tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80669173347726624852024-03-13T18:46:35.055+08:00AnimalSpeak®khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-1303080810427210222022-12-30T00:48:00.001+08:002022-12-30T00:48:35.630+08:00A Lost Cat Tale: How I Found KitKat before Christmas <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christmas is
a time to relax and bond with family. For many people, our companion cats and
dogs are family. So, can you imagine a person’s distress when a beloved cat gets
lost? For the past few weeks, I have been seeing a lot of “lost cat” or “lost
dog” posters online, with desperate owners offering up to as much as 20,000
pesos for the return of their beloved cat or dog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I almost
became such a desperate person 10 days before Christmas day, when, at <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9pm on Dec. 14, a message on my phone informed
me that my dear Kitkat was missing.<br /><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynmxnbgCDD0zEMSlxbslrS9RhMG1qor2PiIV-9m-5I7i7peE0guR7kY4gUYod7VSPEmrGoGh27ScvX6vN0apdLTaz2gkdpFF5ny86mafOt8dq_W-9Nue_d2uds1dn1V5Q15RIA9a64wXTsHyDOWgutpYYi36c6T-I484vU8gQBaRTDIdnFFX8yhkdsg/s3648/Kitkat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynmxnbgCDD0zEMSlxbslrS9RhMG1qor2PiIV-9m-5I7i7peE0guR7kY4gUYod7VSPEmrGoGh27ScvX6vN0apdLTaz2gkdpFF5ny86mafOt8dq_W-9Nue_d2uds1dn1V5Q15RIA9a64wXTsHyDOWgutpYYi36c6T-I484vU8gQBaRTDIdnFFX8yhkdsg/s320/Kitkat.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KITKAT</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kitkat is
about 18 years old. I first met her years ago at the College of Mass
Communication (CMC) where I fed her and spent a lot of time with her. When I
had the weekly radio program KWENTUHANG PETS ATBP on DZUP, I would greet her
without fail at the beginning of the program. After the program, she would<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wait for me at the entrance steps to Plaridel
Hall and rub her body against my legs. The guards said she always listened to
the entire one-hour program. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One day, I
forgot to greet her on air. When I returned to Plaridel Hall, she did not meet me
at the steps. I found her hiding below the guard’s table. I called her but she
refused to come out. The guard explained that I had forgotten to greet her at
the start of the program.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Every morning,
Kitkat would run to the car to greet me when I arrived at CMC. She would walk
me to the car when I went home in the afternoon. She took siestas in my office
and even gave birth to three kittens in the big drawer of my working table. She
is an emotional support cat and it made me happy to see her sleeping on the
laps of students.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">She kept me
company at school during one of the lowest points in my life. I lost my mom at
about the same time that Kitkat lost her kitten. She must have sensed my grief.
She would wait for me to dismiss my class at 7pm, then walk with me to my
office where we would stay till 9 or 10pm. I would lie on my couch and sob
myself to sleep while she lay on my chest, staring down at me with sad eyes
that revealed her own sorrow. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, imagine
my distress when I learned that she was missing. My friend Angel (not her real
name) and her daughter, who live inside the campus, had been fostering her
since September. Some of the cats at Balay Kaibigan had gotten sick with feline
flu and we had to get Kitkat out fast to save her from getting infected. She is
a senior cat and therefore needed special care. I thank my friend and her
daughter for offering to foster her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Angel was
not feeling well that morning and had taken Kitkat to her open garage for some
sun. Nugget, a cute and chubby cat whom she had adopted from Balay Kaibigan,
was with them. After setting the cages down, Angel went back inside the house
to get a chair for herself. When she returned to the garage, Kitkat had escaped
from her carrier and was gone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We often
take the feelings of our animal companions for granted. Kitkat used to be a
community cat. She had enjoyed unlimited access to sun, fresh air, wide spaces
and tall trees at CMC. She was fed by the students, staff and faculty. But in
December 2021, she had fallen gravely ill due to feline flu. She was confined
at the vet clinic for two weeks where I asked the vets to do everything to save
her. Her vet said that as a senior cat, Kitkat now needed a home where she
could get age-appropriate food and the necessary vitamins. So I took her to
Balay Kaibigan where an animal carer could attend to her needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As soon as I
read Angel’s message, I rushed to UP to search for Kitkat. We combed the
construction site right beside her home till midnight. Angel made a nice lost
cat poster with Kitkat’s picture for posting online and I offered a 3000 peso
reward. For five days, Angel and her daughter searched night and day but Kitkat
was nowhere to be found.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It wasn’t
the first time that I had had to search for a lost cat or dog. So I began
visualizing, praying and affirming that Kitkat would either come home or that we
would find her. On the sixth night, I looked for her again in adjacent streets,
calling out her name as I passed each house. I also imagined a golden light
connecting us at the heart and the navel. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then just as
I was about to end the search, I saw her at the gate of one of the houses along
the street where she lives. She was just standing there, as if waiting for me
to show up and rescue her. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I had found my
Kitkat.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7ya63Y5QUsiUdRq3BIrcOjQKKwW9SnK4w6gobWP5ejIPROmnkzT4zlFBNPPH2bmOIcjelXC7ekzLARKe1IhWlbN5sY6ITIlXiSdzi2Ru3wuFnSmzVa7X5d8zAkcp0XCvTnYKb6K_1P5FS2onfJk0RnaNC-HWNDrTjd99zMLMOM-iriSxclk1Z451yQ/s5120/KITKAT%20AND%20ME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5120" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7ya63Y5QUsiUdRq3BIrcOjQKKwW9SnK4w6gobWP5ejIPROmnkzT4zlFBNPPH2bmOIcjelXC7ekzLARKe1IhWlbN5sY6ITIlXiSdzi2Ru3wuFnSmzVa7X5d8zAkcp0XCvTnYKb6K_1P5FS2onfJk0RnaNC-HWNDrTjd99zMLMOM-iriSxclk1Z451yQ/s320/KITKAT%20AND%20ME.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KITKAT and ME</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In case you
happen to lose your animal companion, here is the powerful visualization
technique that I used to find Kitkat:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Imagine or visualize a bright
egg-shaped white light surrounding and protecting your cat /dog. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Imagine or visualize a golden cord
connecting your heart to your animal’s heart and your navel to his/her navel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Talk to your animal aloud or in your
mind. Reassure him/her that you are searching for her. Even if you are apart,
your animal will hear your “psychic voice”. Tell her you love her and that she
is the most special cat in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Make promises you can keep. Tell
him/her that you will take hm out more often or give him his favorite food.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Visualize her back home with you,
eating, sleeping and doing the things she loves to do.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Affirm that all this will come to
pass. Pray that you will be led to your animal or that he/she will find her way
home to you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Search during the day, but the best
time to go around the neighborhood is at night when it’s more quiet and your
animal can hear your voice when you call out to him/her.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Look everywhere that a scared animal
could possibly hide. They could be holed up in the most unexpected places.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bring water and his favorite food, a
flashlight and towel to wrap him in. Make sure the he can fit in the bag or
carrier that you will bring.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Distribute lost cat/dog posters so
people can inform you if they have seen them and you could follow a trail.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s
important to remember that the sooner you do this meditation, the greater the
chances of finding your animal companion. Offering a reward would also be good
so people would be eager to help in the search. But on the other hand, it could
scare off a shy or fearful lost animal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Note that
the stronger the bond between you and your animal, the easier it would be to do
this visualization technique. So work on creating that closeness with your
animals. It just might save their lives one day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-59441233162984001152022-10-31T23:03:00.000+08:002022-10-31T23:03:13.434+08:00Remembering My Mom's Affinity with Animals<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's a common notion that we either inherit our traits from our parents and grandparents or acquire them from the sum total of our life experiences and stock knowledge. I, for one, am certain that I inherited my mom's love for animals. But I developed my advocacy from experiences where I witnessed cruelty against animals that moved me to action.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">All Souls Day is commemorated just one day in a year. But I think of my mom 365 days in a year. I think of the good days as well as the missed opportunities. Today I visited her at the San Agustin columbary with my dogs Kotton, Samedi and Dimanche. She loved dogs and cats and had many animal companions during her lifetime. Samedi and Dimanche (Saturday and Sunday, in French) used to live in my parents' house. Unfortunately, she was already suffering from partial paralysis due to a stroke so she was not able to enjoy the company of the weekend duo.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">When my brothers and I were growing up, our home was never without a dog. We had German shepherds, a dachshund named Pepper, and three dogs from San Fabian, Pangasinan who were named Topspin 1, 2 and 3. The dogs slept with us and played with us.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we moved to our home in Quezon City in the late 60's, we had a furry pepper and salt mutt named Beawy (pronounced Behwee) who used to play hide and seek with Mom. She would hide inside the closets while Beawy would rush through each room to find her. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">One day years later, she told me that she had ordered one of their dogs to fetch his sister. Imagine her delight when the dog came back pulling his sister up the steps by her collar!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">She also regaled me with colorful accounts of her favorite dog when she was a young girl and how he would sit and walk on his butt toward the gate to meet her after school.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Mom was also a lover of cats. She had many cats when she was growing up. I used to be terrified of cats, but when my favorite aunt, Tita Olga, insisted on giving me a Persian cat, I accepted. Mom was very fond of D'Artagnan and I left him with them when I pursued masteral studies in France.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwb0ezY2TP8NQcoH0D8ycdBoHTL-8f25TToN8fqF37wby3SSrtxxagaUKQqfZRAzpGLek7bxqjbaDcPIm4DKWiUSYfuUunbQ39sHcTY-dMjZLjeqmf3Rj4pjYMNSDqcLpYlZXuTx0UM7edDSLYl7dmtDv7e3JUlUEEPzSqhRHxeSSVTmenEwhDCfXF8A/s789/309871216_2669839303158609_8929614495525897515_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="569" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwb0ezY2TP8NQcoH0D8ycdBoHTL-8f25TToN8fqF37wby3SSrtxxagaUKQqfZRAzpGLek7bxqjbaDcPIm4DKWiUSYfuUunbQ39sHcTY-dMjZLjeqmf3Rj4pjYMNSDqcLpYlZXuTx0UM7edDSLYl7dmtDv7e3JUlUEEPzSqhRHxeSSVTmenEwhDCfXF8A/s320/309871216_2669839303158609_8929614495525897515_n.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Mom with D'Artagnan</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">After I came back, I found a match for D'Artagnan and their union gave us 2 beautiful kittens. I didn't know about neutering and spaying then, so the family expanded and Mom helped find people to adopt the kittens. She had favorites and she bought them fish and often checked on them.<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I gave her a handsome grey Persian named Cyrus who resembled his grandfather. She renamed him Good Chi, and they became inseparable. He would accompany her to the toilet and stay with her. They watched television together, and Mom taught him to stay put while she and Dad prayed the rosary. All she had to say was, "Let's pray" and Good Chi would come running from wherever he was to take his place beside her.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwa2a5HNJEtVjdWLFffq6Zuhd1jGrmNFWiV3FnOkFXQhGla3reqHdqj67J9kS0kmXy_BT32Ogz5GY5EOgTGky9mWZIQdlhDCgaY3yA1Lde9aMx2y4ZS171Lhecux-9ZwvNGTRUeciZs-veTros4VxUzbsVbA4ezvbiM68QN5hTTMQYTUVs5tr9LrmglQ/s876/306730033_3426006987724685_431680751515967269_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="832" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwa2a5HNJEtVjdWLFffq6Zuhd1jGrmNFWiV3FnOkFXQhGla3reqHdqj67J9kS0kmXy_BT32Ogz5GY5EOgTGky9mWZIQdlhDCgaY3yA1Lde9aMx2y4ZS171Lhecux-9ZwvNGTRUeciZs-veTros4VxUzbsVbA4ezvbiM68QN5hTTMQYTUVs5tr9LrmglQ/s320/306730033_3426006987724685_431680751515967269_n.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Me, my mom and Good Chi</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">A firm believer in the Catholic faith, Mom kept several statues of saints in<br /> their bedroom. Good Chi's favorite sleeping place was behind the statue of the Sacred Heart.<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I remember getting a distressed phone call from her one day. She was sobbing because the dogs had entered the room and spooked Good Chi who ran outside and up the concrete fence. She climbed a ladder to get him, but he was so stressed that he bit her. But Mom understood that he didn't mean to hurt her. He was just terrified of the dogs.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">My mom passed away in July 2016, and I have had several years of introspection regarding our relationship. I realize now that everything she did for me was out of love, because I was the only daughter and we are so much alike. And maybe she thought I needed guidance because of my stubborn nature. She used to come in my dreams and her kisses and hugs felt so real. She still does sometimes, and I cherish these occasions.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">If there is any truth to the belief that we choose our parents before we incarnate into this world, I know why I chose her. She was fiercely loyal to me, defending me against a world that barely understood my eccentricities. And I needed an anchor, a loving guide into the world of animals. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">My life now revolves around helping campus cats and dogs. I have given up a lot to do this because it has to be done and they need help and saving. The UP Diliman campus is not yet a safe haven for stray animals.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFn5BvDLBE_5MO8y-w6HNg0Y9cvn2nxbME55hNGdP-BwXJT3VBg3lo-q6KSYohTrxbtFeO-8eqOj8FZPJreN-4H1FGaqXQmTB0bVqbjkUa5muBfD2pgX6FHZ0Uu2Wa3HKNGKfTqyfLDLcOKN0Fe5FOEyjalBYPExbo2fNNoTW7zduffXkOkSE4cU6DA/s1274/308108616_624190512787546_4758468224206416190_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="830" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFn5BvDLBE_5MO8y-w6HNg0Y9cvn2nxbME55hNGdP-BwXJT3VBg3lo-q6KSYohTrxbtFeO-8eqOj8FZPJreN-4H1FGaqXQmTB0bVqbjkUa5muBfD2pgX6FHZ0Uu2Wa3HKNGKfTqyfLDLcOKN0Fe5FOEyjalBYPExbo2fNNoTW7zduffXkOkSE4cU6DA/s320/308108616_624190512787546_4758468224206416190_n.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom and I at home</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Whenever I face an obstacle to my goals, I talk to my mom and ask for help. Most of the time, things turn out well in ways unexpected.<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I believe when you're on the right track, the Universe and your guardian angels will help you reach your goals. And there's Mom, too, helping make things happen for me from the spiritual world.</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpfZixHWQfLMW0TgTE8-1QfL7lUbc5N9WPa2qSFbffKllGhPZynRlAewK3d0U4i0RZ8qJ-oADZVoga9rzjS2G8MIL1BmD6bh2XkXXZqtRe3tqTFJBqrI9kgpGo1s0XKa0SGrv7I-bsjmeuY44ea1Iz95EVhUBE3PmT_1Fokywi6yu4adFXC1t93vfMA/s1245/310800911_572290727989740_5780026606791165145_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="1084" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpfZixHWQfLMW0TgTE8-1QfL7lUbc5N9WPa2qSFbffKllGhPZynRlAewK3d0U4i0RZ8qJ-oADZVoga9rzjS2G8MIL1BmD6bh2XkXXZqtRe3tqTFJBqrI9kgpGo1s0XKa0SGrv7I-bsjmeuY44ea1Iz95EVhUBE3PmT_1Fokywi6yu4adFXC1t93vfMA/w349-h400/310800911_572290727989740_5780026606791165145_n.jpg" width="349" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My mom and I together in Paris.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-15524728967575843462022-10-30T23:32:00.016+08:002022-10-31T17:47:52.690+08:00The KOTTON Effect: The Story of UP Diliman's Top ESA<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b>EARLY DAYS</b></i></span> </p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>"Kotton Effect" is a term I coined back in 2019 when I observed how a </i></span><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">thin</i><i style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> and gentle stray dog at the UP College of Mass Communication (CMC) had won the hearts of many students. They fed him and caressed him and called him many names of endearment. </span></i></p><p></p><p><i style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcq4UCEMQlxQD4LZm_wowxZfcqGB-f7paI636yH1UPWwlrYOlJeLjMN14fzg3yRjnuNe6AlDQjDsH-jPd4Kkl4ezurgLgunBUKdPb9ZYlB19jgedMiA2tcGDu3upqI8e0oMUGKqdQr6CDsWSR48HgfwMcNISvAeUVa8FgQ1bJa42SOVnIpc_7zp9MTA/s4160/kotton%20stray%20pup%20at%20cmc.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcq4UCEMQlxQD4LZm_wowxZfcqGB-f7paI636yH1UPWwlrYOlJeLjMN14fzg3yRjnuNe6AlDQjDsH-jPd4Kkl4ezurgLgunBUKdPb9ZYlB19jgedMiA2tcGDu3upqI8e0oMUGKqdQr6CDsWSR48HgfwMcNISvAeUVa8FgQ1bJa42SOVnIpc_7zp9MTA/w320-h249/kotton%20stray%20pup%20at%20cmc.jpg" width="320" /></a>He must have been about 3-4 months old when I first met him. He was blackish and mangy. I developed the habit of buying food for him and feeding him. He loved meat viands with sauce and rice. He started waiting for me at the parking lot of Plaridel Hall, and would run and leap on me with sheer joy. At first, I was afraid to touch him because of the small crawling insects I saw on his back. But he was insistent and wouldn't stop jumping on me until I gave him food and attention.</span></i></p><p><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupSgiJVt7zhaJw6z8a3RmH32V9ajyXfcEufFWS5DUVedKFlF3w2Bo06Yrfr9CO6CMoVUJ7ZIrFjTwVeKvwqnRzsYvEj_pWs82Fpql-X5Ji_51uD2S4klR98X8J9lHKfoNMnPctL3LuHP2gDkalB4LKq6ZdShCaSwlZ569aJXnGKv_KPClkQgswXiBIA/s4160/IMG_20180626_092154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupSgiJVt7zhaJw6z8a3RmH32V9ajyXfcEufFWS5DUVedKFlF3w2Bo06Yrfr9CO6CMoVUJ7ZIrFjTwVeKvwqnRzsYvEj_pWs82Fpql-X5Ji_51uD2S4klR98X8J9lHKfoNMnPctL3LuHP2gDkalB4LKq6ZdShCaSwlZ569aJXnGKv_KPClkQgswXiBIA/s320/IMG_20180626_092154.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Underneath the dirty skin and fur, he was whitish. So I named </i><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>him</i></span><i style="font-family: verdana;"> </i><i style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cotton and promised him that one day he would be handsome and his fur would be as soft as cotton.</span></i><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>He was not the only dog at CMC. Another kind, motherly dog had</i></span><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> enchanted the students and grown quite close to Kotton. I named her Chess, after her fur markings that looked like black and white pieces of a chessboard. Chess and Cotton were inseparable, like mother and son or better yet, like best friends.</i></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Kotton was a roamer. Whenever I wanted to feed him or give him a bath, I would get into my car and scan the streets near Quezon Hall, College of Music and University Theater. He knew the sound of my car so he would run up to me. Or was it the smell?</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Before the pandemic, the security guards, students and staff loved Cotton and Chess. The guards shared their lunch and dinner with both dogs, the students bought barbecue for them and Katkat, a member of the CMC staff, found sponsors so they could have regular meals, rain or shine.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>When the opportunity came for a free neutering in early 2018, I took Chess to the Institute of Biology for spaying. Cotton was nowhere to be found. But I asked the kind vets for meds to cure him of mange. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>A few months later, another opportunity came for free neutering. To make sure that Cotton would be there the following day, I leashed him to one of the sheds the night before the surgery. The guard said Kotton</i></span><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </i><i style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">had wailed all night. I had no car the following day, so my plan was to load him into the garbage truck I had managed to borrow from the Campus Maintenance Office to pick up all other stray dogs for neutering. But Cotton refused to jump up the truck without me. So the men helped me up and once he saw me on the back of the truck, he jumped right in.</span></i></p><p><i style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When the pandemic hit us in March 2020 and the first lockdown was declared on March 15, I rushed to UP to check on the roaming dogs at CMC and Quezon Hall who had become my friends. I found Chess at CMC, searching for food. Kotton and Harry were at Quezon Hall with resident dogs Tisay and Lakan or Macho. The guards had been sharing their food with them. They were thin, dirty, hungry and begging for food and reassurance. Their whimpering broke my heart. I made the decision to bring Kotton, Chess and Harry to Balay Kaibigan where they could have meals and baths.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>THE K TEAM</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>FAST FORWARD TO 2022. Cotton, the once skinny and mangy dog, is now a UP Diliman Emotional Support Animal (ESA) as well as a SAGIP campus search and rescue K9. People who touch him never fail to praise his soft, clean fur. He is now the COTTON I promised he would be.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>The only problem is that he is a clingy dog. He became clingy because he was sad during the days when I wasn't around in the campus. But when a virus broke out in Balay Kaibigan where he had been living for more than 2 years, I took him home. He was the happiest dog in the world! The days of waiting for me were over.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>I now call him my "white shadow". His days of uncertainty, of not knowing whether I would visit him, are gone. Now, he never tires of following me from room to room and up and down the stairs. I can feel his eyes take in my every move, whether I'm drinking a glass of water or working on my laptop. Thankfully, he falls asleep when he knows I will be working for hours.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>UP SAGIP SEARCH AND RESCUE K9</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>In January 2021, I submitted a proposal to train a group of UPD stray dogs to become search and rescue dogs. The idea was that they would help find missing persons in case of an earthquake or other emergency in the campus. Kotton became my K9, and I his handler. I had always dreamed of training a dog who would be my buddy everywhere I go. Well, this was it. This was when he became KOTTON (with a K) and we became the "K Team".</i></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvFyDRd-5Ez9pYqLsox-uyiO_rjEYzqxPFfCKfMOxBH_iGK6VbFXymAFqXWlPyzNVrsGY0KTgMROHXL8tthTpZ5KP6dVkY-lxdzfHkx9YCuKH_z6c1zkUq2uhbomOIao9hd5M1Ngst5sam2vJVTajhK7DLE9G7GPh3ejLN9UNavbeUWJveFhRO3m-ng/s5472/IMG_2490.