It Began With A Four-Legged Stranger

I remember the first time I got a dog when I was only eight years old. He was a white, half-labrador and half-aspin, and I got him after my mother got wary of me taking care of various animals that included spiders in matchboxes, pink-colored baby chicks (that I actually managed to grow into, albeit stunted, chickens), lovebirds, a pair of doves, rabbits, goldfishes, and at one point, a turtle. For several years I couldn’t get a dog or a cat, and I didn’t know why. Until one day, my uncle’s dog gave birth to a litter of puppies and I finally convinced my mother to adopt one of them for me.

He was my very first dog, and I named him Dumbo. He had huge floppy ears (hence, the name), and sad, beady eyes. When we first brought him home, I sat on a small chair and watched him all night, and he quietly watched me in return. Dumbo lived with us for five years, before he succumbed to an illness that left him paralyzed. I’m not proud of how I took care of him, up to the very end of his life. I was a stupid and ignorant child, who thought having dog was simply watching them be cute and occassionally playing with them when I’m bored. Like what my mother had expected when we got him, she basically took care of his needs. I was a kid myself, and I didn’t know how to take care of another being that could not depend on one’s self.

Up to this day, I still feel my eyes water because Dumbo deserved better.

Today, I’m 31 and I have a Shih Tzu named Bazzi. He’s almost three years-old now, and so far, I think I’m doing great as a furparent. I started this blog/community not only to share our love of dogs and cats (I also adopted a cat several years ago), but to have a discussion with all pet owners alike on the well-beings of their pets.

When you think about it, when you own a dog or a cat, you have power over their lives. You decide when they eat, when they get a bath, when they get a clean potty area, when they get to walk outside for some exercise, and when they get proper treatment when they’re sick. They completely rely on you.

If you ask me, it’s an overwhelming responsibility. But mostly, it’s a rewarding experience.

The pet industry in the Philippines has grown in the past decades, but there are still reports of pets missing or being mistreated. Self-medication is still prevalent in the country. It is my vision and my hope that Happy Pets of Manila will help raise awareness among pet owners on how we can do better by them.

Other than that, the purpose of this blog is to simply celebrate the lives of these little creatures that loves us, sometimes more than we love ourselves.

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