healthtea, Magnolia Pure Water, Krispy Kreme, Mypetchannel.tv and the Philippine Star Pet Life Section.
 


Copyright ©2008 The Philippine Animal Welfare Society. All rights reserved.