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvFyDRd-5Ez9pYqLsox-uyiO_rjEYzqxPFfCKfMOxBH_iGK6VbFXymAFqXWlPyzNVrsGY0KTgMROHXL8tthTpZ5KP6dVkY-lxdzfHkx9YCuKH_z6c1zkUq2uhbomOIao9hd5M1Ngst5sam2vJVTajhK7DLE9G7GPh3ejLN9UNavbeUWJveFhRO3m-ng/w320-h213/IMG_2490.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Together with 10 other campus dogs, we train on Saturdays, under rain and sun. We do night searches. We train in different buildings, colleges, the UPD lagoon and open fields. My skin gained a reddish tan and Kotton built muscles. Kotton, who looks like he is half-Labrador, is talented but stubborn. Sometimes it's a test of wills when I give the command "Sit" and "Stay". Most of the time, the standoff is solved by Jollibee chicken treats.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>The other dogs in the group are also good searchers. Short-legged Nano, Amore, Dagz, Bar and Maroon can find people hiding in the bushes or in clutter-filled rooms in record time. The medium-sized aspins or asong Pinoy (local dogs) do equally well in field searches and building searches. The dogs have become friends and always look forward to Saturday trainings. The handlers, an eclectic mix of faculty, residents, staff, students, security guards and Social Services Brigade personnel (SSB), have learned to work as a team. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-style: italic;">UPD EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS </b><i><b>(ESAs)</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Together with Tisay, another friendly aspin from Quezon Hall or UPD's "seat of power", Kotton was presented to UP officials as an "emotional support dog" in February 2019. Former UPD Chancellor Michael Tan had told me days earlier that he had to introduce the concept of "</i></span></span><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">tapping our campus dogs as emotional support animals" because certain officials were planning to have the dogs rounded up and brought to the pound soon. So at 6:30pm on that day, Dr. Tan called Kotton and Tisay to the stage. I had the honor of bringing in one of UP's first emotional support dogs.</i></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i> The strategy was brilliant. While Dr. Tan was talking and pointing at him, Kotton faced the audience and sat down. He took in all the lights and the attention. The audience roared in delight. That's where I realized that Kotton loves the limelight.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>The press had been invited to cover the big event which marked the 70th anniversary of the transfer of the UP campus to Diliman from its original campus in Ermita. The celebration included music, dances and speeches from the university's top officials. But the news that came out the following day focused mostly on Kotton and Tisay and their role as the first emotional support dogs in the campus.</i></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgE3aFT6Z3knDvIKWw1V5NtdBLahjhVXtVmZNbwl9zuKEY3IdtSNPSZNxk0JVJ2y2VwmURSy-pG5P21XM-eJxN839jyPyEm67cs_QtbwYn_qPKHg13Z7yS56AUvaSCPq-WjiczYnJyvUbXuOY4-tYa3vzXMsfP9As0vjuFsxNW2hCPEJot88buT7Y8g/s4160/IMG_20190518_163946.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgE3aFT6Z3knDvIKWw1V5NtdBLahjhVXtVmZNbwl9zuKEY3IdtSNPSZNxk0JVJ2y2VwmURSy-pG5P21XM-eJxN839jyPyEm67cs_QtbwYn_qPKHg13Z7yS56AUvaSCPq-WjiczYnJyvUbXuOY4-tYa3vzXMsfP9As0vjuFsxNW2hCPEJot88buT7Y8g/s320/IMG_20190518_163946.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>After that, Kotton and I were requested to visit the Diliman Learning and Research Center to help the students relax while they worked on their theses and other requirements or prepared for midterm and final exams.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>On our first visit, a student working at her laptop suddenly reached out to Kotton. She asked if she could touch and hug him. I said yes, and kept a watchful eye on them as she hugged Kotton and talked to him. I saw her several times in the following days, so I asked her what exactly was Kotton's impact on her.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>THE KOTTON EFFECT</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>"On the first day that Kotton passed by me, I was struggling with my thesis. I had reached a dead end and knew I wouldn't be able to finish it in time. That meant I wouldn't graduate, and I didn't know how to tell my parents. So at that moment, I was thinking about ending my life. Then Kotton came," she recalled. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>I was dumbfounded. </i></span><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">So Kotton had that effect on people! He distracts them and pulls them away from dark thoughts and helps them back to the present. And he gives them hope. </i></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>The more I see The Kotton Effect, the more I learn to respect Kotton. He allows strangers to touch him, but it is my role to protect him. It's no joke to have 6 pairs of hands on your head or your body. I have to make sure Kotton is not uncomfortable. So I limit interactions to 30 minutes then we take a 30-minute break.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>MY PERSONAL ESA </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmH885q_CeILYVr366Ahpr2fnDJmzsLGEaA9Z_W39CQlpgjN5wVxogNHk18C8XU5FwbIa01OKMg8j5tKA2hFti4KCDG1qP8l_-Uf8QOM0ppAh3mUI6D0ZlTJaqXEC3t_ySzroUHKvJ8Yg_O-0yoqP_jpevyrDMJf0CatCp_d_J-1_DqbkLZPcUBQY3g/s6000/my%20running%20partner.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmH885q_CeILYVr366Ahpr2fnDJmzsLGEaA9Z_W39CQlpgjN5wVxogNHk18C8XU5FwbIa01OKMg8j5tKA2hFti4KCDG1qP8l_-Uf8QOM0ppAh3mUI6D0ZlTJaqXEC3t_ySzroUHKvJ8Yg_O-0yoqP_jpevyrDMJf0CatCp_d_J-1_DqbkLZPcUBQY3g/w266-h460/my%20running%20partner.jpg" width="266" /></a></i></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Now that Kotton lives with me, it's like having my personal ESA. He forces me to walk daily. I sleep late so I'm too lazy to wake up early and walk, but I have to because he won't poop nor pee inside the house.</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Kotton also makes me laugh...a lot. He and my female dog Dimanche have really hit it off, and now I have two dogs sleeping with me in the room. It's been barely two months, but Kotton has told me in so many ways that he no longer wants to live in Balay Kaibigan. We go there for visits, but he's here to stay. We still do Saturday trainings and we have been requested to start ESA duties again at DLRC. We will continue to do that as volunteers. But there's no more question about where Kotton will stay. He has a real home now.</i></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0U.P. Campus , University of the Philippines , 1101 Quezon City , Metro Manila, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines14.6549715 121.0651503-0.4610499123510241 85.9089003 29.770992912351026 156.2214003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-87758505817354610702013-08-20T12:25:00.001+08:002013-08-20T13:14:36.734+08:00 M I N E!<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Over the centuries, man has been referred to
as a dog’s “master” and “owner” while the dog has been described as man’s
“constant companion” and even his “best friend”. Lately, the idea of ownership
has evolved radically. Advocates of animal rights and welfare say their dogs
own them and choose them. Just who owns who would indeed make a hot topic for
discussion.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fhkspim49n4/UhLynE9DtCI/AAAAAAAAATg/pa5Rut7KCFE/s1600/Mine!1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fhkspim49n4/UhLynE9DtCI/AAAAAAAAATg/pa5Rut7KCFE/s320/Mine!1.jpg" width="224" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In the 2010 film documentary titled “Mine”, the subject is explored
once again in the wake of events that arose right after Hurricane Katrina.
Writer / Director </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> Geralyn Pezanoski quite successfully captured the angst and
depression that plagued those who thought they had lost their dogs forever, the
anger of those who discovered that their dogs had been adopted by families and
couldn’t get them back and those who had adopted the dogs and didn’t want to
give them up, and finally the elation of those who were reunited with their
beloved furry companions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The viewer experiences a mix of sympathy and frustration
over what may be seen as the stupidity of men as the fight over ownership of
the Katrina dogs turned ugly and political. We see shades of racial bias and
social inequity as hurricane victims and adoptive families battled over legal custody of the rescued dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NO CHOICE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hurricane Katrina hit the state of Louisiana on the
morning of Monday, August 29, 2005 with winds lashing at 280 kms per hour.
About 80% of New Orleans was destroyed and the floodwaters stayed for several
weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Other areas
devastated by the hurricane included Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, the Florida
Panhandle, Cuba and the Bahamas. It is
considered one of the five deadliest natural catastrophes to hit the United
States, killing 1800 people and destroying the homes of millions more. More than
700 people are still missing and damages have been estimated at more than 100
billion dollars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
mandatory evacuation of the residents began 2-3 days before the hurricane made
landfall, government response to the catastrophe has been criticized as being
ill-prepared and slow. Animals were not allowed into the shelters so some
residents who refused to leave their animals behind died during the storm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Residents like
Gloria, a senior citizen living on her own, repeatedly promised her dog Murphy
Brown that she would not abandon him. But when the National Guardsmen came to
take her, they gave her two choices: to go with them willingly or to be taken
forcibly to a shelter. Neither option included Murphy Brown. So Gloria was
forcibly taken from her home and her dog. She was placed in an evacuation
shelter in St. Louis, Missouri for several weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All throughout
her stay in the shelter, she never gave up hope of finding Murphy Brown. People
soon learned about her story and volunteers launched a campaign to find the
dog. He had been adopted by a couple in California and renamed “Shadow”. The couple willingly returned Murphy Brown to
Gloria and arranged for “visiting rights”. Gloria and the couple, Ron and Ellen,
soon became good friends. When she died in March 2008, Gloria stated in her
will that Murphy Brown should go back to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Other
residents had to take care of family members first. Although they wanted to
bring their animals with them, the shelters were strict about their no-animals
policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Days after the
storm, volunteers from welfare organizations like Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) arrived to
rescue the animals left at home. Many animals were able to make their way to
the rooftops. But I remember a scene where rescuers had to drill a hole on a
roof so they could get to a huge black dog barking below. The dogs, intelligent
beings that they are, knew these people were there to save them so they
willingly squeezed through windows and holes to get to the rescuers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But it was
more difficult to find the cats because as one woman put it, “Dogs bark. Cats
don’t.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“HE’S MINE”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the end,
more than 500 shelters in Canada and the United States took in some 15,000
animals from the battered Gulf States. The plan was to save the animals first then find their owners next. But while rescue
efforts proved successful for many four-legged creatures, reuniting them with
their human families proved to be a mess. In the melee that followed, records
got lost and the animals, the dogs especially, were considered “orphans” and adopted
out to families across the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> Then Hurricane
Rita hit Louisiana on September 23, three weeks after Katrina. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8wgllMx8wU/UhL1f4OvW8I/AAAAAAAAATs/KIpq8u3O0c0/s1600/Mine!2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8wgllMx8wU/UhL1f4OvW8I/AAAAAAAAATs/KIpq8u3O0c0/s320/Mine!2.jpg" width="231" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Damages from
this second hurricane were estimated at some 11 billion dollars although only
about 120 people were killed. Rita
further nixed whatever chances there were of reuniting dogs with their families
in Louisiana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In New Orleans
alone, rescuers estimate that about 150,000 animals died in the aftermath of
hurricanes Katrina and Rita.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s like a
wave of depression comes over you because you made a mistake... of leaving your
companion behind,” says Victor Marino who was forced to leave his white pit
bull Max behind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Victor
recalled how Max would circle the dining table to get scraps during meals. But
as Victor circled his house, he was gladly surprised to see paw prints on the
ground which indicated that Max was able to jump from the second floor to the
ground probably after the water had subsided.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a desperate
attempt to find his dog, Victor scanned the petfinder database online for five
months. Several calls confirmed that his dog Max was already living with a
family who loved him very much in Florida. His new name was Joey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Victor never
gave up and kept calling Max’s new family. At first, the adoptive family was
adamant and refused to give him back. They
felt that Victor had abandoned Max and so did not deserve him. Both parties
called the dog “Mine”. But after numerous calls, the family in Florida finally
gave in. Joey became Max again and went back home to Louisiana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
Katrina, Malvin, an African-American senior citizen, lived alone with his white
poodle, Bandit. Their lives revolved around each other so Malvin was devastated
to find Bandit gone when he got home. But volunteers took up his cause and
Malvin built a new wooden dog house in anticipation of Bandit’s return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile,
Bandit, now renamed Lucky Louie, had been adopted by a family that was crazy
about him. With the intervention of volunteer trackers, Lucky Louie’s new
family decided to give him back to
Malvin after a year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jessie James
Pullins, on the other hand, had to evacuate 20 family members and couldn’t take
his dog JJ with them to the shelter. “I often think of that moment... how JJ
must have been there and I wasn’t there,” he says ruefully as guilt and sadness
set in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jessie James
was able to locate the shelter that took JJ in but shelter officials refused to
disclose the whereabouts of his new family. An official kept on saying that
Jessie couldn’t blame her for the mess because she did what she thought was
best for the dog. Jessie hired a pro bono lawyer to help him get JJ back. After
more than a year, JJ’s new family agreed to give him back then suddenly cut off
all communication and disappeared with the dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The last case
featured in the film documentary was that of Linda and the family’s German shepherd,
Precious. Linda said she wasn’t able to take Precious because she had to
prioritize her family and her mother in a wheel chair. Rescuers were able to
save Precious and successfully re-home her in another state. Her new name was
Katia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Katia seemed
happy in Texas with her new family who doted on her. Of course, they refused to
give her up and even hired a lawyer for the lawsuit filed by Linda. Volunteers
had also raised funds for Linda’s lawyer but the case stalled when the funds
ran out. The case was eventually dismissed in Louisiana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The adoptive
family claimed that Katia’s previous owners did not take good care of her
because she had heartworms and signs of having been caged when they acquired
her. The lawyer also stressed that if Linda and her family had really
considered the dog as one of them, they would not have left her behind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LESSONS LEARNED<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After the hurricanes, the US Congress passed the Pets
Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) that mandated states to include
pets in their disaster evacuation plans. That’s a landmark law, one that</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qJ2LCbJuXUo/UhL2kSPxWHI/AAAAAAAAAT4/Gn-h1QorqEg/s1600/Mine!3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qJ2LCbJuXUo/UhL2kSPxWHI/AAAAAAAAAT4/Gn-h1QorqEg/s320/Mine!3.jpg" width="220" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope
will also be done in the Philippines.
After all, the bond between animal and humans could be as strong and
long-lasting as the bond between humans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Animal organizations, particularly in the United States,
have a pretty good track record of rescues in times of natural disasters. But
they must improve their tracking system so there can be a more systematic and
efficient way to trace and reunite humans and their animal companions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I really hope we will never experience a tragedy like
Katrina. But if it’s fated, then only early preparations can mitigate the
damage that nature could create in all fury. Official disaster evacuation plans should include the
animals. But we must have our own plans for our human families and animal
companions, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Lastly, like the animal rescue teams, many Americans were
quick to judge and blame the Louisiana residents for the fate of the animals
left behind. People presumed that the
residents did not care much for the animals. But many of them did. Sweeping
generalizations are almost never good. With their homes destroyed and their
friends and family either killed or missing, some survivors fought to get their
dogs back because they were the only living link to a past obliterated by the
floodwaters of Katrina. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">___________________</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">Published in Animal Scene Magazine in May 2010</span></div>
khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-47057049715731370892013-08-19T14:45:00.001+08:002013-08-19T15:03:14.774+08:00STUDENTS AND THEIR STRESS BUSTERS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> STUDENTS AND THEIR STRESS
BUSTERS <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> By
Khrysta Imperial Rara<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> It’s
common knowledge today that stress is the leading cause of most killer diseases
like cancer, diabetes, hypertension and heart problems. Everyone is prone to
stress which can be found everywhere from the home to school and the office.
You can even get stressed while on vacation. Stress is a state of mind, which
means it all depends on how you handle situations or people. You can either
laugh it off or die from it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTOsCu76KMM/UhBVx7n2IoI/AAAAAAAAAS4/EN42-PW_0xg/s1600/Students+and+Their+Stress-Busters1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTOsCu76KMM/UhBVx7n2IoI/AAAAAAAAAS4/EN42-PW_0xg/s320/Students+and+Their+Stress-Busters1.jpg" width="231" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> There
are many ways to deal with stress. Listen to music, do sports or exercise, practice
tai chi, watch television or a movie, talk to your best friend or even cook.
Some people, however, make the wrong choice and resort to illegal drugs, smoking,
excessive eating, or bitching. Stress can bring out the worst in you unless you
find the best way to cope with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> School,
in particular, can be a real headache particularly when it’s time for paper
submissions and final examinations. Last March, some students talked about
their stress busters on the weekly program Kwentuhang Pets Atbp aired in DZUP
1602am every Thursday. Here are their stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ANGERICA HAINTO and DONKEY<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Anj
is an incoming fourth year Journalism major. Her family loves animals so they
always have pets like chickens, goldfish, rabbits and dogs. A seven-year old
Labrador named Donkey, named after one of the animal characters in the movie “Shrek”,
was her closest friend. She also considered him as her “stress-buster”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When she was in first
year high school, she was given the responsibility of taking care of Donkey. He
was still a puppy then, so cute and only as big as her hand. “Every time I
would be doing assignments, he would cry a lot. So while I was working, I would
pick him up, put him on my lap and he would stop crying because he was
comfortable there,” she quipped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Then I would be able
to write my paper well because of the warmth he gave me and the inspiration
that he released in me,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Anj
recalls that after a stressful week at the university, she would always look
forward to going home because she knew that Donkey would be waiting for her at
the gate. They spent a lot of time together hugging, playing, cuddling and she
would always pat and stroke him. When he saw that she was tired, he would just
sit beside her and put his head on her lap. Or he would stand on his hind legs
and put his paws on her face and she would then hug him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It was comforting to
know that he was there for me, always sympathizing with me. I missed him and he
missed me,” she confided.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> She says
Donkey was always part of the family and included in family activities. Whenever
possible, they would take him with them during family trips. Unfortunately,
Donkey suddenly died from heat stroke last March, a few days after the school year
ended. Anj didn’t even get to see him because she only goes home on weekends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Anj
also made an interesting observation. “Animals are connected to the life force
of their human companions,” she quips. She explained that when her father
passed away due to cancer, their two dogs – an American bulldog named Muning
and a Labrador named Gus - followed him after a few months. “Even the garden
died with him,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EDWARD AND MYUNING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojQNwFV5s8A/UhBdYF2zvAI/AAAAAAAAATI/P0ZgIZ5_yTQ/s1600/Students+and+Their+Stress-Busters2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojQNwFV5s8A/UhBdYF2zvAI/AAAAAAAAATI/P0ZgIZ5_yTQ/s320/Students+and+Their+Stress-Busters2.jpg" width="231" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Graduating
student Edward Lemuel Castro has a white cat named Myuning to help him relax after
a stressful day. Myuning was already a constant visitor at their new house by
the time Edward’s family moved in. But unlike other transients who would come
and go, Myuning stayed and took her chances with the new residents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">“ She meows when she’s hungry and we
give her food. Then she quiets down,” Edward says. “She’s really sweet and
that’s why we like her.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Edward
confides that Myuning makes him smile with her antics. “I often come home tired
because of the demands of schoolwork and traffic. But when my siblings tell me
they found Myuning inside the room or the car and they don’t know how she got
there, we laugh about it because we are bewildered by how she pulls it off.
