Save the doggos

At first it was hilarious, my boyfriend sent me a text message that his food was eaten by a dog in their neighborhood. I laughed at the thought of him not having food anymore for his dinner but then I realized that the dog was too hungry to even think that the food wasn't his.

A four-month-old puppy was recently beaten by their neighbor in Minglanilla. He sustained wounds from the screwdriver. As of this writing, the little one is still recuperating at the veterinary clinic. I don't know what his fate may be, I heard he was still trying to recover from the severe brain infection. The man who did this to him has been asking for forgiveness. But I doubt that the animal welfare advocates would agree. Of course, justice needs to be served even to animals on four paws.

I'm not really a dog lady (as you all know) but for some reason they are called man's best friend. In the Cebu City pound, there are over two hundred dogs that are up for adoption. They have been maltreated by their owners and left outside with no care, no food, and no shelter. How can we become so heartless to animals that have been by our side since the time they were born? We lobby for the rights of others but we cannot even protect the rights of those who look up to us their whole lives. Pets are dependent on their owners and their love for humans goes beyond with no bounds.

It is time we practice being responsible. No dog deserves to beaten up by a screwdriver or a paddle. No dog deserves to be homeless, shivering in the cold with no food to eat. They are domesticated for a reason. We can all do away from the fear of having stray dogs in the street if we learn how to submit our pets to castration and spay to the vets. This way, they wouldn't have to reproduce. Instead of shopping for pure breeds, why don't we just adopt. The pound is just one of the many places where we can get a dog. Adopting just gives a different kind of joy to dogs in search of warmth and love.

My cats are not bought too. Both were unwanted and now have found a home in us. We can all replicate this. Not only will we give these cute creatures a home, but also lessen the strays in the street.

One day the dogs will thank us for all that we've done. They may not be able to speak like we do but deep inside they have a longing in their hearts to show gratitude to their owners. We can't live in a world full of hate, even to the animals. I hope we can protect them as long as we can.