You see, I honestly have mixed feelings about it. I’m happy that the man was penalized for doing such a horrible act on a friendly creature (based on the account, the dog was in a cage when he shot it, so it was pretty much defenseless), but also a bit disappointment with his sentence. He needs to pay the court Php5,000 (approximately US$120) and the complainant Php15,238 (about US$365) for damages. If he fails to pay the fine, he faces jail time.

I honestly do not know the financial status of Carlos Gozum (the man who shot the dog), but in my opinion, a Php20,238 fine is too small a fine. Ok, you could probably add the stress of the court hearings and prospect of jail for three years (though the complainant went through the same, and more). But the thing is, the penalty was a mere pittance for the suffering the dog and her family went through.

I guess what bothers me the most was how little the “cost” of animal cruelty was in the court of law. You shoot a dog, you get fined Php5k plus damages to the complainant. Such a fine is something that you can more or less get out of. It’s not really “high enough” that would-be dog-shooters can think twice before acting on it. Now, if the penalty alone was Php500,000++ or even Php100,000 — it would certainly be a different story.

On the brighter side, Carlos Gozum was convicted — a court actually sentenced him with a penalty of a fine or face jail time. Recognizing animal cruelty here in the Philippines as punishable by law and actually upholding it is a welcome change for the creatures who cannot fight for their right to live on their own. It’s still a victory for animals, albeit disappointingly small. As I say, baby steps.

On the even brighter side, Aimee the Labrador survived the shot. She is now living happily with her family.

I guess I’m just really affected by this since my family had owned a very loyal Labrador until Ondoy. His name was Coal. He looked “scary” (he was huge, muscular, and all black), but he was as gentle as a kitten (he was actually very friendly with the neighborhood cats unlike our other dogs). We loved Coal, especially my dad. I think I can speak for our family and say that Coal was worth more than any amount — he and the love he gave us were priceless.

Kudos to Renato Tuazon and his family (with the help of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society) for their battle in court for Aimee. It’s not financially easy to sustain a case for three years, not to mention the stress and the emotional strain of court battle and the pain of seeing such a lovable creature suffer. But they still persevered and saw through the case. What’s more, they went through all that for their dog.

I see this case of Aimee as a paradox of animal cruelty here in the Philippines. On one hand, you have Carlos Gozum, the man who shot a puppy helpless inside a cage; and a measly penalty of Php5,000 plus damages. On the other, you have the Tuazon family who fought a long 3-year battle in court and winning the case. A bittersweet victory, but a victory nonetheless.

I’m hoping that this case will show light to other ongoing animal cruelty cases here in the Philippines. Maybe there will come a time when the penalty will be greater. But for now, we can settle for the loud and clear message the outcome of this case tells would-be animal abusers: you can get charged for animal cruelty in the Philippines.

I honestly have a lot of mixed feelings about the events in 2011. Typhoon Sendong was such a horrible catastrophe, claiming so many lives of people and animals alike. But it was also a year of changes, especially for my dog blogs.

2011 saw the blog redesign of both Pinoy Dog-Lover and Dog Fashionista after so long, as well as our first-ever participation in a pet event as a media partner. We also had our first major blog contest with awesome prizes thanks to our generous sponsors. Kubrick even won the Crypt Keeper’s Choice (Most Original Costume) in PAWS’ annual Scaredy Cats and Dogs Halloween costume contest.

But that’s not the best part… For me (as well as the rest of The Canine Crew), the best thing in 2011 was being able to get to know fellow dog-lovers and their pooches. Some we’ve met in real life for doggie dates, others we’ve interacted more than ever online. Simply put, it’s YOU guys, our readers, who’ve made our 2011 worthwhile

Thank you for being part of our 2011, most especially for supporting our blogs! We’re looking forward to another happy year with all of you, and we hope you’ll continue to be part of our journey to another meaningful year in Pinoy Dog-Lover.

Yours truly,
Gail, Shantee, Kubrick, Pixel, Leica, Patatas and Popoy.