Then she just meows loudly to tell us she’s inside,” he recounts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">RENS AND BRUCE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Renson Sioson of
the Technological Institute of the Philippines becomes emotional when he
recalls the adventures he shared with his former dog, Bruce. Bruce, who was of
Rottweiler and pitbull parentage, used to massage Rens to chase the blues away.
He was also fiercely loyal and protective of his young human friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> “Once, Bruce saved me from several
dogs that were chasing me. We tried to outrun them. We ran and we ran and we
ran. Then one of the dogs caught up with me and bit me. Then Bruce bit the dog
and there was a nasty fight. I pitied Bruce. I tried to stop the fight and I
felt like I was the one being attacked,” he said. “Bruce did not give up trying
to save me until the other dogs left. They got scared of him because he was big.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Bruce
suffered from a broken leg and a nasty bite from that incident. But Rens still
can’t get over the fact that his dog was killed by his father’s friend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Bruce died when
we left him with my father’s friend. We didn’t have a car then so my father
told us we would leave Bruce with his drinking buddy. When we got back, I was
shocked that Bruce was dead,” he said ruefully. “I learned later that they ate him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Rens
confesses that he got really depressed after Bruce’s death and his grades
suffered in his sophomore year. He sought comfort in exotic pets like snakes
and spiders but it just didn’t work out. But he smiles when he talks about
Cali, his dog of Pomeranian-Japanese Spitz mix whom he acquired after Bruce. He
describes Cali as a very playful dog who helped him get over his depression. With
Cali, he learned to relax and enjoy life again. He also credits Cali with
helping him study for his exams and therefore passing all his subjects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">DE-STRESS
WITH YOUR ANIMALS <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a7Z3wKn_FIA/UhBdepl0vYI/AAAAAAAAATU/ZPnhrYu69hU/s1600/Students+and+Their+Stress-Busters3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a7Z3wKn_FIA/UhBdepl0vYI/AAAAAAAAATU/ZPnhrYu69hU/s320/Students+and+Their+Stress-Busters3.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many studies now show
that animals and animal-related activities provide a wonderful way to
de-stress. Watching birds in the wild can be liberating while watching fish
swimming in an aquarium can put you in a meditative state. Stroking or
massaging a dog or cat reduces the heart rate for both you and the animal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Talking to them or laughing at their antics lowers blood pressure. Perhaps it’s
because we feel we don’t have to perform the way we do when we are with people.
We don’t fear rejection when we’re with animals because they are always ready
to give us unconditional love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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============================<br />
<br />
Published in ANIMAL SCENE magazine June 2012<br />
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<br />khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-54473536763784555402013-08-02T21:02:00.000+08:002013-08-02T21:48:50.319+08:00UP Feline Security At Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ejzGUAgth0/UfukXmjw2pI/AAAAAAAAAR4/urfRYbJXibo/s1600/kitkat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ejzGUAgth0/UfukXmjw2pI/AAAAAAAAAR4/urfRYbJXibo/s320/kitkat1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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On an ordinary school day, a grayish brown ball of fur curls up at the top of the concrete steps leading to the entrance of the College of Mass Communication (CMC) at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman. The furry ball sleeps through all the noise and movement of the students, personnel, faculty and visitors to the college. Once in a while, a student kneels down to stroke the sleeping feline. She opens an eye and raises her head to acknowledge the gesture, then purrs to show her contentment. <br />
<br />
Kitkat is one of CMC’s four resident cats. She blends with the grey concrete steps but no one has ever made the mistake of stepping on her – her curled up body is such a usual sight that the scene seems unfinished without her. In fact, she spices up the drab colors of the main building. It is not unusual for visitors to suddenly twist their heads to take a closer look at the cat, as if trying to confirm what their eyes had seen just a second before.<br />
<br />
When she’s not napping, Kitkat stands like a sentry at the entrance door. Nothing escapes her scrutiny. She approaches the edge of the steps when she sees a friend – both human and feline. She then gently rubs her body against the person’s leg and mouths a soundless miaow to welcome her friend.<br />
<br />
I feel lucky and honored that Kitkat considers me a friend. Often, when I arrive at school, she runs to the car to greet me and walks with me to the steps. When I leave at night, she escorts me back to the car and watches as I drive off. According to CMC security guard Rey Villaruz, she does that only to me.<br />
<br />
Villaruz is Kitkat’s buddy. While she takes her morning siesta, Villaruz is just a few feet away, sitting at his desk or standing by the entrance, patiently watching the people entering and exiting from the open glass door. The door stays open till 9:00 pm so he must guard it, ensuring that no troublemakers make it past the steps. At noon, he takes his lunch, making sure that Kitkat gets her share of his food, too. At the very least, she gets to eat rice and soup with chicken bones.<br />
<br />
“The cats are part of our daily life here. I pity the cats when I see them starving so I share my food with them,” admits Villaruz who was first assigned to the college in August 2009.<br />
<br />
Villaruz, it seems, is not the only one whose heart goes out to the cats. Aside from students and faculty, Villaruz’s fellow security guards Ryan Bayabas and Maumen Kuli share his love for the college cats and feed them leftovers.<br />
<br />
CAT PATROL<br />
<br />
Contrary to what many would think, the CMC cats are not mere hangers-on. Neither are they opportunists. They know they can find a meal on ordinary days at the college, but they also know that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. They pay for their meals by rendering service – they patrol the grounds and kill the rodents that cross their path. Villaruz says he used to see dead rats lying around in the college grounds in the morning.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r-4tcB7oDlA/UfukhkMOKcI/AAAAAAAAASA/opUeFGiGSl4/s1600/kitkat2.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r-4tcB7oDlA/UfukhkMOKcI/AAAAAAAAASA/opUeFGiGSl4/s320/kitkat2.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ-VjEf6S2o/UfukxjFJ2PI/AAAAAAAAASI/YyCb9e_E8bY/s1600/kitkat3.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ-VjEf6S2o/UfukxjFJ2PI/AAAAAAAAASI/YyCb9e_E8bY/s320/kitkat3.jpg" /></a><br />
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“I’ve seen them kill big rats. That’s a big help for our college equipment and sanitation,” Villaruz averred. “That’s why we need the cats here.”<br />
<br />
His colleague, former CMC security guard Aris Vicente, was even more direct. “They kill the rats that climb into my drawer to eat my food,” he said. “These cats are my friends.”<br />
<br />
Vicente, who has since been assigned to another post, recounts how Butterfinger, a large orange male tabby, accompanies him on his rounds at night. “Sometimes, he would inspect the place even before I did then we would just meet in the upper floors,” he recalls.<br />
<br />
And when the cats made strange noises in the middle of the night, it alerted him and off he would go to check it out. “They really kept me on my toes,” he said.<br />
<br />
Villaruz has his own security story to tell. Once, while on night shift in July last year, the stillness was broken when Kitkat suddenly jumped in front of him. Her fur stood on end and her body was tense. It was nearly midnight and Villaruz couldn’t see anything or anyone beyond the dimly-lit college parking.<br />
<br />
But he knew there had to be something out there because of the way Kitkat went on red alert. Carefully, he examined the dark for any traces of movement or sound. Seconds later, he was able to discern a shadow behind one of the trees. It turned out to be a scavenger on a midnight hunt. The man had a bottle of water in his hand and was about to club him had he not turned around in time.<br />
<br />
“That man could have knocked me out and grabbed my gun,” Villaruz said, adding that it has happened several times already to other night guards on duty.<br />
<br />
“I would feel bad if these cats disappear. Night duty would become very lonely. With these cats by my side, I feel safe,” he quips.<br />
<br />
FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES<br />
<br />
Ryan Villareal, a fourth year journalism student, says the cats make him smile because of their playfulness and distinct personalities. He and his friends hang out in an area not far from the canteen and they get to mingle with the felines daily. “We know who among them is the mischievous one, the playful one, the pregnant one,” he says. “It is amazing how the cats have inched their way into our daily tambay and college moments.”<br />
<br />
He recalls that he and his groupmates did a short video feature on the cats last year. “One of the best things that a student said during an interview was that she feels at home when she sees the cats because she remembers their family pet and it makes student life more bearable,” Villareal recounts.<br />
<br />
“So whenever I see a cat popping out from a stack of readings in the photocopy area, <br />
prancing on the tables in the cafeteria, or following you around while you eat your pasta Bolognese, it does not freak me out or disgust me. Instead it makes me forget my fatigue and stress,” he said.<br />
<br />
Another fourth year student, Journalism major Khate Manalo, explained in an email message that the presence of the cats inside the U.P. campus helps develop compassion among the students. “They remind us that we have a responsibility toward animals and we cannot think only of ourselves,” she writes.<br />
<br />
Khate admits, though, that she is not close to the cats. “We just greet each other. At first, they were evasive and snobbish,” she admits. But she had the chance to bond with them last December and discovered that they are, after all, “malambing”.<br />
<br />
“Since then, they greet me with their miaows when I call them or stroke them. I would like to think that they know me now,” she says.<br />
<br />
She admits that student life can indeed be stressful and “the gentle nature of the cats calms us”.<br />
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<br />
FAMILY DAY<br />
<br />
At present, all four feline residents of CMC are female. Two belong to one family - Kitkat is the matriarch and her daughter is Twix. Twix is as orange as Kitkat’s best friend M&M. A third still unnamed cat took up residence in the college late last year. All three have just given birth.<br />
<br />
Butterfinger, who lives in the neighboring College of Music, comes for a visit several times a week. He is probably the father of all the kittens.<br />
<br />
I can never forget a scene I witnessed last year. I arrived at the college one Monday morning and saw the usually shy Butterfinger hanging out with Kitkat and their two orange kittens. They were all stretched out and relaxing at the top of the stairs. <br />
<br />
This scene was unusual because like shy lovers trying to keep a secret, the couple (Butterfinger and Kitkat) have their trysts under the cars or behind the shrubs. Their 2 kittens were always more visible as they spent their days by the guards’ radio, listening and watching while learning from their mother and the guards.<br />
<br />
It was a rare sight, made all the more special because it was Feb. 14, 2011 – Valentine’s Day. Butterfinger stayed around and enjoyed the company of his family for the entire morning then went back to his favorite haunts in the early afternoon.<br />
<br />
THURSDAY GREETINGS<br />
<br />
To people who know Kitkat, there is no doubt about her innate intelligence. She knows just what to do and what is expected of her. As part of my hosting routine for my weekly radio program Kwentuhang Pets Atbp (KPA) on DZUP, I greet each of the CMC cats on air and the security guards as well. So every Thursday at noon, I tell Kitkat to listen to the program and my greetings for her. According to Villaruz, when the KPA theme song starts playing, Kitkat heads for the radio on the concrete floor and lies down next to it, her ears cocked and eyes wide open. He says she also stands up and walks away as soon as I do my closing lines. <br />
<br />
One day, I forgot to greet her on the air. After the program, she was waiting at the top of the steps for me, the way she does every Thursday at 2pm. But this time, when I tried to touch and stroke her, she ignored me, turned her back on me and walked away. I then realized that I had forgotten to greet her on air!<br />
<br />
HUMAN – CAT RELATIONSHIPS<br />
<br />
There are still many people who cannot stand the sight of animals on campus. But their number is definitely diminishing. In other universities abroad, pets are even allowed to stay in the dorms.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JPGt4C-2YbA/Ufur5Vk92JI/AAAAAAAAASY/HzYVdLXUHtM/s1600/kitkat4.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JPGt4C-2YbA/Ufur5Vk92JI/AAAAAAAAASY/HzYVdLXUHtM/s320/kitkat4.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ht1ngFRhaLw/UfusGVT31qI/AAAAAAAAASg/wwX9-xVPN5c/s1600/kitkat5.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ht1ngFRhaLw/UfusGVT31qI/AAAAAAAAASg/wwX9-xVPN5c/s320/kitkat5.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />
As for the CMC cats, guards and students, the friendship is based on the mutual need for companionship and security. “We can’t really call them strays because the students feed them and there are people caring for them,” Vicente remarked.<br />
<br />
Villareal adds: “I don’t see anything wrong with them being on campus. They are part of the UP community just as we are. We just have to understand the cats’ behavior and lifestyle so that we can live harmoniously with them.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Published in the ANIMAL SCENE magazine, May 2012</span><br />
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<br />khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-6667035026283476042013-05-27T21:08:00.002+08:002013-05-27T21:19:16.417+08:00TRAVEL TRAINING FOR AN ELEPHANT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Now that former President Joseph Estrada is now the Mayor of Manila, </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>I hope he will fulfill his promise of sending Mali to the sanctuary in Thailand.<br />Below is my latest article on Mali.</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sAcD2Kyp9PM/UaNWPArzalI/AAAAAAAAAQU/W6NhgHMH1Ew/s1600/Mali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sAcD2Kyp9PM/UaNWPArzalI/AAAAAAAAAQU/W6NhgHMH1Ew/s320/Mali.jpg" width="217" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> A better
life for Mali.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> That’s the claim that has fueled the
tug war between Manila officials and the animal rights group People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> PETA wants Mali transferred to the
Boon Lott Elephant Sanctuary in Northern Thailand where she will have hundreds
of acres of land to roam, other elephants to play and bond with, and lots of
natural stimulation for her mental, physical and emotional health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Public support for the PETA proposal
is increasing. Frequent media coverage has made the Filipino public aware of
Mali’s plight. The list of legislators, politicians, church leaders, prominent
personalities and even international experts and famous animal activists all
demanding Mali’s transfer to BLES has grown in the last few months. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Manila zoo officials, on the other hand, want Mali to remain
in the zoo, alone and miserable, <i>sans</i>
the expert care and proper conditions she needs for her physical health and <i>sans</i> the company of other elephants that
she needs to lead a normal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Zoo officials, with the obstinate
and misguided support of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, claim Mali will have a
better life if she remains in Manila because she grew up here and this is the
only life she knows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> They also claim that Mali will be
sedated during her flight to BLES and this could kill her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> But according to CITES
regulations, elephants cannot be sedated during trips except in extreme
circumstances to prevent injury to the animal or to the people around her. Sedation is not advised
because animals in a lethargic state may be more vulnerable to injury during
the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I</span><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">n March 2011, </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">US Association of Zoos and Aquariums
set up standards for elephant management and care . By 2016, all
zoos with elephants must keep a minimum of three female elephants. Zoos which
do not follow this must transfer their elephants to other zoos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bugbKOelGFU/UaNYAVyxK2I/AAAAAAAAAQk/0IqsxmW72UA/s1600/mali+2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bugbKOelGFU/UaNYAVyxK2I/AAAAAAAAAQk/0IqsxmW72UA/s320/mali+2a.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">For elephants, their herd is
everything. Females stay with their families for lifei and males stay until
their early teens. They need to be in the company of elephants.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In the Upper House, at least four
legislators – Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago, Chiz Escudero, Manny Villar
and Lito Lapid – have each filed resolutions to facilitate Mali’s transfer to
BLES and assess the situation of animals in zoos and sanctuaries all over the
country. Some of the resolutions are also asking for an assessment of animal
welfare enforcement in the country.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">TEACHING AN
ELEPHANT TO TRAVEL<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> For centuries, elephants have been
flown from Africa and Asia to zoos all over the world. Circus elephants have
travelled by train and truck from city to city. Long-distance travel for this
giant creatures is never easy, specially if the destination is a place that is
so different from their home environment. But through the years, elephant
experts have developed a protocol to facilitate the transfer of elephants to
faraway destinations and minimize their stress during the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> According to
PETA’s proposal for Mali’s transfer, several steps have to be taken to prepare
her for the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Travel Training</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Mali must
learn to allow veterinarians to take blood samples and care for her feet. This
is important because early diagnosis of diseases can save an elephant’s life.
The blood chemistry results are needed for the travel permits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> A
method called “protected contact” will allow a vet to get the samples <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Without
using ropes, chains and bullhooks. These were used to train and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">punish stubborn elephants
before but are now unacceptable by today’s <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">standards. Only metal screens, bars and restraint chutes
separate the animals from their handlers. Positive reinforcement has replaced
punishment in elephant management.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To allow the application of “protected contact”, Mali’s
enclosure at the Manila zoo will have to be modified. The daily training for
Mali’s foot care will take one to three
weeks while training for blood work will need a few more months. Everything
will depend on Mali’s cooperation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Travel Permits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mali will also need a travel permits from the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The export permit will come
from the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) which is the CITES
authority in the Philippines. The CITES authority from Thailand will also have
to issue an import permit and determine the appropriate quarantine procedures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Transport Crates<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Elephants always travel
in specially designed crates that have to be <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Approved by and the International Air Transport Association.
The crate will measure 7.5 ft x 12 ft x 18 ft on the outside and 6.5 ft x 10 ft
x 17 ft on the inside. The team that will accompany Mali will have three feet
of space from where they can monitor her during the flight. PETA will either
borrow a crate from a cargo company or have one built for Mali. Training to
enter the crate will take more or less a month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A crane will lift the crate onto a flatbed truck for the trip
to the airport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Travel Companions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">PETA has arranged for an elephant expert to accompany Mali to
BLES. This person will come months before the trip to help train Mali and bond
with her. An expert in transporting elephants and one person from the Manila
zoo will also be on Mali’s travel team. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">An air logistics expert will be consulted to make minimize
the stress for Mali.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Trip<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From Manila Zoo, the
trip to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">will take about 30 minutes. Loading her onto the cargo plane via
conveyor belt will take another hour. PETA will commission the truck and plane.
Only a C-17 or a front-loading Boeing 747 can fly an elephant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The trip to Sukhothai airport in Thailand will last four
hours and the trip to BLES may take one to two hours. All in all, Mali will be
traveling a total of 9.5 hours. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE BOON LOTT ELEPHANT SANCTUARY (BLES)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> BLES
is a 400-acre land in Sukhothai, northern Thailand that is home to 14 elephants
rescued from abusive owners and retired from heavy work like carrying logs. It was set up in April 2006 by Katherine
Connor, a former London-based retail manager who </span></span><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">traveled</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> to several countries
in Asia and ended up falling in love with a baby elephant named Boon Lott. The
baby elephant was prone to accidents and eventually died. But Katherine was
marked for life. She raised money to buy land and set up a sanctuary,
eventually marrying Anon, a mahout she had befriended while she was caring for
Boon Lott at an elephant hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--r0UsQ5hfLU/UaNZNtzqp0I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/tMwTdQZBOxw/s1600/mali+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--r0UsQ5hfLU/UaNZNtzqp0I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/tMwTdQZBOxw/s320/mali+3.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The
sanctuary has banana plantations, grasslands, open fields, rivers and all types
of fruit trees. The elephants there are not used for profit and never forced to
perform. All they do everyday is play, roam, forage, swim and bond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Captive
elephants often suffer from foot infections and arthritis due to the hard
concrete surface of their living quarters in zoos. Their tails often get
infected after repetitively hitting concrete walls and metal barriers.They need
natural substrates and large areas so they can exercise and roam and bond.
Elephants roam up to 50 kms a day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The
BLES caretakers are confident that Mali will integrate well with the other
resident Asian elephants. For the first six months, Mali will have 5 acres to
herself while acclimatizing to her new home. She will have a huge bathing pond.
