These stars prove that rescue dogs have a lot of love to give
MANILA, Philippines – Getting a dog can be one of the best decisions you make in your life, but what many people don’t realize is that they don’t always have to choose a pedigreed pup or a designer dog.
The better choice might even be to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue organization. When you adopt, you give a pooch with a past the family it deserves while also freeing up space at the shelters for more dogs who need it.
While most people still turn to breeders and pet stores to find their pets, more and more fur parents are adopting instead of shopping – including a number of local celebrities.
These are just some of the stars who prove that rescue dogs have as much love to give as any purebred pupper:
Heart Evangelista
As an ambassador for the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Heart has adopted her fair share of animal rescues. So far, her pack includes three cats, five dogs, and even a lamb named Bambino. It’s safe to say that her pets are now living their best lives and are better groomed, more well-dressed, and probably better smelling than the rest of us. Heart’s favorite of the bunch is Panda, a glamorous black-and-white aspin who was rescued from Nasugbu, Batangas.
Sharon Cuneta
The Megastar first met her rescue dog, an 8-year-old stray, while filming Revirginized in Olongapo. At the time, she was feeling sad over the news of her friend, the late makeup artist Fanny Serrano, suffering a stroke, and the dog became her “ray of sunshine.” She named him Pawi, after her costar Marco Gumabao’s character in the film. It was only months later after a search, rehabilitation, and medical treatment that she was able to bring the dog home, right in time for Christmas.
Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez
Carla is a big animal lover, sponsoring the veterinary treatments of animals in need and using her platform to call out irresponsible pet owners and animal abusers. She first adopted a dog from PAWS in 2018 for her grandmother who has Alzheimer’s. Two years later, she and Tom adopted two aspins, Wing and Fly, to keep Carla’s Jack Russell Terrier Patches company. Sadly, Wing died in November 2020.
Iza Calzado
Iza and her husband Ben Wintle adopted their dog Roger from the shelter Pawssion Project in 2021. The couple already had several dogs before but decided that their next pet would be a rescue. It was love at first sight when they met Roger at the shelter. “He looked at me like he knew me,” Iza said in a video shared by Pawssion Project.
Joey Mead and Angie King
Joey and Angie have been taking in animals for years, and by now, their rescues are too many to count. The couple has saved stray dogs and cats, as well as horses that were abandoned during the Taal eruption. They bring most of their rescued animals to their farm in Batangas, where Joey and Angie have set up special spaces for the animals to roam and play.
Fernando Zobel de Ayala
The tycoon and his family have always loved dogs but decided after a visit to PAWS that they would focus on adopting instead of buying from breeders. As of 2020, he counts nine rescue dogs – four in his Manila home and five on his farm. One of them, Bonito, is a three-legged aspin.
If these celebrities have inspired you to get a rescue dog, there are a number of shelters you can check out. There’s PAWS, where many of these stars found their furbabies. There’s Pawssion Project, which has shelters in Bacolod and Bulacan, and Lara’s Ark, which has shelters in Mandaluyong and Batangas. You can also check your local city pound, where many animals are euthanized if they go unadopted for a period of time. – Rappler.com