So far I’ve been able to gather two stories. I’ll give an overview here in the blog, but it’s best you visit the full post for details. Oh, and prepare a box of tissues — these stories of amazing animals will surely warm your heart.

Dogs save family from Iligan floods
Typhoon Sendong sneaked in the middle of the night, when Marrietta Ardiente and her family were asleep. Before the furious flood waters swept through their village, Aspins Loloy and Jackie immediately woke up their humans — scratching the door and barking loudly. Because of the dogs’ warning, Marrietta and her family were able to get to safety. They lost their home, but unlike most families affected by the flood, their family is still complete. The family was so grateful for the dogs that even in the evacuation center, they could not bear to be away from their dogs — their life savers. Complete details from Bandila here. *Please note that the video is in Filipino.

Dog saves girl in Cagayan de Oro flashflood
In Cagayan de Oro, seven-year-old Jennylou Yecyec and her family climbed up to the roof of their home in the hopes of safety. Unfortunately, the strong flood waters easily destroyed their home (which was made of light-weight materials). In the chaos, the young girl and their pregnant dog got separated from the family. But the dog didn’t leave Jennylou’s side, fighting the current by all means to stay with her, and eventually implored Jennylou to ride piggy-back on her. Jennylou and the dog were swept to sea — the girl hanging on to her pet as the dog swam for the both of them. In her last act of heroism, the exhausted pregnant dog swam to a floating log to which Jennylou clung on to. The moment the girl was safely hanging on to the log, the dog was gone. She succumbed to exhaustion and the open sea has swallowed her. The dog was never seen again, but Jennylou and her family survived. They were rescued at daybreak, and eventually reunited.

Jennylou and her family have never been able to give their dog a proper name. But they would forever be grateful for the child’s selfless rescuer. They must have loved the dog a lot and made her feel part of the family — why else would the dog think beyond its natural instinct to survive and give up her life for the child? More details of the story from Inquirer.

I can’t help but become teary-eyed when reading stories like these. We all know animals have a natural instinct for survival, but the bond we have with them surpasses that to a point where they are no longer just concerned for their own safety. We love them, and they love us back with everything they can give — even their lives.

From PAWS’ CDO Disaster Photos album in Facebook:

PAWS’ volunteer veterinarian Dr. David Arceo is in CDO now doing an ocular on animals affected by the disaster: Despite their cadaver sweep for 2 days, there are still many to be collected. The stench is overwhelming. There are still a lot of dogs alive and a few have been fed. Many horses dead. 2 badly sick and hungry. Heat of the sun is tremendous.

In disasters such as Typhoon Sendong, humans are the priority in rescues and relief efforts. That’s very understandable, and I’m not arguing with that. But I still couldn’t help but feel sad that animals will be last to, if not never, get help and be attended to. Even harder is that I myself don’t even have the resources to get these animals to safety — CDO is miles away.

Photo by PAWS Volunteer Vet Dr. David Arceo. More photos from his ocular in Cagayan De Oro can be found on the PAWS Facebook photo album.

Thank you, Dr. David Arceo, as well as all the animal welfare volunteers helping out to alleviate suffering for animals. Animals are living creatures; they also deserve to have another chance at life like we humans do. If humans won’t help them, no one else will. It’s really comforting to know that help for the animals are already in progress.

Even from far away, we can help PAWS in their efforts.

To donate online: http://paws.org.ph/site/540/default.aspx
** You can select the “One Time Gift” of any amount option and specify in the Paypal message that you would like your donation to go to their Sendong relief and rescue.