Although the area will be fenced, she can already interact with the other
elephants. They will wait till Mali is ready to join the herd. A webcam will be
set up so Filipinos can watch Mali’s progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Filipinos can learn much
more about elephants by observing Mali in her new home than watching her Mali
in the artificial zoo environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wildlife experts agree
that elephants are extremely intelligent and curious animals with complex
social lives. They think, decide and act, very much like people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After spending 36 years of her life
in Manila zoo, Mali may experience confusion and stress for the first few
months. But the excitement of a new life, stimulation from her natural
surroundings, the company of members of her kind as well the care she will
getting from her caretakers will see her through this period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">=====================</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SIDEBAR:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">IDEAL
TRANSPORT TIME</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Securing Mali in the crate
and loading onto truck – 1 hr<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ground transport from zoo
to Manila airport – 0.5
hr<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Loading crate onto aircraft
– 1
hr<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Flight time from Manila to
Sukhothai airport – 4
hrs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unloading from aircraft and
customs clearance – 1.5 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Transport to sanctuary – 1 hr<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unloading from truck to
sanctuary – 0.5
hr<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Total – 9.5
hrs</span><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SIDEBAR:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Published in ANIMALSCENE magazine April 2013</span></div>
khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-21207873094391907562013-05-08T16:02:00.000+08:002013-05-08T16:15:45.504+08:00NEW HOPE FOR MALI, Manila Zoo's Lonely Elephant<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW
HOPE FOR MALI<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> By Khrysta
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It’s women’s month, and while enlightened members of the female sex celebrate liberties and rights they have won over the last 100 years, a female elephant still awaits freedom from her concrete prison in Manila zoo.<br />
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Mali the elephant suffers from loneliness and cracks on her nails and feet pads, a condition that, in an advanced state, causes so much pain. Incurable foot infection is one of the main reasons that elephants are euthanized, wildlife veterinarian and elephant expert Dr. Henry Richardson said after he inspected Mali in May 2012.</div>
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Now 38, Mali has been living alone for more than 30 years. Experts say this is cruel since elephants are social animals.<br />
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Despite a presidential directive issued last May 2012 ordering Mali’s transfer to a sanctuary, zoo officials and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim are resisting the move.<br />
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But hope looms in the horizon for Mali. The Philippine House Committee on Natural Resources last month approved on first reading a resolution to send Mali to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand where she will be cared for by experts.<br />
“The entire room was packed with people showing support for Mali’s transfer.<br />
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Congresswoman Luzviminda C. Ilagan gave an impassioned speech, followed by a presentation from PETA on Mali’s welfare and the importance of the transfer. Of course Manila Zoo officials opposed the transfer, but they were questioned by members of the Committee who were appalled that so little has been done in the eight months since the Presidential directive was issued,” said Rochelle Regodon of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA Asia).<br />
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The Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), the Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Earth Island Institute (EII), Zen Cats, Mother Earth Foundation, and Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA) have also manifested their support for Mali. <br />
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Three resolutions pertaining to Mali were actually filed in Congress. Resolution 2530, introduced by Congressman Anthony Rolando Golez, Jr. urged Manila Zoo, the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Committee on Animal Welfare, the Department of Agriculture to process the immediate transfer of Mali to a sanctuary. Resolution 2885, filed by Cong. Rufus Rodriguez and Cong. Maximo Rodriguez, Jr., went even further by urging all relevant agencies, including the City of Manila and the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the DENR to facilitate Mali’s transfer to the Boon Lott’s Elephant sanctuary (BLES) in Thailand.<br />
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The last, Resolution 2937 filed by Cong. Luzviminda Ilagan and Cong. Emmi A. de Jesus, urged all these agencies as well as the Office of the President to send Mali to the BLES in Thailand.<br />
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“All three resolutions were discussed as one at congress, since all three called for the transfer of Mali,” Rochelle explained.<br />
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In the Upper House, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Chiz Escudero are also pushing for the transfer.<br />
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More than 30 wildlife vets, elephant experts and advocacy groups from the Philippines and from all over the world have called for Mali’s transfer to BLES. Even Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Archbishop of Cebu Jose Palma, D.D. expressed his “ardent wish” for a new life for Mali.<br />
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“Mali might have a few years to live but these remaining years will be more expressive of man’s compassion towards God’s other creatures,” he wrote in a statement.<br />
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The following are excerpts from letters and statements of support sent by the experts:<br />
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Dr. Jane Goodall, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations’ Messenger of Peace:<br />
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“There is nothing more important to an elephant’s emotional and mental health than being with other elephants. Even if Mali were in a sound state physically, keeping her alone in a cramped, barren pen is still ethically indefensible.”<br />
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Dr. Marc Bekoff, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, U.S.A.<br />
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“I am certain that if you had had the opportunity, as I have, to witness the emotional lives of wild elephants who are highly intelligent and social animals, you would take immediate action to end Mali’s suffering by transferring her to a sanctuary.”<br />
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Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) Asia-Pacific that has consultative status at the Council of Europe and special consultative status with the United Nations:<br />
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“Further evidence for the inadequate conditions at zoos for elephants is the high incidence of poor physical health among captive populations. For example, the non-yielding surface of concrete material, poor hygiene and limited ability to move cause frequent foot diseases, making up to 10% of all medical disorders of elephants. In other studies, 50% of assessed zoo elephants had a history of foot diseases or were acutely suffering from them. Keeping a single female elephant in limited space in inadequate captive conditions is also severely damaging to the animal’s mental health.” <br />
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Jurgen Schilfarth, Chairman of the European Elephant Group based in Germany:<br />
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“Every reputable zoo in the world that houses elephants has a foot care programme, and given how long scientists have known about the importance of this care, it is shocking that the Manila zoo has ignored Mali’s feet for 35 years.”<br />
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Julie Woodyer, Campaigns Director, Zoocheck Canada:<br />
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“Elephants in captivity need very large enclosures that give them a variety of different ground surfaces, including clean dirt, mulch, sand and probably most importantly, grassy areas and pasture as well as slopes, hills, gullies, scrub, and forest so that they can get enough exercise and mental stimulation. Mali’s enclosure is flat, barren, and made almost entirely of concrete.”<br />
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Professor Kendra Ryan, Chairman, International Veterinary Society and President, US Veterinary Education Association:<br />
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“The International Veterinary Society and the United States Veterinary Education Association stand ready to launch a social media campaign to advise all tourists from the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America to boycott vacationing or conducting business in the Philippines, until Mali is transferred to the Thailand sanctuary. We ask that you inform the Manila Zoo that we stand ready to publish information that will directly impact the zoo’s revenue, as long as Mali is held in what we consider to be unacceptable housing facilities.”<br />
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Brigitte Bardot, President, Fondation Brigitte Bardot:<br />
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“President Benigno Simeon Aquino III seems to favor the transfer of Mali to the sanctuary proposed by PETA but the administration is not facilitating the rescue operation even if it is urgent for this elephant who deserves to live under dignified conditions, conditions that would respond to her needs.”<br />
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Otara Gunewardene, World Animal Day Ambassador for Sri Lanka:<br />
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“In nature, elephants live in extended family groups, which include all their female relatives, for their entire lives. Births in the herd are joyous occasions, deaths are grieved and youngsters are taught life skills by their elders. Study after study shows that captive elephants who are kept in groups exhibit less repetitive and stereotypical behavior, a sign that they are less stressed by their imprisonment. But Mali is housed completely alone, and in fact, she has not even seen another elephant in about 33 years.” <br />
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Claire Oldfather, Campaigns officer, OneKind :<br />
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“Elephants are amongst the most intelligent species of animals in the world. Science has revealed their brain structures to be extremely similar to that of humans in terms of complexity.”<br />
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Ravi Corea, President, Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society:<br />
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“In the wild, elephants roam vast territories over a variety of substrates, but Mali has little room to walk in her concrete pen. This means that her cuticles have become overgrown and the pads of her feet have become cracked, which could lead to infection if they continue to be left untreated…I urge you to do everything in your influence to ensure that Mali is sent to this sanctuary where she can live out the rest of her life in an environment as close to nature as possible, all while being cared for by experts.”<br />
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Kate Townsend, Director, Fairly Wild:<br />
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“While England and America acknowledge that elephants are desperately unhappy in captivity and thus it is cruel to keep them in zoos, this is a good opportunity for the Philippines to lead the way for the East. At the moment you are getting bad publicity across the world for your treatment of Mali, and it has been a topic of discussion in South Africa for a while now. I urge you to make the right choice and release Mali to a sanctuary. People from so many countries are waiting to see how Mali’s situation is dealt with. Please make the right choice for Mali and become a leader in the East in terms of your treatment of animals.”<br />
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Shih, Chien-An, President, Life Conservationist Association:<br />
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“Elephants are highly intelligent and need to be in a social environment. They are the giants of the wild with the largest brain of any land creature. To force these animals for commercial use is inhumane. For this reason, many progressive countries and cities around the world have halted the exhibition of elephants in zoo.” <br />
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Tove Reece, Executive Director, Voice for Animals Humane Society, Edmonton:<br />
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“It is impossible to look at these solitary elephants and not see the loneliness in their eyes or feel their longing to be with others of their own kind.”<br />
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Soonrye Yim, Executive Director, Korea Animal Rights Advocates:<br />
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“We are deeply concerned that Mali the elephant has not been acknowledged as a sentient being and is still continuing her life in a brutal living environment.”<br />
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Fern Demeo, Elephant Project Coordinator of Animal Aid Abroad, WA:<br />
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“As a long-term volunteer at various elephant sanctuaries in Thailand, I have witnessed first-hand the long-standing ill-effects of elephants who have been cruelly kept in captivity. Similarly, I have also witnessed how these elephants’ mental and physical wellbeing improves greatly once they are transferred to these sanctuaries. As an endangered species listed in Appendix 1 of CITES, it is vital that we protect the Asian elephant to ensure that they are not only well cared for, but are also protected in order to ensure continuity of the species.” <br />
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Debra Probert, Exec Director, Vancouver Humane Society:<br />
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“In 2004, the Vancouver Humane Society was involved in assisting to move a lone elephant named Tina who was kept in a local zoo for 31 years. She was suffering from loneliness, depression, stereotypic behavior such as head-swaying, and infected feet from lack of exercise and an appropriate substrate. Tina went to a sanctuary in the U.S. where she was able to live out the rest of her life with other female elephants in a 2700-acre refuge. It was wonderful to see her bathing in the river, roaming free and communicating with her own kind.<br />
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I urge you to do whatever is within your power to expedite the transfer of Mali to a sanctuary where she will be able to experience life as it should be. We in Canada will be waiting to hear that you have chosen to do the right thing.”<br />
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khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-82144877403882561442013-04-30T16:29:00.000+08:002013-05-08T16:47:52.517+08:00Wish for Mali, the Lonely Elephant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's my column article on Mali for the February 2013 issue. </div>
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Parts 2 and 3 are in the March and April issues of ANIMAL SCENE magazine. </div>
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<br /><br /><b>ANIMALSPEAK: A VALENTINE WISH FOR MALI </b><br /><br /><b> By Khrysta Imperial Rara </b><br /><br /><br /><br /> For this month of hearts, my heart goes to Mali. <br /><br /> Vishwamali is a 38-year old female Asian elephant living at the Manila Zoo. Nicknamed Mali, this good-natured giant has been the subject of controversy for the past several months, hogging headlines and meriting front page photos in the major dailies, online news sites and magazines. She is also at the center of a tug of war between zoo officials and the international animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA). <br /><br /> The controversy began when PeTA revealed that Mali, the lone elephant and star attraction at the zoo, is suffering from foot problems that pose a serious threat to her health. She is also leading a very lonely and miserable life which is tantamount to cruelty, the group said, since elephants are extremely social creatures. According to PETA, zoo officials have neglected Mali. <br /><br /> Curious about this creature that has elicited so much media coverage, I visited her last December 31. What I saw has prompted me to wish for her transfer to an elephant sanctuary where she can, for the first time in more than 30 years, enjoy and bond with her own kind and where elephant experts can care for her. <br /><br />On that day, Mali was up and about, eating hay in front of 20 or more people. Her enclosure was surrounded by a dry moat and Mali would often stand by the edge of the moat and swing her trunk to and fro, giving the impression that she wanted to jump over to the side of the spectators. <br /><br />“Mali’s concrete enclosure provides her with little stimulation. Zoos workers have taught Mali that visitors can be a source of food because they encourage hand-feeding which is dangerous and strictly forbidden at most zoos. It’s likely that Mali was hoping to get treats from the people across the moat,” said PeTA Asia’s Rochelle Regodon when I asked her about this. <br /><br />Mali also kept on putting one foot up alternatively. I knew from the press coverage that she had foot problems, but I didn’t think it would so bad that she would stand on three legs for several minutes at a time. Officials have admitted that there is no elephant expert at the zoo and Mali has never been subjected to any veterinary check up in more than 30 years.<br /><br />“The lack of a preventive foot care program is putting Mali in jeopardy of severe foot disease with accompanying pain and suffering. Under the current management, Mali’s health remains at risk, until she is trained using ‘protected contact’ methods to allow proper care of her feet,” wrote wildlife veterinarian Dr. Henry Melvyn Richrdson who has been providing care for captive wildlife, including elephants, for more than 40 years. <br /><br />In addition, Dr. Richardson observed “several days’ accumulation of feces and urine” in Mali’s night quarters and “little shade in her entire enclosure” to protect her from the sun. <br /><br />Dr. Richardson visited Mali on May 29, 2012 and his subsequent report is filled with concern for Mali’s physical and mental health under the present conditions at the zoo. <br /><br />According to him, arthritis and incurable foot infection are the main reasons why elephants are euthanized.<br /><br />“Mali has cracked nails, overgrown cuticles, smooth pads and cracks on her pads. All of these are a direct result of living on hard concrete instead of the dirt, sand, grass, rivers and ponds of her natural habitat. These cuticles will harbor bacteria and set up the potential for abscesses. Her cracked nails and pads can allow bacteria to enter the sensitive connective tissues of her feet and are known to lead to infections of the bones of the toes,” he said.<br /><br />“This is all the more significant considering the accumulation of feces and urine in her night stall,” he warned. <br /><br />“Training for blood work is occurring, but this training is being done incorrectly, and Mali’s painful foot condition is still being ignored. Mali's feet are causing her pain right now,” Rochelle explained. <br /><br />As to her mental and emotional health, I’m no expert but most visitors at the time immediately saw that Mali is indeed very lonely. Even the international Association of Zoos and Aquariums has ruled that female elephants must never be housed alone.<br /><br />“My major concern is that Mali is alone,” Dr. Richardson disclosed. <br /><br />Visitors to the zoo have also noticed Mali’s loneliness.<br /><br /> “She’s sick, you know. Just look at her skin,” said a 12-year old boy standing beside me. <br /><br /> “I really pity her,” said a young girl. “She’s very sad. She’s all alone because her parents died and she’s an orphan.” <br /><br /> Another woman suddenly turned to me and to my surprise, asked: “Why don’t officials send the poor elephant to a sanctuary?” <br /><br /> There were many comments and all of them sympathized with Mali. It seems many Filipinos are now familiar with the situation of Mali, thanks to frequent press coverage. Most visitors commented on the elephant’s solitary situation and the fact that she should be with her family and other elephants. <br /><br /> Obviously bored, Mali walked to a small concrete pool in her harsh concrete enclosure. Then she walked over to a gate and grabbed two concrete rocks with her trunk. She put the first one in her mouth and began chewing it. She held the second with her trunk and banged it against the gate and walls of her enclosure. A caretaker then came and hosed her and the rock came tumbling out when she opened her mouth to gulp in water. <br /><br /> Another man entered the enclosure and tried to get the second rock from Mali’s trunk. At first, she wouldn’t give it but later, she dropped it. The first man then hosed her again and I noticed that it wasn’t done lovingly or patiently. Mali must have felt it too because she then chased the man who sought protection from a concrete barrier. The caretaker was obviously afraid of Mali. <br /><br /> “Let’s get away from here,” a male visitor told his young child. “That elephant throws rocks at people. She’s done it before. We might get hurt.” <br /><br /> “This is another sad example of how Mali is denied of natural behaviors. In the wild, elephants use rocks for scratching and to plug water holes so they can access the water source later on,” Rochelle stated. <br /><br />Another thing that bothered me and the other visitors was the fact that Mali kept on rubbing her trunk and front feet against a pointed steel bar protruding from broken concrete block on the wall of moat. I was afraid she’d hurt herself.<br /><br />“That’s a valid concern. Mali’s trunk was actually cut in September last year. Given the dilapidated state of her enclosure, future injuries are a very real risk,” Rochelle quipped. <br /><br /> Even President Benigno Aquino has ordered zoo officials to evaluate Mali’s situation and transfer her to a sanctuary. “We wish to inform you that we already directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Animal Industries (BAI) to determine the condition of Mali and facilitate her transfer to a sanctuary upon completion of their study and evaluation on the matter,” wrote Executive Secretary Paquito N Ochoa, Jr., in his directive dated 15 May 2012. <br /><br />According to PeTA, the sanctuary that has accepted Mali in Thailand is for Asian elephants. Eleven former captive and working elephants have been rehabilitated there and are now enjoying a wonderful life at the sanctuary. The sanctuary founders and staff are confident that Mali will fit in well with their herd. <br /><br />Although city officials have mulled over the possibility of asking another elephant from Sri Lanka, PeTa has assured the public that “the government of Sri Lanka …will not transfer an elephant to the Manila Zoo” since the zoo lacks the resources to adequately care for one elephant. “It would be cruel to subject another elephant to this environment,” Rochelle clarified.<br /><br />“The Manila Zoo veterinarians have stated that they are not elephant experts and that Mali has only been treated with topical betadine for superficial wounds and laxatives in the entire time she has been at the zoo. They have never performed a proper physical exam. They have never performed blood work,” Rochelle stated in no uncertain terms. “This is neglect.” <br /><br /> Because elephants do not thrive in captivity, eighteen zoos all over the world have closed down or plan to close down their elephant exhibits. Fourteen elephants from eleven zoos, among them the Detroit Zoo, the Greater Vancouver zoo and the San Francisco zoo, have now been transferred to two elephant sanctuaries in the United States where they are currently living the way elephants are meant to live. <br /><br /> PETA’s campaign to send Mali to a sanctuary has caught the attention of wildlife institutions and experts all over the world. More than 30 have written Philippine officials about their concern. At least 50,000 people from all over the world have signed the online campaign for Mali. Read more about it in my column next month. <br /><br />(END OF COLUMN FOR FEBRUARY)
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<br />khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-87285042590386314462013-01-21T22:43:00.000+08:002013-01-21T22:58:19.052+08:00Fate of the Solomon Island Dolphins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GgTIMuAkTdM/UP1SLyIaLsI/AAAAAAAAAOk/UvcPN3ku5eU/s1600/dolphin+and+court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GgTIMuAkTdM/UP1SLyIaLsI/AAAAAAAAAOk/UvcPN3ku5eU/s320/dolphin+and+court.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">JANUARY 2013<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ANIMALSPEAK: </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">On Dolphins and
Philippine Courts</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">By
Khrysta Imperial Rara<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another year has begun but the issue of captive dolphins remains
unresolved. There has been a paradigm shift in public opinion all over the
world for the past several years but Philippine courts and government officials
have yet to see the light. I wonder what it will take to make them realize that
their actions – or inaction – are causing much damage to the marine environment
as well as to their image among the Filipino public and the rest of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A judge’s misguided
judgement has already caused the death of a dolphin named Wen Wen en route to
Singapore. Animal welfare activists in Asia manifested their protest against
this gross injustice by holding candlelight vigils and memorial services
simultaneously in Manila, Jakarta, Thailand and Singapore last December 2.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In Manila, the service
was held at the Philippine Animal Welfare Society’s (PAWS) Animal
Rehabilitation Center at the corner of Aurora Boulevard and Katipunan Avenue.
The atmosphere was loaded with sadness while the flickering flames of the
candles of participants illuminated their gloomy faces.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Frustrated by the obvious indifference and
ridiculous ruling of the QC Regional Trial Court (QC RTC), an activist became
emotional as she spoke of the need to never forget Wen Wen and what he stood
for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">I had never seen anything
like it. I had never imagined I would one day be attending a memorial service
for a dolphin. PAWS even erected a memorial tile with the inscription: “Rest in
Peace, Wen Wen. Swim freely across the Rainbow Bridge.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">But then 10-year old Wen-Wen
was – or is – special. He was born in the wild and lived his first six years in
absolute liberty, swimming 25 miles a day, breaching, chasing fish and
cavorting with other members of his pod as all dolphins are meant to. Then
human greed caught up with him and he suddenly found himself a captive in pools and tanks filled with chlorinated
water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">He was trained to play with
hoops and balls, objects which he would never have encountered in the wild. He
was fed dead fish and made to earn his keep by performing for boisterous
children and ignorant adults. He was a prisoner though he had not committed any
crime. But the shape of his face and head made people believe he was always
smiling and happy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">The “dolphin smile” is the
world’s greatest deception, as environmentalist Ric O’Barry always says.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Wen-Wen died on a plane last
November 22 while being transported to Singapore where he was to be one of 25
dolphins slated to perform for the holidays at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">It was a sad and unjust death
for a highly intelligent being and a tragic loss for his already depleted
species.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">DOLPHINS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But let’s backtrack a little bit. You may ask why a small bunch of
activists and environmentalists is making all this fuss about Wen Wen and his
kind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The 25
wild-caught Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (<i>Tursiops aduncus</i>) flown to Singapore last November were taken from
the Guadalcanal area in the Solomon Islands. RWS brought them to Ocean
Adventure Park in Subic in three batches in 2008, 2009 and 2011. They were to
be trained and prepared for their eventual fate as animal entertainers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But
scientific reports from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) revealed that the dolphin population in the Solomon Islands (SI) is severely at risk and their harvest or extraction would further endanger the
survival of the species.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to
the IUCN "Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Assessment Workshop Report”,
there are now less than 5,000 individuals in the Solomon Islands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The SI
government banned all dolphin hunts in their territorial waters starting
January 2012. In addition, the law now stipulates that only one dolphin can be
captured every five years.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The captures, mostly by an American company, had
been done despite the international restrictions and recommendations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The 24 dolphins now in Singapore are the survivors of a long and cruel
journey. They were originally 27 –- before Wen-Wen, two died in their original
destination, Langkawi, Malaysia. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Earth Island Institute (EII), which monitors the welfare of captive marine
mammals all over the world, and local animal welfare groups tried to block the
entry of the Solomon dolphins in the Philippines, citing the IUCN report and
the Philippine Wildlife Act (RA 9147). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Department
of Agriculture would have none of it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Philippine Courts and Philippine Laws<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While the SI dolphins were still in Subic, the environmental and animal
welfare groups continued to ask BFAR officials not to re-export the dolphins to
Singapore. If the dolphins were to go anywhere, the groups wanted it to be the
Solomon Islands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">When their pleas fell on deaf ears at the BFAR, they tried the courts.
