My 24th Birthday Fundraiser for the Angeles City Veterinary Clinic in hometown in the Philippines
Hello friends and family. This year for my 24th birthday I am raising money for the Angeles City Veterinary Clinic, a wonderful non-profit city run place that rescues unwanted and mistreated dogs and cats in my hometown of Angeles City Pampanga, in the Philippines.
Growing up in the Philippines, I always had a dog in my home, many were azklas- a short term for asong kalye or in English, Street dogs, or mutts. But unfortunately, many azkals in the Philippines and in my home-city aren’t as lucky as the dogs that I had at home with my family. Many dogs and cats live on the fringes of Philippine society-Not loved or cared for, nor treated with kindness. Many are left to roam the streets, scrounging for food, some abandoned, some left in tiny cages that barely give them room to walk, while others are even eaten for food.
This is an issue I have seen first hand growing up. It was once again brought to my attention when a few weeks ago my dad found and rescued a dying dog outside of our house. We named him Lucky. Lucky could barely walk, his fur had disappeared, he had cuts all over his body and he looked like he hadn’t eaten for weeks. A heartbreaking site to see but not an uncommon one.
To save Lucky my dad took him to the Angeles City Vet. There, the doctors gave lucky some medicine and the vitamins he needed, and treated his wounds. According to the vets at the clinic, Lucky was around 4 months old, and had probably been kept in a cage for most of its short life, never cared for and was eventually abandoned on the streets by its owner, left to fend for itself in the cold cruel world. The vet said they see this kind of thing quite often.
So my dad took Lucky home and gave him the love that he had never received before. Unfortunately, however, a few days later, lucky passed away. He had basically starved and his condition was just too bad and he had no chance to survive.
I was heartbroken. Lucky was supposed to be our new dog. But the loss of Lucky made me determined that this time I would no longer be a bystander of the cruelty animals face in the Philippines.
So, my family and I decided to adopt a 6 month old azkal dog whose previous owner couldn’t care for her. We named her Rosie. Not only is Rosie a happy dog at heart, but she is a healthy dog because of this clinic. Before getting Rosie, the clinic provided her with all the medication and care she needed. This is the kind of work that they do.
Although the Angeles City Veterinary Clinic is run by the city government, they are always short on funds. There are untold numbers of dogs and cats that are suffering throughout Angeles City alone, and this clinic cannot survive on its own funds. Besides taking in strays and then trying to find proper homes, the clinic also tries to solve the overpopulation problem by spaying and neutering dogs and cats, giving anti-rabies shots, and vaccines. They also do outreach into the local communities to give medicines and educate poor people on how to properly take care of their dogs and cats.
The work they do is important. And they need our help.
So in lieu of any birthday gifts, I am raising $300 dollars for the Angeles City Veterinary Clinic. Proceeds will go to medicine, vaccinations, community service work, and dog and cat food for the animals that they keep in their shelter.
I know there are many pressing issues in our world today. But as the legendary Mahatma Ghandi once said; “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.”