To donate through bank deposit: http://paws.org.ph/site/543/default.aspx

Don’t have a gift for your pooch yet? Check out some of these Christmas gift ideas you can give your dog! Some of these are also great gifts for your dog-lover friend

• Alpo Chop House – How about giving your pet a “special” meal this Christmas? Our dogs love Alpo Chop House, so every Christmas we try to give our dogs a can each. We usually mix the wet food with the dry kibbles, but for Christmas, we let them have something special — their favorite, all wet dog food!
• Beggin’ Strips – Another treat our pets can’t refuse! They go crazy over Beggin’ Strips. If your dog fancies these treats as much as my dogs do, I’m pretty sure this is a gift they would surely love.
• Customized dog tag – Your dog might not appreciate this as much as you would (since a pet tag is mostly for information purposes). But pets like Shantee — who enjoys wearing “things” — certainly will! It’s like having a custom “pendant!” You can get one customized for your pets (and even decorate it with charms!) from Will Wag for Tags.
• Doggie clothes – Perfect for dogs who like to dress up! Get them something new this holiday season, something they can even wear and show off during your parties. Dogs who love attention will definitely enjoy wearing new stuff (I know our Shantee certainly does). Check out Doodles Paw Couture, they even have holiday-themed dresses for your pooches!
• Pooch accessories – How about a new collar for your pet? Or a harness with a brand-new leash? Or maybe even a portable water dispenser? You can get these and more from Bow & Wow. They’ve got lots of stuff for your pets, and with your purchase, you could even help out a pet in need with their current Christmas program.
• Pet massage and Grooming – If you’re sure (and I do mean absolutely sure) your pet would like a massage from a stranger, then by all means get him one for Christmas. Same goes for grooming. But if the massage or grooming session would only stress your dog, it might be better if you give him something he’ll enjoy more. After all, you wouldn’t want your pet to be stressed out because of your “gift,” would you?
• Doggie day out – Got a very social dog? Take him out for a doggie day out! Dedicate an entire day just for him, visit pet-friendly places like Eastwood City or Bonifacio High Street where your pet can meet up with his fellow canines for an afternoon of fun!
• A Christmas “walkies” – Saving money this Christmas? Well, here’s one gift I’m pretty sure any balanced dog will love: WALKIES! Just make sure you give your dog his Christmas walkies before the usual Yuletide fireworks, or you’ll both end up stressed out instead of having fun

But you know what? Even if you don’t give your dog a gift this Christmas, he’d still love you just the same. He’ll be happy as long as he has you. Such loyal and caring creatures — that’s why we can’t help but love them!

One of Pinoy Dog-Lover’s supporters, Bow & Wow, is having the Paw It Forward campaign this season. Through a series of programs, you and your pet will be able to help another animal in need. First up is the Petparazzi Video Upload Contest. Simply purchase food products from Bow & Wow to join and you’ll help sponsor the spaying/neutering of the beloved rescue animals of CARA Welfare Philippines.

Here’s the official Petparazzi on Video press release so you could learn more about it!

Bow & Wow Petparazzi is back! Simply like our Facebook page and join Petparazzi on video contest. Upload your baby’s cutest moments according to the theme of the week and get a chance to win the grand prize of P10,000 worth of gift certificates! One cat and one dog video will each win the grand prize.

Winning is quite simple. The videos with the most like and votes shall be declared the winners.

Encourage your friends and family to vote for your beloved pooch or feline. Votes are earned through food and treats purchased from Bow & Wow from November 21, 2011 until January 23, 2012. For every P100 spent, they get 1 vote for their favorite video, all the have to do is enter the POS and OR number (ie. BWGB10000000016) in the field indicated for the promo code. ONLY FOOD AND TREAT PURCHASES get points.

This video contest is for a very important cause close to our hearts. Bow & Wow is partnering with CARA Welfare Philippines for the Spay and Neuter campaign. For every 15 videos uploaded, 1 cat/dog shall be spayed and neutered. And at the end of the promo, the total number of animals spayed/neutered shall be matched by Bow & Wow. This promo is part of Bow & Wow’s campaign, Paw It Forward.

I hope you guys join! I’ve personally met the folks behind CARA, and I can’t help but admire their dedication. Ms. Nancy Cu Unjieng and her team selflessly give their time and effort to help animals in need — albeit limited resources. The help you give will definitely come a long way.