They had high hopes at first because Section 6 of RA 9147 states </span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">that "all activities…shall be authorized by the
Secretary upon proper evaluation of best available information or scientific
data showing that the activity is, or for a purpose, not detrimental to the
survival of the species or subspecies involved and/or their habitat".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;">Trixie Concepcion, EII’s
Regional Director for Asia, said the DA and BFAR violated RA 9147 when they
allowed the dolphins to enter the Philippines despite recommendations to the
contrary of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species
(CITES) and internationally recognized scientific bodies like Silliman
University and the National Museum.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">EII, PAWS, CARA (Compassion and Responsibility for Animals) and concerned
individuals then<b> </b></span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">filed a petition to prevent the issuance of a re-export
permit for the 25 dolphins. About an hour later, the office of the First Vice
Executive Judge of the QC Regional Trial Court issued a 72-hour Temporary
Environmental Protection Order (TEPO).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources (BFAR) and Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore were respondents in the
case.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lawyer Mel
Velasco said this case is a first in Philippine legal history. "We are
charting unknown waters. We saw a loophole — the rule of using precautionary
measures when there is conflict between authorities and they (the government)
didn't follow that," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
Precautionary Principle in Environmental Law is cited in the Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which the Philippines
ratified in August 1981.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">CITES is an
international agreement that regulates trade in wild animals and plants and
protects all species. According to CITES, authorities should consider the best
interest of the conservation of species in any undertaking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"BFAR
violated certain rules. Precautionary measures should have been observed before
they issued the permit to import the dolphins," Velasco said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> “In light of the CITES provisions, any import
of sea mammals should have the green light of internationally recognized
scientific bodies. In the Philippines, National Museum and Silliman University
are recognized as the CITES marine mammal experts," he clarified. "BFAR
ignored the recommendations of National Museum and Silliman University.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Dolphins Are Pets”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But after 72
hours, Judge Evangeline Castillo- Marigomen of QC RTC Branch 101 ruled against
any extension of the TEPO, saying the government agencies had not violated the
law and the dolphins are like pets that belonged to RWS anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;">"We were shocked and
aghast when the judge likened the Solomon Island dolphins to 'pets'. She even
asked us if we have been to SeaWorld where she said the dolphins are well cared
for," Concepcion said.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In effect,
this ruling allowed RWS to fly the dolphins to Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;">"This is tantamount to
saying that it is all right to capture, train and use wild dolphins for dolphin
shows even if this will threaten their survival in the wild," Concepcion
quipped.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;">She added that “dolphins
must never be mistaken as pets because they are wild animals”. To illustrate
her point, she cited the case of two animal trainers and one intruder who died
at SeaWorld after one of the resident killer whales, Tillicum, dragged them
into the water and drowned them.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EII, PAWS,
CARA Welfare Philippines, and 10 environmental and animal welfare advocates filed
another petition, saying the re-export of the dolphins would violate both the
CITES treaty and the country's Wildlife Act.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Concepcion
called on the public to closely monitor the government's actions when it comes
to environmental issues.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"We are
doing this because if we don't do anything, it will institutionalize the
government's failure to abide by its commitment to CITES, to protect all
species and not just the dolphins," she stressed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ACRES<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Singapore-based
ACRES launched in 2011 the campaign to 'Save the World's Saddest Dolphins' to pressure
both governments to return all the Solomon Islands dolphins to their natural
habitat. . The campaign’s online petition has so far generated over 680,000 signatures
from all over the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last December 7, representatives of
ACRES went to see the dolphins. “We regret that the dolphins are being housed
in appalling conditions; in tiny barren swimming pools,” ACRES Chief Executive Louis Ng said in a statement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">ACRES
has issued a final ultimatum: RWS must
work with ACRES and Earth Island Institute for the rehabilitation and release of
the dolphins back into the wild, or the group will launch a “full-fledged
boycott against not just Resorts World, but all Genting properties.”</span><span lang="EN-SG" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">ACRES
urged RWS to review the facts and reconsider their decision to keep the Solomon
dolphins. “We hope that we won’t need to launch a boycott, but we are ready to
do so if needed and we are confident that members of the public will support
this,” Ng said.</span><span lang="EN-SG" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-PH">With the Philippine
court’s failure to act on a matter of environmental conservation, the animal
welfare groups are confident that the Filipino people, like the Singaporeans,
will eventually be able to pressure both governments to fly the dolphins back
to the Solomons.</span><strong><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span><br />
<strong><span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></strong>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-PH">The ball now lies
in the court of public opinion.</span><strong><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span><br />
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khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-14478654832835968242012-12-31T12:39:00.000+08:002013-08-02T22:27:47.405+08:00ALL THEY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A HOME<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0OqERFQdKg/UOEV_Cr-kMI/AAAAAAAAANQ/oYKpFzAVzfI/s1600/animal+scene+articles001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0OqERFQdKg/UOEV_Cr-kMI/AAAAAAAAANQ/oYKpFzAVzfI/s320/animal+scene+articles001.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TO ENLARGE</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="fbphotocaptiontext"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="fbphotocaptiontext"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="fbphotocaptiontext"><span style="color: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The pitbulls rescued from Laguna made it to the cover of ANIMALSCENE magazine, December 2012 issue. Hope you enjoy reading this.<br /> </span></span></div>
<h2>
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext"><span style="color: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ALL THEY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
IS A HOME</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext"><span style="color: white; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> By
Khrysta Imperial Rara<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pit bull curled up on his side, his face hidden from
prying eyes. “Aero,” I called out softly. “How are you, Aero?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He remained in his position, immobile. Was he feigning sleep
or have years of violence and abuse rendered him indifferent to a friendly
gesture? His cage was at the far end of the row with nothing but vegetation
behind it. I figured most visitors would probably not go all the way there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I straightened up and took a step backward. Just as I was
leaving, I sensed an almost imperceptible twitch of his ear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Aero,” I whispered. “I just want to be your friend.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His ear cocked then he turned around and looked at me. For
several seconds, our eyes were locked in silent communication, his cage and his
cruel past serving as barriers to an otherwise immediate bonding moment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He had a big frame but his body thinned out toward his rear.
His fur, mostly white, had brown patches on the back and the legs. The most
prominent patch circled his left eye, stretching all the way to his left ear. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After some coaxing, he moved toward me but stopped midway.
For some reason, I was drawn to his eyes. They were the most melancholy pair I
had ever seen at the sanctuary. Brown and glum, they drew me in like whirlpools
of dejection. My tears suddenly flowed and I found myself sobbing
uncontrollably.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I guess Aero’s eyes disclosed it all – the loneliness, the
search for love and acceptance and yet the unwillingness to entrust his heart
to a stranger who will stay but a few minutes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had just visited about a hundred dogs and spent three to
seven minutes with each of them. According to my calculations, I could only
stay three minutes with each of the 170 dogs at the Pit Bull Rehabilitation
Center in Batangas if I wanted to interact with each one. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wi_f3pqTyfQ/UOEX9rwcEZI/AAAAAAAAANk/xuzx8_ksLEA/s1600/animal+scene+articles002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wi_f3pqTyfQ/UOEX9rwcEZI/AAAAAAAAANk/xuzx8_ksLEA/s320/animal+scene+articles002.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
It was my second visit to the sanctuary and this time, I was
dead set on meeting all the dogs. During my first visit in June, I left the
center with a tinge of sadness as I was able to meet only 90 dogs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A friendly stroke, a few words of reassurance, an eager lick,
barks that demand attention, a photo here and there – what else could the dogs
and I do in three minutes?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Familiar and unfamiliar names and faces greeted me. There
was Dolphy, now named Afro, who was in sick bay. He bit his aluminum dish and
threw it in the air like he always does when someone is watching him. But he
was much healthier when he was still named Dolphy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was gentle Alfonso, a very huggable dog who is one of
those up for adoption. There was Athena who called out to me and wouldn’t stop
licking my hand. How could I not notice Benjo whose balls shook in sync with
the wagging of his tail? And Medusa, whose mesmerizing eyes practically begged
for a change of name!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I met Lucio, a demanding black pittie with white paws, who
wouldn’t let me leave. Every time I turned to go, he would jump up and bark
hysterically. Talk about separation anxiety! A gentle licker, he turned quiet and attentive
when I stroked him. To humor him a bit, I stuck around for 3 minutes more,
using the time to delete old photos from my camera’s memory card. But Lucio
would have none of that. As soon as I shifted my attention away from him, he
peed on his water dish!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the interactions were funny, endearing and pleasant. So
nothing prepared me for Aero.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5UR3X4faPAE/UOEYQ3Jn3YI/AAAAAAAAANs/o85VFA1WrOE/s1600/animal+scene+articles003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5UR3X4faPAE/UOEYQ3Jn3YI/AAAAAAAAANs/o85VFA1WrOE/s320/animal+scene+articles003.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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ONCE BETRAYED, NOW READY FOR A HOME</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Aero must have been someone’s pet once,” Nancy Cu-Unjieng,
President of the animal welfare group Care and Responsibility for Animals
(CARA), told me. “He has very refined manners. He eats the treats gently and
not like the others who just gulp them down.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nancy and fellow CARA officer Kaoru Cumagun had arrived just
in time to witness my embarrassing outburst. We watched as Aero relished the bacon
treats, held them with both paws and gently chewed them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aero is one of the pit bulls rescued in March from a farm in
Laguna where they were used in illegal dog fights streamed online by a group of
South Koreans based in the Philippines.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Out of the 230 dogs turned over to the CARA, only 170 have
survived. When first found, the dogs had ripped ears, torn tongues and maggot-infested
wounds. They lived in rusty steel drums with gaping holes that gave them no
protection from sun and rain. Heavy steel chains nailed three feet to the
ground prevented their escape. Many were too sick and in pain and had to be
euthanized. Others later succumbed to illnesses resulting from poor diet,
forced mating, lack of veterinary care and constant exposure to the elements.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Breed experts have assessed and rehabilitated the pit bulls
and several are now up for adoption. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have not adopted any out as of now. We have several who
are ready to be adopted and a few potential adopters who have begun the
adoption process,” says CARA member Maria Parsons who visits the site twice a
week. “As of now, three people are interested in adopting.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maria admits she has grown fond of the dogs. “I have several
that I plan to adopt... I have been close to them since San Pablo, and I have
bonded with them,” she confides.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJA_A_RtvhI/UOEYhV1tARI/AAAAAAAAAN0/WkEnwsXZT5o/s1600/animal+scene+articles004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJA_A_RtvhI/UOEYhV1tARI/AAAAAAAAAN0/WkEnwsXZT5o/s320/animal+scene+articles004.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nancy is hoping for a lot of adoptions before the end of the
year. “We will try to get some organizations internationally to adopt some of
the pit bulls. We have some positive advice concerning this,” she confides.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She says that out of the 170 dogs, only five are aggressive.
“I am attached to the dogs that are harder to handle. They will take longer to
rehabilitate so you could refer to them as the underdogs. When we first
relocated to Batangas, they were not approachable. Now they all wag their tails
and have gotten friendlier. It’s a good sign,” she quips. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The pit bulls are a joy to be with in spite of all the
misconceptions about the breed. They are truly lovable dogs.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To make sure the rescued dogs will be cared for, people who
wish to adopt a pit bull have to visit the site more than once to bond with the
dog of their choice. CARA will also conduct follow-up home visits to check on
the dogs and their new families. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SPECIAL DOGS</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Freelance writer Owen Santos has her sights set on Ruby.
Owen has a cat at home, and she intends to bring her feline friend to the
center to see how they will react to each other. If they get along, then Ruby
gets a permanent home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I hope to get the dog as soon as we’re bonded. I need to
run and walk with a dog but I need a low level dog for my cat,” she says.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Volunteers like Owen have many stories to tell about their
“special dog”. Melody de Jesus recounts how she was challenged to win over a
shy young canine named Tinkerbell.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HXXYz_gFqus/UOEY1e9m22I/AAAAAAAAAN8/0WHWX7ZWzrU/s1600/animal+scene+articles005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HXXYz_gFqus/UOEY1e9m22I/AAAAAAAAAN8/0WHWX7ZWzrU/s320/animal+scene+articles005.jpg" width="235" /></a>“Every time she sees someone approaching her cage, she
becomes very nervous and would just go to the farthest side and look away. One
day I brought a toy for her and her eyes lit up. She slowly approached me and
started smelling my fingers. That same day, I was able to bring her out, walk
her and give her a bath,” Melody recalls. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Every time I visit the center, I visit her cage, touch her
and try to bring her out…To date, she is getting more sociable with other
people, wagging her tail and giving everyone a happy face.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Melody also talks fondly of Mona, a sweet and gentle blue
fawn pit bull whom everybody adores. She saw Mona while the dog was being
spayed last October. Melody visited Mona
at the veterinary clinic when she developed complications and had to be
operated on four times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In order for Mona to get her much-needed rest, she was
fostered by CARA volunteers Louise and Carl Pike for 5 days. She had her own
room, a queen-sized bed, her own backyard, an electric fan and lots of food and
love. But now, she is back at the sanctuary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Mona is a sweet and
gentle soul. Out of all the dogs at the sanctuary, I immensely enjoy taking her
out for a stroll every time I visit because she is such a pleasure to go on
walks with. She is the ultimate companion. She would never tug too hard or pull
me to another direction even if her strength and weight could actually take me
down at any moment,” Louise Pike avers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I would have loved for her to stay longer, and I would have
wanted to adopt her. However, she was often stressed out by my other pets,” she
said ruefully.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
IMMEDIATE FUTURE</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although CARA members and volunteers are optimistic that
most, if not all, the rescued dogs will eventually find permanent homes, the
reality is that this could take some time. Meanwhile, life for these dogs must
go on at the center, where the monthly budget for their upkeep comes close to
US 5000 dollars. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p3khLCmOyQY/UOEbriJPwiI/AAAAAAAAAOM/lymsG6aOpqw/s1600/animal+scene+articles006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p3khLCmOyQY/UOEbriJPwiI/AAAAAAAAAOM/lymsG6aOpqw/s320/animal+scene+articles006.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Now we face the problem of finding regular funding for the
caretakers' salaries, the utilities, dog food and medical care for the dogs.
The lengthy rehabilitation process is the biggest concern at present. The
health of the dogs has improved a lot, but there are still many who have health
issues that need to be addressed,” Nancy states.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The center relies solely on donations. Nancy revealed that
at present, two American ladies and two local groups have expressed interest in
donating funds to the pit bulls. “Now it is a matter of waiting for the funds
to arrive,” she says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Center has become a hub of sorts for people who love pit
bulls and those who want to help them. “We are always holding activities at the
center, weekly volunteer orientations and open houses,” Maria said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For this yuletide season, CARA members would like to cheer
up the dogs. “We may have a Christmas
party for the pit bulls, caretakers, volunteers and staff. Possibly pot luck,
as we are always lacking in funds,” Nancy said. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the lack of funds, CARA makes sure the dogs have the
food and medical attention they need. But perhaps the best Christmas gifts they
could receive are permanent homes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Louise summed it up best: “My only wish would be for each of
them to belong to loving homes and experience family life as soon as possible.
