A Pet is a lifetime Commitment: Promoting Responsible Dog Ownership and Addressing

the Homelessness of Stray Dogs

Cabarrubias Dan, Dador Myles, Durban Leah, Mercado Judge, Rubia Joma Rai, Sanchez Euj,

Sundo Jomm & Taboada Noriele

Brief Description

The video campaign contains the situations of stray dogs in Southwestern University

area, where volunteer of rescue shelter approach and show some love to the roaming dogs.

Introduction

Stray dogs in the Philippines is one of societal challenge that our country is facing. Stray

dogs has negative impact in the community such as, feces garbage, noise pollution and vehicular

accidents. Furthermore, stray dogs might cause injury to some people where they commonly

create concussion in the road with the other stray dogs. They can spread and transfer Rabies a

deadly disease in which a threat to human health and lives. Nevertheless, stray dogs were once a

family and later on abandoned with the owners for they can no longer afford to provide their

needs. There are groups and organizations who make an intervention about the problem such as

spayed and neutered activities. However, with the current situations, homelessness is the primary

problem of these dogs. On the other hand, the government entail to control the population of the

street dogs, in as much as often seems like there isn’t any place for dog strays in the Philippines.

When the animals are rescued and put up for adoption, many potential guardians would much

rather shop for purebred animals instead. With that, our group would propose a campaign on the

responsible ownership to the government officials and to the common people.

Discussions on the Animal Welfare Issues

For several years, there were a lot of of stray animals roam the streets, fighting for their

survival. They don’t have the access of food and water, they usually acquire food from leftover

food in the trash. They even do not have the access of clean water. Stray dogs roam in the streets

and they don’t have an avenue for shelter. Furthermore, as we observe stray dogs usually have

external parasites, fungal infections and any other disease that they would get as a result of their

situation. Stray dogs do not have the access of medicine even if they’re in pain, injured or carry

diseases. Stray dogs do not acquire freedom from fear and distress, for they are homeless, they

do not have safe place. Anyhow, stray dogs can express their normal behaviour. They don’t

choose this kind of life. They are a victim of irresponsibility of human. They’re innocent and the

pain that they are feeling is as valid as human pain. However, there are organizations that take

actions on this societal issue, such as spaying and neutering, sterilization, killing and vaccinating.

We may have establish law for the welfare of animals, yet the government has not taken it

seriously, for stray dogs do not vote and can’t speak their rights. From all of the above, everyone

can see the situations of stray dogs, needs to be solved urgently. The purpose of this campaign is

to promote humane rights of stray dogs and to persuade authorities or the government and the

common people to take actions with this societal issues.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Of all the various action that has taken by the non- government organization of the stray

dogs, we would like to promote a solution that would involve government and not just the people

who mainly care for these dogs. This campaign purposely address on the side of stray dogs,
they’re sad situations and the pain they are feeling that would serve as a bridge to government

and to common people. To spread awareness and education on responsible dog ownership. This

may be a first action to consign for the authorities and human to take actions on the societal

issue. The campaign entails the government to establish more animal shelters. We believe that

homelessness of stray dogs where the primarily problem of the situation. In fact, these dogs do

not chose to be in that kind of situation. Anyhow, establishing shelters may need a huge amount

of money for the maintenance, such as housing, space and medicine. This is the purpose why the

government need to take an involvement with this issue, such as setting up fundraising, though

some organizations has been doing this and still it is better to have a government support.