Kubrick and I are going to generate sets of random and unique integers on random.org with one number each set from 1 to 194 (194 is the total number of raffle entries we have). These sets will be labeled as Set 1, Set 2, till Set 6. Each of these sets will receive specific prizes:

Set 1 = Grand Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag (our grand prize winner!)
Set 2 = Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag
Set 3 = Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag
Set 4 = Consolation Prize
Set 5 = Consolation Prize
Set 6 = Consolation Prize

Are you ready? Kubrick’s all prepared to click the Get Sets button!

And finally, after almost a month of waiting, the winning numbers are…

1 = 79 = Connie Perez (Grand Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag)
2 = 150 = Camille Onia (Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag)
3 = 133 = John Peria (Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag)
4 = 52 = Joana Somejo (Consolation Prize)
5 = 176 = Rohan Cedric A. Golla (Consolation Prize)
6 = 190 = Karenade (Consolation Prize)

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Kubrick and I will be sending you an email and SMS within the day on how to claim your prizes

We will be doing the online draw and announcing the winners on the afternoon of Monday, 5 December 2011. In the meantime, we are giving folks who only got two tickets or less a chance to complete the raffle requirements they might have missed. Kindly check your email for the message Kubrick and I sent, details of the missed steps are there. Please contact us by tomorrow evening (Sunday, 4 December 2011) through pinoydoglover(at)gmail(dot)com for any clarifications regarding your raffle tickets.

We’re so excited to find out who the winners are! Remember, we’ll be drawing six (6) winners: 3 consolation prizes, 2 Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag winners, and 1 Grand Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag winner. Could you be one of the six? Cross your fingers! Good luck to all!!!

Rules

Please make sure you fulfill all these requirements to qualify for the raffle:

• You need to be a current Philippine resident. In other words, you need to be currently living in the Philippines from today until February 2012 and beyond.
• You must have a mailing address.
• If you are 18 years old or below, your parent / guardian must give their consent for you to join. You must provide us with the contact info of your parent / guardian so we can verify.
• Each person joining the raffle is entitled to a maximum of three (3) raffle entries.
• Each raffle entry will be given a corresponding unique number. These numbers will be the basis for the electronic raffle draw generated through random.org.
• Winners will be notified via email and/or SMS. Winners should respond within 30 days after notification or prize will be forfeited.
• If a winner fails to respond within 30 days of notice and forfeits his/her prize, Kubrick and I will hold another electronic raffle draw and announce a new winner.
• Prizes are as is and subject to sponsor’s terms.
• Your privacy will be respected. We will not share any of your personal information.

How to join

Follow these simple steps to get a chance to win one of the two Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bags or the Grand Awesome-Pawsome Doggie Bag.

Step 1: Greet and leave a birthday wish for Kubrick
Go to this blog post and leave a birthday wish for the birthday boy in the comments section. This will qualify you for one (1) raffle entry. Don’t forget, Pinoy Dog-Lover is a family-friendly blog. Please behave

Step 2: Qualify for a second raffle entry
To qualify for a second raffle entry, Like Pinoy Dog-Lover on Facebook if you haven’t yet.

Step 3: Qualify for a third raffle entry
To qualify for a third raffle entry, Like Dog Fashionista on Facebook if you haven’t yet.

Step 4: Apply for raffle e-tickets
Complete and submit this online application form (sorry, form is no longer available!) for raffle e-tickets. You will be notified via email if you qualified or not, and if you have one, two, or three raffle e-tickets. You will be given a chance to provide correct info if the data you provided cannot be verified so you can qualify for all three.

Step 5: Wait for your raffle e-tickets via email
If you qualified, your raffle e-tickets will be sent to you via email. Please keep this email message. You will be asked to forward this email in case you win for verification purposes.

Deadline for applying for raffle e-tickets will be on 2 December 2011, Friday, at 11:59PM Manila Time.

The online draw will be in December to give people more time to join. Winners will be announced on Pinoy Dog-Lover and Dog Fashionista blogs and Facebook pages.

Greet Kubrick and leave a birthday wish in the comments area below. You never know what you might get if you do