Like all of us, they just want to be loved.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aero is no exception. For Aero and the rest of the pit bulls,
only a forever home with kind people can erase the trauma of a violent past and
usher in a new life of freedom and love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wgg97kRZysE/UOEb7xBnmnI/AAAAAAAAAOU/H3cZxN5qcFQ/s1600/animal+scene+articles007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wgg97kRZysE/UOEb7xBnmnI/AAAAAAAAAOU/H3cZxN5qcFQ/s320/animal+scene+articles007.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more information, check out http://www.caraphil.org.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For inquiries regarding adoptions, write to <a href="mailto:adopt.a.lpb@gmail.com" target="_blank">adopt.a.lpb@gmail.com</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For inquiries regarding volunteering, write to <a href="mailto:volunteeratlpb@gmail.com" target="_blank">volunteeratlpb@gmail.com</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Send all other inquiries to: <a href="mailto:lagunapitbulls@gmail.com" target="_blank">lagunapitbulls@gmail.com</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">_________________________________________________________</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">Published in Animal Scene Magazine, December 2012</span></span></span></div>
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khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-10327891246001722592011-12-06T21:53:00.000+08:002011-12-06T22:26:14.172+08:00PET GROOMING 101<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px;"><b>BASIC ANIMAL CARE YOU CAN DO AT HOME</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px;"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>By Khrysta Imperial Rara</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%">There are three areas that have to be constantly checked for regular and basic grooming at home, according to our guest last Nov. 17, Dr. Rey Oronan, who is currently Faculty-in-Charge at the UP Veterinary Hospital. You’ll have to check the EARS, the EYES and the NAILS of your dog or cat.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt; line-height:115%">COMPASSIONATE VET<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">I have known Doc Rey since the early 2000’s when I used to bring my cats and dogs to Animal House along </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Aurora Boulevard and he used to work there. He was new at the time, and he took good care of my two-month old black kitten Bagheera whom nobody thought would survive a bad case of kitten flu or distemper. I had always wanted a black cat and I told Doc Rey Bagheera must live. Bagheera survived that crisis, thanks to Doc Rey.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Another instance that stands out in my memory was when my white and brown Persian cat Amon-Ra was confined due to kidney failure. After 3 days, I asked Doc Rey about his chances of survival. Amon-Ra had been in and out of the hospital for a couple of years. That night, Doc Rey took a long look at Amon-Ra and said, “Take him home now. He could go anytime.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">He was right. Amon-Ra passed away in the early hours of the morning. But because of Doc Rey’s foresight and compassion (he allowed my cat to go home with me when other vets would probably have not allowed it), I was able to be with my Amon-Ra and comfort him in his last hours.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt; line-height:115%">GROOMING THE EARS</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Doc Rey says long-eared animals are prone to ear infections from microbes so you’ll have to clean their ears when you give them a bath. It is also important to dry their ears. There are products you can buy over the counter to clean their ears. But if you want to use home remedies, diluted vinegar and diluted agua oxynada would be good at a 1:10 ratio, that is, one ml of vinegar or agua oxynada to 10 ml of water. You will know when the ears are dirty because they become covered with black dirt, or could smell bad, or cause pain to the animal. If the animal has an ear wound and the wound is too deep or big, bring him/her to a veterinarian.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">The ears of an adult dog or cat can be cleaned twice a week. But if the animal has ear infection, doctors usually recommend ear cleaning and medication twice a day. The ears of puppies and kittens, on the other hand, should only be cleaned when they reach 2 months old.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Caution: Do not use soap and water to clean the ears. Alcohol is not good either because it can irritate the ears. Baby oil feels hot on the skin and so could result in a burning sensation. Do not use cotton buds. Use cotton buds or your fingers instead.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt; line-height:115%">CLEANING THE EYES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Healthy eyes are clear and glassy. The presence of excessive mucus could be an indication of eye infection or dehydration. Or it could mean infection in some part of the body like in the case of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">CAUTION:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Cleaning the eyes with water may cause infection. It’s better to use eyewash or other medicated eye products that can be bought over the counter.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt; line-height:115%">CUTTING THE NAILS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Nails always have to be clipped short because animals can accidentally scratch themselves, other animals in the home or you. Cats and kittens usually play war games among themselves and they use their paws and nails a lot. Someone could get accidentally scratched in the eyes by a playmate with long nails.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">To clip the nails, you could use a nail clipper or nail cutter. Even the ones people use will work as long as you do it properly. This means clipping the nail above the “quick” or the pink part of the nail which could cause bleeding when cut.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt; line-height:115%">HERBAL HOME REMEDIES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt; line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">An interesting question came from listener Grace Arevalo of Quezon City – What herbal remedies can be used to treat colds, diarrhea and skin problems?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">To my pleasant surprise, Dr. Rey gamely entertained the question and was very familiar with herbal remedies!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">“Cats really don’t like citrus but Vitamin C is the best remedy for colds. So you can give Vitamin C syrup with a syringe,” he said, adding that</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">there is no such thing as an overdose of vit. C because the body will just automatically excrete the excess fluids.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">As for diarrhea, he says the cause must be identified first. If it’s due to the presence of worms, then the animal has to be dewormed. Or if it’s due to protozoa or amoeba, then proper treatment is needed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Doc Rey said that some cats don’t digest certain foods very well, like rice for instance. I told him that when my cats have a bum stomach, I boil a piece of bark from the star apple or</span><i style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> kaimito</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">tree and give them 12 ml twice a day. It always works.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Boiling some guava leaves to make tea also works as a treatment for diarrhea but I put in a bit of honey to soften the bitter taste.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">As for skin problems, Doc Rey says you must first find out the cause of the problem. If it’s fleas, then you must get rid of the fleas. He recommends boiling the leaves of </span><i style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">madre de cacao</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> or </span><i style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">cacahuete</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> and rinsing the animal with it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Since we are in a tropical country, fleas are present in the soil all year round. If your dog or cat goes outdoors, or if he or she has contact with another animal that has access outdoors, then the fleas could transfer to him/her.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">We were already trying to beat the time at this point so I was a not able to add that recently, my friend Leng Velasco shared with me her remedy for mange. All that’s needed is </span><i style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Acapulco</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> leaves ground and mixed in virgin coconut oil. Wipe this concoction on the animal’s body using cotton balls every three days until the mange is gone. I noticed that the </span><i style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Acapulco – vco</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> concoction also got rid of the fleas and kept them away for a long time!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Guava </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">leaves can also rescue troubled skin. I boil four guava leaves with a clove of garlic in a cup of water then use cottonball to wipe the concoction in the animal’s skin. It refreshes them and heals wounds since guava is an antiseptic.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt; line-height:115%">BATHING TIPS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Another listener asked for bathing tips. Doc Rey said dogs could be given a bath twice a week. A more frequent bath could damage the skin and strip it of essential oils. Long-haired animals have more sensitive skin and it’s the hair that protects them,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">he said.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">If the weather is cold, bathe him during the warmest part of the day – like at noon – and use warm water. Then dry him with a towel or hair dryer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">It’s better than drying with an electric fan because this gives off cold or cool air.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">For hairballs, the best natural solution is unprocessed and unsweetened pineapple juice which could be given with a syringe or papaya fruit which could be mixed with their food, according to Doc Rey.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">He also strongly recommends brushing the animal’s hair daily because this provides a good opportunity for both of you to bond. You will also be able to see if your dog or cat has skin problems like fleas or wounds. Early treatment can improve your animal’s quality of life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt; line-height:115%">PET CARE FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">For his parting remarks, Doc Rey reminded the audience that special considerations have to be taken into account for the Christmas season.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">“Puppy proof your house. Dog proof your house,” he stated. This means that your animals must not have access to decors that could prove toxic to them.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">“Make sure that leftover food is properly stored,” he adds. Among the foods that could prove hazardous to animals are wine and grapes,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">chocolates, fatty foods and small and sharp bones. Salty foods must be avoided at all cost.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; ">Unfortunately, we had to end the program at this point. But we agreed that there had to be a second part to this because there’s still a lot of things that people have to know in order to keep their animals safe during the Christmas holidays.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><b><i>If you want to hear more tips on animal care for the holidays, listen to KWENTUHANG PETS ATBP on Thursday, December 8 at 1-2pm Manila time. Doc Rey Oronan will be joining us again to give more advice on how to keep our animals during this hectic season!</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-90185304868672943842011-12-05T15:59:00.000+08:002011-12-05T16:11:32.422+08:00Solomon Dolphins in Subic<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><i>(Blogger's note: In reaction to my first article "Animal groups seek return of Solomon dolphins in Subic to their native habitat" that was published by yahoo.ph on November 20, 2011, Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore issued a statement to contradict the claims of ACRES Singapore and Earth Island Institute. This is the follow-up article.)</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;line-height:115%"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;line-height:115%">RWS: Our dolphins are in a well-established facility in the Philippines<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">By </span><a href="http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/author/vera-files/" style="line-height: 18px; ">VERA Files</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "> | </span><a href="http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/" style="line-height: 18px; ">The Inbox</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "> – Thu, Nov 24, 2011</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">By Khrysta Imperial Rara, VERA Files<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:8.25pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left: 0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size: 14pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">The 25 dolphins from the Solomon Islands that are now in Subic are well-cared for and free to interact with each other, according to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">In a statement sent to Yahoo/VERA Files in reaction to the article <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AigU_xjQGKtnkIjKj7U4.fThV8d_;_ylu=X3oDMTFpOGpyZm1sBG1pdANCbG9nIFBvc3QgQm9keQRwb3MDMgRzZWMDTWVkaWFCbG9nQm9keUFzc2VtYmx5;_ylg=X3oDMTMyc3AyNHZzBGludGwDcGgEbGFuZwNlbi1waARwc3RhaWQDYjRmMzAxODQtMDYyZi0zYzM0LWE3YTAtOTgzMzFmOGE4YTI3BHBzdGNhdANmaXR0b3Bvc3QEcHQDc3RvcnlwYWdlBHRlc3QD;_ylv=0/SIG=143i032qh/EXP=1324278551/**http%3A/ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/animal-groups-seek-return-solomon-dolphins-subic-native-104221072.html">"Animal groups seek return of Solomon dolphins in Subic to their native habitat,"</a> Lim Soon Hua, RWS director for communications, said their dolphins currently in the Philippines are in a "facility which comes with a dedicated veterinary clinic, a marine mammal clinical diagnostic laboratory and enclosures that exceed international standards such as those set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">The RWS-owned Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) are temporarily kept in Ocean Adventure, an open-water marine park in the Subic Bay Freeport zone, about 100 km northwest of Manila Bay.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Lim said "The area where our dolphins are housed is restricted for safety and security reasons."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Lim also said the wild-caught cetaceans have " ample space to swim, interact and bond with their fellow pod mates and are cared for by our team of veterinarians and marine mammal specialists who collectively represent over 300 years of relevant experience working in more than 60 marine mammal facilities globally".<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">"Our Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins were acquired according to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) requirements. The movement of marine animals, including dolphins, is governed by the United Nations Environment Programme which upholds the policies of CITES. The species of dolphins that will be housed at the Marine Life Park are not classified as endangered, nor are they threatened with extinction," he further said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Lim said "We have always maintained that there are no plans to conduct animal shows. As part of caring for our marine mammals, the Marine Life Park team has introduced various enrichment devices that are water resistant, durable and safe for our animals. Dolphins in the wild are often in search of opportunities to interact and play. In zoological environments, balls and hoops encourage play activities among dolphins. These activities promote health and social interaction among the animals."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">He said the Marine Life Park opens in 2012, and stressed, "We believe it will have a role in inspiring and promoting marine conservation."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">On Nov.12, several animal protection groups, among them Singapore's Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), Earth Island Institute (EII) and the Philippine Welfare Society (PAWS) launched the "Save the World's Saddest Dolphins" campaign at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. They called on the Philippine government to ban the re-export of the dolphins to the RWS Marine Life Park in Singapore and return them to Solomon Islands, their native habitat.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">They went to Subic on Nov. 14 to see for themselves the condition of the dolphins.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Louis Ng, a biologist and executive director of Singapore charity Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), said the group saw and filmed the trainers using basketballs and hula-hoops during the training. "We are puzzled by this as RWS has always maintained that they have no plans for animal shows," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Trixie Concepcion, Regional Director of Earth Island Institute doubts RWS' claim that the facility where the dolphins are being kept is truly a 'well established facility'.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">"The Ocean Adventure Park which houses the dolphins has had 4 out of its 5 false killer whales die in just a few years of operation. All four false killer whales were all juveniles and died before they were sexually mature," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">"Moreover," she said, " Ocean Adventure has been sued for the violation of the Environmental Impact Statement System of the Philippines (PD 1586) as well as the violation of the Animal Welfare Act (RA 8485), a well established facility, indeed!"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Concepcion disagrees that the method RWS used to obtain the dolphins conforms to CITES requirements. She said the export of dolphins from the Solomon Islands was put under the Review of Significant Trade in the Animals Committee of CITES in 2008 due to the issue of sustainability.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">"In that meeting in 2008, the Solomon Islands government committed to stopping the export of dolphins if it was proven to be unsustainable. This September 2011, the government of the Solomon Islands announced that all dolphin exports will be banned starting January 2012, an admission that the past dolphin hunts have been largely unregulated and unsustainable," Concepcion noted.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Concepcion said that in their talks with the Philippine government pertinent authorities, nobody could verify the present condition of the 25 dolphins. "They could not even tell us if all 25 dolphins are alive," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><i>(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for "true.")</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;"><i>See related links:</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/animal-groups-seek-return-solomon-dolphins-subic-native-104221072.html">http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/animal-groups-seek-return-solomon-dolphins-subic-native-104221072.html</a> and</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/rws-dolphins-well-established-facility-philippines-064459467.html">http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/rws-dolphins-well-established-facility-philippines-064459467.html</a></p>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-42754873309721593062011-12-05T14:01:00.000+08:002011-12-05T14:32:22.741+08:00Return Dolphins in Subic to Solomon Islands' waters!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Animal groups seek return of Solomon dolphins in Subic </span></i></b><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span">to their native habitat</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/author/vera-files/">VERA Files</a> | <a href="http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/">The Inbox</a>, yahoo.ph – Sun, Nov 20, 2011</p> <p class="MsoNormal">By Khrysta Imperial Rara, VERA Files</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Representatives of Manila and Singapore-based animal protection groups are blocking the reported plan to send the dolphins in Subic to Singapore. They also want them returned to where they came from- Solomon Islands.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The campaign, "Save the World's Saddest Dolphins" launched at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig last weekend, gained urgency because of reports learned by the animal protection groups that the dolphins will be sent to Singapore by the end of this year where they will be one of the main attractions in Resorts World Sentosa that will open its (marine) park next year.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O0EUsOawA0s/TtxgHjaQzRI/AAAAAAAAAMg/VcJ945OxPZs/s400/dolphins%2Bfrom%2BSolomon%2BIalands%2Bin%2BSubic.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682522512715468050" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 232px; " /></p><div style="text-align: center;">Solomon Island Dolphins in Subic</div><p></p><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">"The main thing here is to block the re-export of the dolphins to Singapore. We believe that Philippine laws should be upheld and Section 6 of the Wildlife Resources Conservation Act of the Philippines was violated," Louis Ng, a biologist and executive director of Singapore charity Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), said in an interview at DZUP last week.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ng is referring to the Republic Act 9147 which states that "All activities… shall be authorized by the Secretary upon proper evaluation of best available information or scientific data showing that the activity is, or for a purpose, not detrimental to the survival of the species or subspecies involved and/or their habitat."</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Investigations by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature — Cetacean Specialist Group (IUCN-CSG) in 2003 and 2007 concluded that there was no sufficient population data for the Solomon Islands to make a valid Non-Detriment Finding, or an expert scientific opinion showing that the export or trade will not put the survival of the Tursiops aduncus species at risk.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"So the import permits for the 25 dolphins from the Solomon Islands were issued without proper evaluation of the best available scientific data that the importation will not be detrimental to the population of wild dolphins in the Solomon Islands," Earth Island Regional Director Trixie Concepcion said.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"The Philippine government should revoke the permit and send the dolphins back to the Islands," Ng reiterated.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Officers of ACRES ,Earth Island Institute (EII) and the Philippine Welfare Society (PAWS), who visited Ocean Adventure in Subic this week to see 25 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, were told to leave the area immediately and prevented from filming the animals.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The group bought admission tickets and proceeded to the area opposite to where the wild-caught dolphins were being housed. They said there were no signs banning entry to and filming in this area.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"Initially, we were told we could remain in the area but were not allowed to film the dolphins. However, we were later politely told to leave the area and we were not allowed to film the dolphins, but could film anywhere else in Ocean Adventure. We did not hold any placards or hold any demonstration and remained civil throughout the entire time. We eventually left the area," ACRES Campaigns Officer Christina Lee recounted in a press statement.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">According to the ACRES, the group saw and filmed the trainers using basketballs and hula-hoops during the training. "We are puzzled by this as RWS has always maintained that they have no plans for animal shows," the statement said.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">ACRES is focused on battling the illegal wildlife trade as well as promoting cruelty-free living, community outreach, wildlife rescue and rehab, zoo animal welfare and humane education.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"A vast majority of Singaporeans have spoken up now. They support the issue. The people really want to take action," Ng said.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">During the groups' meeting last Nov. 11 at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Department of Agriculture, Assistant Director Benjamin Tabios assured them that there are no pending applications for permits to import or export any dolphins.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"But that situation could change anytime. Someone could suddenly apply for a permit," Tabios said.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Returning the 25 dolphins to their native waters will be long and costly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"We hope that Resorts World Sentosa will shoulder the expense of bringing them back to where they were caught. RWS can afford this because in the first quarter of this year, they made a pre-tax profit of 500 million Singapore dollars which is equivalent to 400 million US dollars. And that was even without the dolphins," Ng stated.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"But if RWS does not shoulder the cost, ACRES and Earth Island will," he said.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">According to him, RWS originally bought the 27 dolphins in the Solomon Islands at 60,000 US dollars each. Two of the dolphins died while under training in Langkawi, Malaysia.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Subic trip was part of a campaign to inform the Filipino people of the Solomon dolphin issue. In the coming weeks, the campaign will be brought to different universities in Metro Manila and the provinces.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"The dolphins have lost control over their lives. They can't speak for themselves so it's up to us to speak for them, to fight for their rights and hopefully to secure their freedom," Ng stressed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"We are asking Filipinos and Singaporeans to put themselves in the situation of the dolphins. Would you like to be forcibly removed from your house? Would you like to be put on an artificial diet? Would you like to be imprisoned forever?" Ng asked. "The answer for everyone is 'no'. So why are we doing this to dolphins?"</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Other countries like Chile and Costa Rica have enacted laws banning cetacean hunting in their territorial waters. In Costa Rica, the killing, capture, injuring or use of whales, dolphins and porpoises for commercial gain is not allowed. The government of the Solomon islands has banned the export of dolphins starting January 2012.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Other groups involved in the campaign are Marine Wildlife Watch (MWWP), Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP), Dolphins Love Freedom Network (DLFN), and Save Philippine Seas (SPS). Care and Responsibility for Animals (CARA), Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), Palawan Animal Welfare Association as well as the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are also supporting the campaign.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">========================</p><p class="MsoNormal">(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for "true.")</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p></p>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-87110825599567635222011-11-11T12:29:00.000+08:002011-11-20T09:30:58.822+08:00Saving the "TUKO"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-UD7U5sOkg/TruuL8_W4UI/AAAAAAAAALQ/iC4U6BxFO3w/s1600/tuko+september+2011_Page_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-UD7U5sOkg/TruuL8_W4UI/AAAAAAAAALQ/iC4U6BxFO3w/s320/tuko+september+2011_Page_1.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">RIGHT CLICK OPEN IMAGES TO ENLARGE</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTJbz5jX9EY/TruuLRurE-I/AAAAAAAAAK8/CjxGNB2fxE0/s1600/tuko+september+2011_Page_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTJbz5jX9EY/TruuLRurE-I/AAAAAAAAAK8/CjxGNB2fxE0/s320/tuko+september+2011_Page_3.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ0qBpnxLyg/TruuLr1FMlI/AAAAAAAAALI/Bt8BJ06Osxo/s1600/tuko+september+2011_Page_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ0qBpnxLyg/TruuLr1FMlI/AAAAAAAAALI/Bt8BJ06Osxo/s320/tuko+september+2011_Page_2.jpg" width="238" /> </a>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-92061335103137124892011-11-10T18:11:00.000+08:002011-11-20T09:30:58.902+08:00Joey Ayala and the AGILA<div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote></blockquote><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zcwcxDkK-1M/TrurkDSNSSI/AAAAAAAAAIw/81R2usIbS8c/s1600/joey%2Bayala%2Baugust%2B2011%2B_Page_1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673316791448586530" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zcwcxDkK-1M/TrurkDSNSSI/AAAAAAAAAIw/81R2usIbS8c/s320/joey%2Bayala%2Baugust%2B2011%2B_Page_1.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 149px;" width="238" /></a><br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span">RIGHT CLICK OPEN the IMAGES TO ENLARGE</span></b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></b><br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HG5dvtpO2x0/TrurjovTk_I/AAAAAAAAAIg/9iyzzwcVCO0/s1600/joey%2Bayala%2Baugust%2B2011%2B_Page_2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673316784322876402" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HG5dvtpO2x0/TrurjovTk_I/AAAAAAAAAIg/9iyzzwcVCO0/s320/joey%2Bayala%2Baugust%2B2011%2B_Page_2.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 149px;" width="238" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NXr2tSOVQQc/TrurjiHlwgI/AAAAAAAAAIU/YSn01Y50ADg/s1600/joey%2Bayala%2Baugust%2B2011%2B_Page_3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673316782545682946" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NXr2tSOVQQc/TrurjiHlwgI/AAAAAAAAAIU/YSn01Y50ADg/s200/joey%2Bayala%2Baugust%2B2011%2B_Page_3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 149px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></b><br /><blockquote><b><br /></b></blockquote></div>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-56304368443713503392011-11-10T00:47:00.000+08:002011-11-12T17:38:46.985+08:00KWENTUHANG PETS ATBP ON RADIO FIRST ANNIVERSARY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yySTcPOqbuM/TrqoJrEVLmI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/BJd4aw6VQ-o/s1600/animal+scene1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yySTcPOqbuM/TrqoJrEVLmI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/BJd4aw6VQ-o/s320/animal+scene1a.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="214" /> </a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBSdzv0rNko/Trqoh3tr6jI/AAAAAAAAAEY/P0A64eHAdJc/s1600/animal+scene2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBSdzv0rNko/Trqoh3tr6jI/AAAAAAAAAEY/P0A64eHAdJc/s320/animal+scene2a.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="237" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>RIGHT CLICK OPEN TO ENLARGE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUBDmf14gPU/TrqqLK7nUqI/AAAAAAAAAEg/MPAb6AxkYC4/s1600/animal+scene3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUBDmf14gPU/TrqqLK7nUqI/AAAAAAAAAEg/MPAb6AxkYC4/s320/animal+scene3a.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="218" /> </a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vlHn7QuudBA/Trqqg19yEQI/AAAAAAAAAEo/oqQ_1zcANn8/s1600/animal+scene4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vlHn7QuudBA/Trqqg19yEQI/AAAAAAAAAEo/oqQ_1zcANn8/s320/animal+scene4a.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="241" /></a></div>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-6654568505340233052011-11-09T02:04:00.000+08:002011-11-12T12:24:28.853+08:00Coast Guard Aspins Make History - magazine article<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRG3QkuBfDo/TrlsXmNsLaI/AAAAAAAAAD4/S_b8YrImTp4/s1600/animal+scene+1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRG3QkuBfDo/TrlsXmNsLaI/AAAAAAAAAD4/S_b8YrImTp4/s320/animal+scene+1a.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">RIGHT CLICK OPEN TO ENLARGE</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-80n9VhLAubQ/TrlsmGm56ZI/AAAAAAAAAEA/mF4F2mbmVnE/s1600/animal+scene+2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-80n9VhLAubQ/TrlsmGm56ZI/AAAAAAAAAEA/mF4F2mbmVnE/s320/animal+scene+2a.jpg" width="226" /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qcHlkEPABYs/TrlszeZApgI/AAAAAAAAAEI/uOtRhm_sOUM/s1600/animal+scene+3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qcHlkEPABYs/TrlszeZApgI/AAAAAAAAAEI/uOtRhm_sOUM/s320/animal+scene+3a.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>SEE RELATED POST: <a href="http://crystasark.blogspot.com/2011/11/aspins-rewrite-k9-history_06.html" target="_blank"><b>ASPINS REWRITE K9 HISTORY</b></a>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-3734702201634576012011-11-07T12:22:00.000+08:002011-11-20T09:30:58.944+08:00KPA Atbp. TAMBUCHO GASSING audio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/a9C-slXWOVU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TAMBUCHO GASSING Part 1</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hhTVT-pZ3Pg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TAMBUCHO GASSING Part 2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/k-7AwFNy17s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TAMBUCHO GASSING Part 3</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/0e_j9eTltH8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0e_j9eTltH8&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0e_j9eTltH8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TAMBUCHO GASSING Part 4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-2Bc6OXt-V8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TAMBUCHO GASSING Part 5</div>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-41677653996215648832011-11-06T18:28:00.000+08:002011-11-12T12:24:28.917+08:00Aspins rewrite K9 history<br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"></div><h1 class="headline" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.21em; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"></h1><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; margin-top: 11px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"></div><div style="color: #1d1d1d; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></strong><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ASPINS, the Philippine native dogs, are finallymaking history.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></strong><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></strong></div><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Two aspins have graduated with 25 other purebred dogsfrom the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) K9 school and will be joining theroster of security dogs guarding the country’s ports against smuggled narcoticsand bombs.</span></span></div><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WbuoUa8pW9g/TrZfA0pEqoI/AAAAAAAAADk/ArHsJYAn_hg/s1600/IMGP1569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WbuoUa8pW9g/TrZfA0pEqoI/AAAAAAAAADk/ArHsJYAn_hg/s320/IMGP1569.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CGK9 Cola</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">They proudly trooped to the stage with their handlers to receive their diplomasduring a ceremony honouring them at the PCG base camp in Taguig last week.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The PCG is an armed and uniformed unit attached to theDepartment of Transportation. It is tasked with securing maritime publictransport like ships and ferry boats. Detecting drugs and bombs as well assearch and rescue operations are part of its job description.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PCG dog handlers also learned water rescue, survival,swimming, scuba diving and first aid. But they first had to go through a rigidscreening process.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“We first check to see if they are animal lovers so theywould be concerned about the dog who would be their daily companion. They alsohave to be physically fit and unafraid of being bitten,” PCG Commander Allen J.Dalangin said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But the dogs were taught only bomb and narcoticsdetection. “They are not trained to attack because that would be dangerous forthe passengers,” he clarified.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Next year, they will begin training dogs for rescue aswell as tracking human scent which is necessary in the search for survivorsduring a calamity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The aspins, named Cola and Fiona, successfully passed alltests for the one-year Coast Guard K9 Handlers Course together with a JackRussell named Joyce, 5 Labradors, 16 Belgian Malinois, 1 German Shepherd, 2Golden Retrievers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Though they looked friendly, not all the dogs can behugged and stroked, Dalangin explained. It all depends on their personalities.The Belgian Malinois, for instance, are considered the best security dogs butthey can be unpredictable and moody with strangers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XEjZ3QWM0CA/TrZd3gjM6HI/AAAAAAAAADU/vI-jm5KxWIM/s1600/author+with+Jack+Russelj+terrier+K9+Joyce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XEjZ3QWM0CA/TrZd3gjM6HI/AAAAAAAAADU/vI-jm5KxWIM/s320/author+with+Jack+Russelj+terrier+K9+Joyce.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author with CGK9 Joyce</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The K9 graduates all stood at attention beside theirhandlers during the two-hour ceremony but a few decided later to skip theformalities and do what dogs do best.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f1hv6eLX84Y/TrZdBJVyTnI/AAAAAAAAADE/hYCEwmvAVHY/s1600/restless+retriever.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f1hv6eLX84Y/TrZdBJVyTnI/AAAAAAAAADE/hYCEwmvAVHY/s320/restless+retriever.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One Golden Retriever stood on his hind legs as ifprodding his handler to play or seek shelter from the heat of the sun. Somedogs lay on the concrete driveway, noses on their handlers’ boots and hind legsapart.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of the 27 graduates, 20 are bomb sniffers while 7 are trained to look forillegal drugs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“We have a quota of producing 20% narcotics detectiondogs for every batch and we are trying to increase this to 30%,” Dalanginstated.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The bomb sniffers are chosen according to theirbehaviour, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hyperactive dogs who excitedly scratch at boxes andcontainers when they sniff something are trained for narcotics detectionbecause a bomb might go off if there is too much movement around it. For thiskind of work, dogs that can calmly sit down once they smell explosive devicesare preferred.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Cola and Fiona are the first aspins in Philippine caninehistory trained to detect bombs. Foreign breeds are traditionally used todetect explosives and illegal drugs because they are known for theirintelligence and observation skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As an example, Belgian Malinois Narda topped the classbecause she impressed PCG officers with her 100 percent accuracy rate innarcotics detection. “Belgian Malinois are highly intelligent, very vigilantand observant, and they have high intensity and high endurance,” LieutenantCommander Famela Aspuria, who is also Officer-in-Charge of the CG VeterinaryService, said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The aspins were donated by civilians after they heard CGofficials announce on television that they would be accepting and adoptinglocal dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PCG officers believe training native dogs would allowthem to cut their canine food budget and save on money spent in purchasingforeign breeds. The local dogs are also expected to be more adjusted totropical weather and therefore be less prone to disease.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n16Q3aUNhhk/TrZcNRCEBpI/AAAAAAAAAC8/ow5Pby3YV4s/s1600/Aspin-K9-FionaB-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n16Q3aUNhhk/TrZcNRCEBpI/AAAAAAAAAC8/ow5Pby3YV4s/s1600/Aspin-K9-FionaB-.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CHK9 Fiona</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The K9 school accepted 38 dogs at the </span><strong style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></strong><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;"><div style="display: inline !important;"><strong style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">start of thetraining program last October. Eleven dropped out of the program for variousreasons. Three Aspins, namely Pacman, Charice and Arnel, flunked this yearbecause they lacked focus and were a bit moody.</span></strong></strong></div></div></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">But PCG officials are giving them a second chance and thesiblings will be joining the next batch of trainees.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The three dogs, together with their siblings Manny and Pacquiao, werecatapulted into instant celebrity status last year after the PCG announced thatthey were being eyed for security work and were undergoing puppy training atthe base camp. This kind of training encourages them to go after the ball beingheld or thrown by a puppy handler.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Aspin Manny, who was about 3 months old at the time, didn’tseem to have the heart for the game. He would often escape from the puppy pento go exploring in the garden.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Manny and Pacquiao have since been adopted by Coast Guardpersonnel. Charice, Arnel and Pacman are still at the base awaiting their nextchance at training.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Their mother, Azumi, was adopted by PCG personnel twoyears ago at the Manila Harbor. The five pups inherited her short legs, stockybuild and long nose.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Azumi, meanwhile, had another litter of 7 puppies. Onedied, five were given away because they lacked “the ball drive”, and one iscurrently in the puppy training program.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The PCG has so far trained 126 regular working dogscomposed of 100 explosive detection and 26 narcotic detection canines.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;"><br /></div></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a3ZXwbQD-TY/TrZdXX_FXjI/AAAAAAAAADM/mMGg-s1fkVs/s1600/with+Cdr+Dalangin+in+formation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a3ZXwbQD-TY/TrZdXX_FXjI/AAAAAAAAADM/mMGg-s1fkVs/s640/with+Cdr+Dalangin+in+formation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><i>(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for "true.")</i></div><div style="margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;"><i>===============================================</i></div><div style="margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">This was published at <a href="http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/aspins-rewrite-k9-history-101136358.html" target="_blank">Fit to Post The Inbox </a>at yahoo.ph on Oct. 19, 2011.<br /><br />Also published at <a href="http://verafiles.org/2011/10/19/aspins-rewrite-k9-history/" target="_blank">Vera Files website</a></div><div style="margin-top: 11px; padding: 0px;">See related post: <a href="http://crystasark.blogspot.com/2011/03/aspins-trained-for-bomb-sniffing.html" target="_blank">ASPINS TRAINED FOR BOMB SNIFFING</a></div><br />(<b>If you like this article, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or others. Thanks.</b>)<br /><br />khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-80739379538066712702011-11-05T22:47:00.000+08:002011-11-20T09:30:58.978+08:00THE SPIRITUAL LIVES OF ANIMALS<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </span> </span>By Khrysta Imperial Rara<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; "><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Episode 55, November 3, 2011</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Guest: Leng Velasco</span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Last week’s discussion on the spiritual lives of animals was very interesting and daring, if I may say so, because it delved into a topic that is taboo in the academe, except perhaps in the field of anthropology.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">The topic was made even more unusual due to the experiences of our guest, Reiki master and healer Leng Velasco.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">ANIMALS AND REIKI<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Reiki is a Japanese method of healing that allows the practitioner to channel universal life-force energy for the purpose of healing a patient. Anyone can practice reiki but you must first be attuned by a reiki master. Attunement simply means that the reiki master opens and unblocks your chakras or energy centers so you can easily access the divine energy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Leng was first attuned as a reiki practitioner in 2006 but she was healing animals even before then. “In fact, animals are the reason that I went into reiki,” she quipped.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Leng avers that reiki is a very effective method of healing specially when coupled with psychic abilities. As an example, she recounted how she healed her first animal patient, a friend’s rabbit.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">"I first asked the rabbit for permission to heal him and then he approached me. As I stroked him, I sensed that he had an unseen wound that was already infested with maggots. True enough, I found such a wound hidden beneath his thick fur on one paw. My friend didn’t know about the wound,” she recalled.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Leng then advised the rabbit’s human to bring the animal immediately to a veterinarian because the paw needed to be amputated. Leng’s friend later told her that she was right – the vet had to amputate one paw because it couldn’t be saved anymore.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">I asked Leng, who also heals people, if she feels anything different when she heals people and when she works on animals. “Healing animals feels very natural and the energy is free-flowing,” she explained.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">She said she always asks the animal’s permission first because some just want to be left alone. “You have to be patient with them and explain first the concept of reiki. Then once they understand, they agree to it,” she said.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">“When healing people, on the other hand, you first have to compose yourself and you need a lot of positive energy,” she added.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">I can relate to that. As a reiki practitioner, I always feel ready to heal animals because their energy is so pure. People, on the other hand, can be more difficult to heal because they carry a lot of emotional baggage. So a reiki practitioner will have to work on healing not only the physical body but the person’s emotions as well. And not all people are willing to open up and release their negative emotions.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">ANIMAL SOULS</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; "><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">So let’s put two and two together. If reiki is divine energy and animals can feel and benefit from this divine or spiritual energy, it’s only logical then that animals are spiritual beings too. And if they are spiritual beings, then they must have a soul.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">I have to say this because I have met many people who insist that animals don’t have souls. My mom, who has loved dogs and cats since she was a little girl, still subscribes to the idea that animals have no souls because that was what they were taught in a private Catholic school.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">I guess many members of the Catholic faith resort to this spin so they will not have any guilt or remorse when they eat animals. For how can you savor <i>veal</i> in white cream sauce or </span><i style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">kare kare</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; "> or chicken and pork </span><i style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">adobo</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; "> when you are told that the animals on your dinner plate have souls?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">When I asked Leng if she thinks that animals are spiritual beings trapped in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">physical body, she disagreed with the word “trapped”.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">“I would rather not say trapped because it was their choice to incarnate in their chosen bodies,” she replied.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">RAISON D’ETRE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Leng subscribes to the Hindu and Buddhist beliefs that like us, animals have a purpose in life. I agree. Many of my cats and dogs have come into my life to be my friends and companions, while others have come to teach me certain lessons. One particularly special feline named D'Artagnan pushed me into the animal protection advocacy and another came to me with a message – that reincarnation does exist.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">In Leng’s case, her brown dachshund Duke had a single goal . “He came to be my own baby because I was told by doctors when I was 17 that I would never have children. This is difficult for a woman to accept because family is important,” she said.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Duke the dachshund was a sickly dog since birth. Born January 2001, he was given to Leng when he was but three months old, in April.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">After staying for a week with her, he had to undergo major surgery for pancreatitis and was diagnosed as calcium deficient. “He survived that operation but his sight was already affected,” Leng recalled.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Then in 2003, he suffered from coumarin poisoning. “His gums bled and he developed hematoma or blood clots all over his body,” Leng continued. “Doctors gave him a 50/50 chance of recovery but he made it once again.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Unknown to Leng, more was still to come. “Duke was diagnosed with the most critical illness last February 28, 2009. He had bone cancer and a tumor measuring 45mm on his left cheek. I was advised to have him euthanized but I refused because I had a strong feeling that he would make it once more,” she said.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Leng asked for another more sympathetic vet to attend to her dog at the UP Veterinary Hospital. The second doctor recommended chemotherapy but warned her that Duke still had a 50% chance of recovery after the procedure. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Leng, who has the ability to communicate with animals, then took Duke home and asked him what she should do. “I agreed to chemotherapy because when I talked to Duke, he told me to take that chance rather than put him to sleep,” she explained.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">The result? Thanks to chemotherapy and massive doses of reiki treatment everyday, Duke is now an active, pesky 11-year old dog who never leaves her side.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Although part of his jaw was eaten away by cancer, he leads a completely normal life as Leng’s “baby”.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">“In healing Duke, you healed yourself,” Malotz Quodala, my co-host, stated so aptly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Euthanasia is a no-no in reiki, says Leng, and this is a significant lesson that she learned from Duke. If she had listened to the vets when they told her Duke had to be euthanized, then she would be filled with guilt and anger now because she would have ended the life of an animal she loved very much and whose time to leave this earth had not yet come.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">As another example, Leng also cited the case of her mongrel dog, Brigitte. The dog was having frequent seizures and was always in pain. In March 2011, doctors said she had “<i>lamat</i>” in her brain which was causing nasty epileptic spells.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Leng was forced to consider euthanasia once more to end her dog’s suffering. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">One day, when the dog was having an attack and was obviously in pain, Leng called three vets to ask them to euthanize the dog and end her suffering. But strangely, the vets she contacted in early April did not have the medicines needed for euthanasia. So she gave Brigitte reiki energy to ease her pain. The dog fell asleep and never woke. “She died peacefully in her sleep,” Leng said.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">RAINBOW BRIDGE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">In response to a listener’s query about whether dogs go to heaven when they die,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Leng recalled that once, she decided to check and see where all her animals who had departed from this life had gone. She meditated and saw them all together in a wonderful place that she later learned was called “Rainbow Bridge”.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">“They were all together in this huge, beautiful garden where there were no fights. It was so beautiful that I didn’t want to leave the place anymore,” she recalled. “They all recognized me and came running to me. I was so happy because they remembered me.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">She, however, is quick to add that this awesome place is not necessarily heaven. “They are in a spiritual realm where they are awaiting rebirth,” she opined.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Malotz then asked an important question – must one always have to meditate to see these things?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">“Meditation is a must to access your inner self,” Leng replied.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">To this, I would like to add that meditation is a must for healers so they can relax, replenish their energies, raise their energy level and protect themselves before a healing session.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-add-space:auto"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p>I</o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">t was certainly an enjoyable exchange because Leng shared a lot of her unique and interesting personal experiences. She sees the spirits or “souls” of animals often with peripheral vision. “They have a form. Sometimes I see them still in their physical bodies, sometimes they are just all white,” she explained.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Author Ptolemy Tompkins, in his book The Divine Life of Animals describes several sightings of a non-physical essence leaving an animal’s body at the time of death. In one case, fellow author Eileen Garrett recounted how, after the suicide of her parents when she was still a young girl, she was put in the care of a strict aunt who punished her when she said she could see spirits. To get back at her aunt, Garrett killed her favorite ducklings. This is Garrett’s story in her own words:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">“Bending over the edge of the pond, I caught each small duckling<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> as it came floating by and held each one under the water, one <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">after another, till I had drowned the entire brood. I laid them in a row <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">on the grass beside me, and as I contemplated them I became filled <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">with a terrible dread of the wrath to come. I felt now that God <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">himself might come to punish me for this, and I remained rooted to <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">the spot, frozen with fear, awaiting the force of his anger. The<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> very intensity of my fear created a state of suspended quietness in <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">which I seemed scarcely to breathe, yet I was alert and waiting, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">anticipating the final overwhelming disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">In this condition I gazed at the little bodies lying on the grass,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> half hoping that somehow they might still be alive. The little dead <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> bodies were quiet, but a strange movement was occurring all <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> about them. A gray smoke-like substance rose up from each form.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> This nebulous, fluid stuff wove and curled as it rose in winding spiral <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> curves, and I saw it take new shape as it moved out and away<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> from the quiet forms. As I watched the spectacle, fear gave <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> way to amazement. I became almost joyful, for I thought the <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> ducklings were coming alive again, and I waited in tense expectancy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">SOUL SIGHTINGS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">There are numerous accounts of “soul sightings” in several books. My favorite book by far is Bill D. Schul’s Animal Immortality which documents the experiences of many people whose pets had died. In all documented cases, the animals stayed on with their human guardians even after they had left their physical bodies.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">When my mom’s 10-year old Persian cat Good Chi died last September 25, she was devastated but she wouldn’t show it. She cried and called me when she found his lifeless body under her bed at about 6am, then wouldn’t talk about the cat or her grief to anyone anymore. That’s really her personality so I was worried that she was not able to grieve properly. But she had him buried in a special place in her garden and visits him there everyday.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Days later, I asked her if she still felt his presence in her room. “I still feel him at my feet when I walk to the toilet in the early morning. And sometimes I suddenly wake up because I feel a weight on the top left corner of my pillow, where he usually sleeps,” she said.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">My mom had a stroke in 2005 and limps until now. We all took a leave from work to stay with her for the first two weeks that she was bed-ridden. But after we all had to resume our normal schedules, it was the cat who kept her company 24 hours a day.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Good Chi understood that he could no longer play rough with her. So he gently, patiently and faithfully escorted her every morning</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">to the toilet and stayed there with her. They spent the days together, she, seated on her rocking chair with her loyal cat lying on her lap. At night, he would sleep either on her pillow or on her right arm. Even my dad marveled at the way Good Chi watched over her.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">I still talk to Good Chi when I go to my mom’s house. I can’t see him but I know he’s still there. Once, about a week after he passed away, I looked back at her bed as we were leaving the room. I noticed that on the top left corner of her big pillow, a round portion had sunk in, as if some weight had been placed on it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">“Thank you, Good Chi, for sticking around and watching over Mom. You are welcome to stay as long as you want,” I said aloud, not caring whether anyone heard me.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">But when I recounted this story to Leng Velasco, she said we must now release Good Chi so he can cross over and then find a way to come back to my mom.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">OUR ANIMALS IN OUR DREAMS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">As another proof of a non-material intelligence that animates animals,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">several authors have also documented</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">cases where animals who have passed on enter their guardians’ dream world.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Last October 31, Leng witnessed the brutal killing of a dog who was to be sold as dogmeat. She heard the dog cry out but didn’t get to him in time because her feet felt like lead and seemed to stick to the ground. Perhaps it was fear or shock at the scene unfolding several meters away from her at a nearby house.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">“The dog, named Saddam, was chained and beaten on the skull four times with a steel pipe,” she recounted. Saddam was her landlord’s one-year old dog and Leng knew him well because she used to feed him.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">That night, Saddam came to her in a very vivid dream. She saw his youthful face, pained and sad, and his tearful eyes. At the same time, she felt a sharp pain in her left neck, in the same place where the man had hit Saddam with the pipe. Then the message came clear – the man has to be brought to justice.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Leng is now finding ways to correct this wrong. She is in touch with Animal Kingdom Foundation and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and studying the best option to bring this man to justice.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">For my part, I asked her to interpret a dream I had in the early morning of October 30, a Sunday.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">My dream went like this:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">I was in Rome looking all over the city for my very first Persian cat, D’Artagnan. I spoke to 2-3 people who had given him food and shelter<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">as he moved from place to place. Then I found him at a veterinary<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%">Clinic at the end of the day. We were reunited and happy. I felt that both he and I had found </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Home.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">Here’s some background on D’Artagnan:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">D’Artagnan was a grey and white healthy and intelligent male cat. He was five years old at the time that he died. He was put to sleep by a misguided veterinarian who believed that cats who bite people must be euthanized because they become dangerous once they have tasted human blood.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">I wasn’t there when the vet killed my cat and it really turned my world upside-down. It was very traumatic for me and I’m sure those last seconds of his life when the vet threw a stone at him to draw him out of his cage were traumatic for him too.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">But Leng said the dream means closure to this distressing event in my life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">She said that the issues have now been resolved and D’Artagnan and I are now at peace on this. She also thinks that D’Art is now ready to come back.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px; ">What a wonderful way to end the 55th episode of Kwentuhang Pets Atbp. I am really looking forward to meeting D’Artagnan again.</span></p>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-38261588399896062762011-10-31T18:03:00.000+08:002011-11-20T09:30:59.020+08:00Coping with the Loss of an Animal<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">31 October 2011</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Guest: Armi Santiago</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">By Khrysta Imperial Rara</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It’s a day away from All Saint’s Day and a couple of days from All Souls’ Day. It’s that time of the year when most people, in the Philippines at least, are either already visiting the graves of their relatives who have passed away or are still busy cleaning up their memorial plots. Thousands are also taking advantage of the four-day weekend to go on holiday with friends and family.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I just hope that amid all this, we give at least a minute to think about our beloved companion animals who have already left this earthly plane and are now waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Last Thursday (Oct. 27), I invited Prof. Armi Santiago of the UP Film Institute to the show to talk about coping with the loss of an animal. I’ve known Armi for a long time and she really loves animals. The fact that her most of her dogs died of old age will attest to this. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>RAINBOW BRIDGE</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We talked about Rainbow Bridge, which according to many websites, is a beautiful meadow where animals, especially companion animals, go when they die. It’s supposed to be doggie or kitty heaven. There is so much food, water, clean air, and love there. Animals who were sick or old when they passed are restored to health. They just play and frolic around until it's time for their humans cross over and they go to meet them. Together they then enter the gates of Heaven.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I must admit that it’s a wonderful concept because it’s a comforting thought. All of us want reassurance that our animals will be safe and happy when they leave this material existence. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Yesterday, I had a long discussion with a psychic friend, Leng Velasco. She told me about a dream she had a few years ago. In her dream, she wanted to know where her deceased animals had gone so she was led to a beautiful meadow with bright skies, lots of sun, lots of trees and fresh air, lots of food and fresh water. She saw all her animal friends who had passed and they were happy and healthy. She stayed a while with them then she had to come back.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When I told her that was Rainbow Bridge, she answered: “What’s that? I don’t know that.” She didn’t know about Rainbow Bridge but she saw it in a dream! I think she must have done some astral travelling to visit her animals. This is another validation of the existence of Rainbow Bridge. Leng is psychic and she can see and sense things that most people don’t know about.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>“THEY ARE NOT LOST TO US”</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Back to Armi Santiago at the DZUP studio. Armi is very attached to her animals so she became teary-eyed several times during the program. Her voice cracked and I was afraid she would break down while talking about her dogs DJ and Sparky. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Armi comes from a family of animal lovers. Her father taught her how to care for animals and be responsible for them from a very young age. She doesn’t agree with the term “losing a pet” because she believes an animal is never ours to keep in the first place. “They are not lost to us. They return to their Maker who just lent them to us,” she avers.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Her father taught her the importance of giving animals a decent burial and burying all their toys, collars, dishes, etc with them. “It’s a sacrilege to let another animal use them,” she says.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Grieving is a process and for those who love animals, there is no difference between grieving for a beloved person or animal. The grieving process usually goes through several phases, namely DENIAL, GUILT, ANGER, SADNESS, and DEPRESSION. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Though many humans or guardians go through difficult times when their animal passes, Armi says she has no problem expressing her grief and does not go through denial, guilt, anger nor depression.</span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Grieving is a personal experience. Just because a person doesn't cry doesn't mean he/she isn't grieving inside. There are many ways to grieve and cope. For some, letting go is not easy. Perhaps the best way is to find meaning in the whole thing, keep your mind busy with other things, write or keep a journal, do a ritual or a memorial. You can do a ritual with candles and flowers or create scrapbooks or albums in memory of your animal friend. </span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When my very first cat died, I sort to do candle-making to keep my mind busy because I just couldn't write. The whole thing was too painful to write down.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">D’ARTAGNAN’S ROLE</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Armi's lucky. When my very first cat, D’Artagnan, died in 1997, I was devastated. I couldn’t do much work for six months. Every time I was at the computer, or alone in the house, or driving, I would break down crying. He was a very intelligent, special and psychic cat and when a vet euthanized him without my permission, it turned my world upside down. It broke relations with my family but it also led me to my present advocacy. I remember I used to spend seven hours or more on the Internet researching similar cases. It was then that I discovered the concept of ANIMAL RIGHTS and WELFARE. I learned that the animal rights movement already had a huge following in the United States but hardly anyone knew about it here in the Philippines.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So the guilt and anger I felt for six months gave way to a determination to help the animals in whatever way I could. The guilt and anger disappeared when I realized that D’Artagnan played a special role in my life – he had come to my life when I was searching for meaning and purpose and he had sacrificed his life so I could find my path.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">DO ANIMALS GRIEVE?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Armi described in detail how her dog Sparky died at the age of 18. She could not bring herself to wash Sparky’s beddings. But when she decided to do it several weeks later, Sparky’s feline best friend, Sweety Pie, lay on the beddings, refused to leave and would not let Armi get them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Could it be that Sparky’s spirit was still using the bed so Sweety Pie would not let Armi take it away?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When a stray kitten was born in my garage 15 years ago, I allowed him and his mother to stay. I named him Moustache. Although his mother was all black, Moustache was black and white because he took after his father – a huge male of the same color who would hang out and check on them often. One day, when he was about 3 months old, Moustache kept on crying his heart out outside the kitchen door and whenever I would offer him food, he refused to eat. Later that day, I saw the body of his father who had been hit by a speeding car. Moustache kept on with his plaintive cries but refused to eat for 3 days. I guess he was mourning the loss of his father.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Another one of my cats, Bonne Chance, refused to eat for 2 days after Bagheera, her dashing jet black mate, died from severe colds that vets were not able to cure. She also refused to let her 2 kittens suckle. We force-fed her on the third day and when she saw that her kittens were licking off the milk dripping from her mouth, she relented and let them suckle again.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So do animals grieve? Of course they do but their different personalities deal with sorrow in varied ways.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">REINCARNATION?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A listener texted to ask if animals reincarnate after die. Armi replied by recounting her experience with her dogs, Sparky in particular. Armi has the habit of bringing each of her cats and dogs to the statue of the Virgin Mary in her residence in the UP campus. She says a prayer for each one while holding them close to the statue. Sparky, apparently, has the habit of smelling and licking the statue and pawing at it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When a colleague of her husband gave him a puppy months after Sparky died, they accepted the gift and called him Toffee. One day, while Armi was holding Toffee up to the Virgin Mary, the pup suddenly smelled, licked and pawed at the statue just like Sparky used to do when she was still around. This made Armi wonder if Sparky had indeed come back as Toffee. But she decided that Sparky was Sparky and Toffee was Toffee and Toffee was merely Sparky’s gift to them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Personally, I have had similar experiences. Some of my cats have come back and I never had a doubt about who they were in their previous lifetimes. The signs were all over the place.</span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But that’s the subject of our radio program this Thursday, November 3. We'll be discussing the animal soul, the spiritual lives of animals and their role in our lives. Psychic and reiki healer Leng Velasco will share her insights and experiences with us. </span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> For those who can’t listen in, I’ll be writing about it after the show. A bientot! </span></span></div>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-6136038081548531562011-10-20T18:41:00.000+08:002011-11-20T09:30:59.045+08:00WILD IN THE CITY<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">EPISODE 31 MAY 12, 2011</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GUEST: ANNA MARIA GONZALES</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PRESIDENT OF THE WILD BIRD CLUB OF THE PHILIPPINES (WBCP)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Posted by Khrysta Imperial Rara</span></span></div></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>“THERE ARE NO WILD ANIMALS UNTIL MAN MAKES THEM SO.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark Twain</em></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I cannot imagine a world without animals. Whether they’re companion dogs and cats, or inhabitants of the seas and forests, the presence of animals adds a touch of magic to an otherwise humdrum world. We live in a highly competitive and stressful world where work seems to be the main preoccupation for most people. But seeing a black and yellow butterfly flutter around the garden or a pied fantail tease a dog into play makes me pause from whatever I’m doing and watch in utter fascination. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few seconds of enchantment make me forget the hassles of work and allow the mind to start afresh.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anna Maria Gonzales, architect and urban developing expert, explained that animals have existed for millions of years while man as homo sapiens has inhabited the Earth for only 200,000 years. So it is man who has encroached into the land of the animals, if we are to view evolution from that perspective. Then he built farms and cities, subdivisions and resorts. In doing so, he appropriated lands otherwise occupied by the animals, called himself “civilized” and called them “wild”.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So now we have “urban wildlife”, a term I consider to be an oxymoron. They are the frogs, geckos, lizards, birds, snakes, and other “untamed” animals that have made their homes in the urban setting. Why did they choose to live in our subdivisions or villages? Well, as Anna explained, they were already there before our subdivisions, villages and cities were built. Perhaps “displaced populations” is a more apt term. They, too, have a survival instinct so they go – or stay – where there is food, water, shelter and a place to breed – or privacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many of these urban wildlife species make their homes in places where they can be hidden from man’s view, places where there is thick vegetation and abandoned structures, like parks, cemeteries, empty structures, abandoned cars, tall trees, rusty, neglected pipes, etc… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Humans are king” and “Technology will take care of everything” seem to be the motto of urban development from the day man first built settlements until now, Anna says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forest trees are razed to the ground to make way for subdivisions where houses are equipped with air conditioning units to make up for the cool air that seems to have disappeared with the trees. We live in comfort while we destroy the environment.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many of these urban wildlife species are beneficial to man and environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malotz recalled the bats that roosted in her mom’s place. While they are often hunted for their meat,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna pointed out that bats are an indicator species<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- their presence indicates a healthy environment while their absence from a place where they should normally roost indicates an unhealthy environment. Plus everyone knows that fruit bats play a key role in an ecosystem – that of propagating the seeds of fruit trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, they are no longer just indicator species. They become keystone species.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Though we may not be aware of it, the animals in our midst have a vital role to fulfill in our “urban ecosystem”. Frogs eradicate mosquitoes and other insects, birds are both predator and prey and are also an indicator species. Animals, as Anna said, give us a sense of connectedness with the rest of life. They can help restore our lost connection to the natural world. They are also proof of a higher consciousness at work. And, as I said earlier, animals <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>enthrall us and make us laugh with their antics and</span> <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">unusual ways.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DEALING WITH URBAN WILDLIFE</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what do we do with the wild animals in our midst? Compromise would be best, I guess. Be compassionate and know that this planet is not ours alone. We share the Earth with a myriad other species. We can build more cities but let’s take them into consideration too.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wildlife corridors or animal travel corridors can help the animals cross under a road and meet up with friends and family on the other side of a busy street, for instance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And perhaps a little “planned neglect” can help too – why not allow shrubs and some weeds to grow in our empty lots so grass birds and other species can feed and make their home there. It won’t hurt you if the land is not occupied or being used anyway.</span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-86573308340304990312011-05-07T14:35:00.000+08:002011-11-20T09:30:59.129+08:00NO TO TAMBUCHO GASSING -- AGAIN!!<div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; ">By Khrysta Imperial Rara</div><div><br /></div><div>We had Luis Buenaflor of Animal Kingdom Foundation as guest on Kwentuhang Pets Atbp last April 28. The discussion centered on what Luis called "the tambucho murders" or the killing of unclaimed stray dogs in pounds through carbon monoxide poisoning using exhaust fumes of vehicles. This was already a big issue last year when a video of dogs being gassed somewhere in southern Philippines circulated in the Net. After the animal welfare groups campaigned to end it, the Committee on Animal Welfare voted to put a stop to <i>tambucho</i> gassing. Last month, most committee members voted to bring it back. It is important to note that most CAW members are veterinarians who are expected to look out for the animals.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some of the highlights of that discussion:</div><div><br /></div><div>- The Animal Welfare Act (RA 8485) of 1998 has no implementing rules and regulations (IRR) yet. This is truly ridiculous. How can a law be effective without IRR? No wonder this law is not functioning! This, I think, is the height of incompetence. The IRR should be done within a year after a law is passed. Luis brought up the issue of legality of the CAW which has been in existence for more than 10 years now. To come up with the IRR, Government is supposed to</div><div>consult with the different stakeholders, work out issues and find solutions. In this particular issue, animal groups want the clause allowing <i>tambucho</i> gassing taken out due to the inhumane nature of the act.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before the program, I spoke to CAW member Dr, Karlo Gicana of the UP Veterinary Hospital. He said <i>tambucho</i> gassing will be temporary and will be taken out eventually. He said they just want to give the local government units (lgu) time to work out a program and find a budget for the alternatives to the local way of using carbon monoxide fumes to kill dogs. Problem is, just how much time is needed to do this? The IRR, which should have been done in one year, is still unfinished after more than 12 years! What if the lgu's can't get their act together and continue gassing the dogs since it's allowed anyway?</div><div><br /></div><div>- Most members of the CAW are government agencies. They outnumber the animal welfare groups - only PAWS and PSPCA are members. Where's the democracy in that? Times are changing and so are people's attitudes toward animals. Changes in the composition of the CAW have to be made to allow more animal groups like AKF and CARA (Care and Responsibility for Animals) to speak up for the public. In fact, there should be more members from the public at large rather than from the government. There should only be one or two government agencies to take care of regulatory mechanisms.</div><div><br /></div><div>- A listener texted that government should give more support to the animal groups and find humane ways to deal with the animals in whatever issue. I agree. Killing animals SHOULD be the LAST RESORT to be done only when there are absolutely no other alternatives. Killing another being, whether human or other, hardens the heart and is plain cruel.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Luis said the long-term solution to the stray dog problem is ADOPTION, SPAY AND NEUTER and RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP. To this I would add HUMANE EDUCATION which should be incorporated in the curricula of all public and private schools in the primary and secondary school levels.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Lastly, I think it's about time that universities offering veterinary programs review their curricula and include courses on animal rights and welfare as well as alternative medicine for the animals. (UP offers a course on acupuncture for animals.) They should study the trends in many universities abroad which NO LONGER practice dissection and vivisection in their laboratories. Alternatives exist now, they should be studied and eventually implemented.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wrote about the <i>tambucho</i> gassing issue in September last year. Sad to say, an issue which I thought had already been resolved has resurfaced. But it's not too late and the animals need your support. SAY NO TO TAMBUCHO GASSING!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AskJ1eIllxQ/TcSjbEreDlI/AAAAAAAAAAU/21eEHpcoQJw/s320/gassing%2Bdogs00.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603783521863601746" border="0" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 547px; height: 369px; " /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><b><span></span></b></p><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">ANIMALSPEAK: GASSING DOGS – ARE WE GOING BACK TO THE NAZI ERA?</span><br /><br />By Crysta Imperial Rara<br /><br />When I told a colleague that the government was gassing stray dogs, she exclaimed: “Gassing…you mean, like the Nazis used to do?”<br /><br />I fell silent. That thought had never occurred to me. The tambucho gassing of stray dogs has been in the news for some time now. The animal protection groups have launched a campaign to pressure officials to put a stop to it.<br /><br />The issue has even reached the international scene – more than two thousand five hundred people, including citizens of other countries, have signed a petition addressed to the Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala asking him to rescind Administrative Order 21 (AO21).<br /><br />AO 21 states that officials should consider “the freedom of animals from physical discomfort and pain and their freedom from fear and distress during the conduct of euthanasia.”<br /><br />Yet in a subsequent paragraph, AO 21 allows euthanasia in the form of shooting by firearm for dogs, cats, horses, pigs, lizards, snakes, ruminants, non-human primates and marine mammals. Decapitation will be done to euthanize rabbits while birds will be subjected to cervical dislocation.<br /><br />Another accepted form of euthanasia for stray animals is asphyxiation via carbon monoxide from motor vehicles.<br /><br />In the petition authored by Ted Teodoro, an animal rights advocate based in New Jersey, a description of the agony experienced by the animals being gassed leaves no doubt about the brutality of the act: “What follows is the frantic clawing of the animal, its plaintive cries for help, its desperate search for a safe corner. The animal rolls and twitches. At some point, the body no longer responds to the animal's natural instincts but some level of consciousness lingers on. This process can take as long as fifteen minutes.”<br /><br />I watched the video shot by a concerned citizen from Kidapawan in Cotobato Province. The scenes still haunt me – the dogs were struggling to escape from the holding pen, crying out in fear and panic just before they were mercilessly killed. Once the gas was turned on, I couldn’t help but feel furious and helpless as they wailed and clawed to get out of the metal box.<br /><br />It definitely was no humane death. I wonder if the officials in the Committee on Animal Welfare (CAW), most of whom are veterinarians, really know what the words euthanasia, humane or merciful mean.<br /><br />They say these methods will help reduce the cost of euthanasia by injection. Putting a dog to sleep by injecting Euthal or sodium pentobarbital costs about two hundred pesos per dosage for medium-sized dogs. But the drug can be acquired at a lower cost if bought by the bulk.<br /><br />It’s a better way to put down a dog because the drug relaxes him first. So there is no panic and struggle on the part of the animal.<br /><br />The Philippine Animal Welfare (PAWS) and the Philippine Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) voted against AO21 but they were outnumbered.<br /><br />Perhaps we should take a look at the curriculum in our veterinary schools. Are the graduates taught ethics and kindness toward animals? I’ve had my share of experiences with vets who no doubt love their work and the animals. I’ve run into many who misdiagnose diseases, give the wrong medicines or don’t care about the animal’s comfort or welfare.<br /><br />But vets who recommend gassing, shooting, decapitation and cervical dislocation are another breed. There’s too much pain in gassing; shooting may be off the mark so the animal will suffer; decapitation is inhumane and cervical dislocation, which means breaking the neck or snapping the spine – is too medieval.<br /><br />Besides, where’s the humanity in all this? Are we producing vets who know the techniques but have no heart?<br /><br />The Nazis gassed the Jews. The world condemned it. Our government is gassing and killing the animals inhumanely. We should also all condemn it. Sign the petition and help end the brutal killing of our animals.<br /><br /></div><div><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtj6H1y_R5Y/TcTmqfL2YJI/AAAAAAAAAAs/ZZaX10ZvUgE/s400/gassing%2Bdogs03.jpg" /><br />===========================================<br /><br />Published in my column, AnimalSpeak, in ANIMAL SCENE magazine Sept 2010<br /><br />===========================================</div>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066917334772662485.post-63295979658779797102011-05-03T18:13:00.000+08:002011-11-20T09:30:59.210+08:00Ang Mundo ng Kweba<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">PROTECTING CAVES AND DOLPHINS<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>By Khrysta Imperial Rara<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">SUCCESSFUL ANTI-DOLPHIN CAPTIVITY CAMPAIGN<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">What an interesting day for Kwentuhang Pets atbp! We began the program with a phone patch with Trixie Concepcion of Earth Island Institute Phils. She updated us on the anti-dolphin captivity campaign and said Manila Ocean Park has issued a statement that it will not bring in dolphins for a dolphin show. They must have backed off from their original plan after an aggressive Facebook Campaign led by Earth Island to appeal for the non-inclusion of dolphins in the park. Trixie explained that schools like Miriam and De La Salle have pledged that their students will boycott any dolphin and whale show in the Philippines.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">CAVING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">An on-air discussion of caves and the need to protect and manage them and the flora and species inside and around them proved to be an eye-opener. I must admit I was never really drawn to caving because I found these places to be too dark and uninteresting. I’ve visited only about 4 caves – in Bicol, Bohol, Bulacan and in Italy. I don’t remember much about them except that in Bicol, I had to rush out of the underground cave because I felt suffocated.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I recall seeing the bats hanging upside down in a cave in Bulacan, their droppings or guano forming a huge pile on the cave floor. In Italy, I visited an underwater cave when it was low tide and I was too uncomfortable in the dark.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">But our episode last April 14 changed all that. I learned from our guests Anson Tagtag and Ofel Espayos of the DENR Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) that the cave is a world in itself, with a unique ecosystem. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Blind fish, blind shrimps, blind bats, stalagmites and stalactites form part of this world that the DENR would like to protect from hunters. Hunting is illegal in the Philippines, except for the tribes or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">katutubo</i>. As an animal protection advocate, I don’t like the idea of hunting particularly if it’s for sport.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Guests Anson and Ofel believe that ecotourism could put a stop to the practices that destroy our caves since it will offer an alternative source of income to the local communities. But it must be well managed to ensure that the visitors do not go over the cave’s carrying capacity, or the maximum population of a particular species (in this case, human) that the habitat can support.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">The next time I get to visit a cave, it will be from a different perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Perhaps this time curiosity and wonder will win over my mild claustrophobia.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ueb6wruQwKw/Tb_adLHbz1I/AAAAAAAAAAM/j5cz01Q00JU/s320/bat-caves.jpg" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">bat cave</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>khrystararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18096832440295657536noreply@blogger.com0