22/01/2024
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Meet Tisoy, a former stray Aspin roaming around the Rizal Park Luneta. He was photographed popping out from a bush in the Rizal Park Luneta in November 2021 by our birthday girl today, Tita Chlowie Ann Blastique of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. She contributed the photo to our book Dogs in Philippine History and landed as the featured image in Chapter 26 entitled "Barangay 666."
Tisoy was adopted by the employees of the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), the administrator of the Rizal Park Luneta. Ang shala ng asong ito: Wh**ey na ang name niya per Tita Margaux Decripito of the NPDC. The said government agency also has three more adopted Aspins: Choco and Negro, both noir-fur doggos, and Tanggol, with white coat, too. We have gone so far because, on 15 June 1875, the Spanish Government in Manila designated the beach of Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park Luneta) all the way to Tondo as a dumpsite of carcasses of dogs killed during the campaign to eradicate street dogs in the Capital City due to rabies. At one point it was reported that it was โimpossible for the cleaning carts to collect all the dogs that were killed through poisoning.โ The City's garbage collectors were tasked to collect the bodies. At that time, the beach of Manila Bay along Bagumbayan was the present-day stretch of Roxas Boulevard. This incredible story of the Rizal Park Luneta inspired us to dedicate Chapter 26 to the people behind the dogs of the premiere national park.
This story of the transformation of the Rizal Park Luneta caught the attention of our Tita Rina Ortiz, a great supporter of our book Dogs in Philippine History. A champion of animal rights in the country, she fulfilled her childhood dream of adopting and rescuing dogs and cats. Thus, she founded her own pet hospital for rescued animals, Biyaya Animal Care - Mandala, a state-of-the-art animal hospital in the Philippines located in Mandaluyong. She also has over 500 rescued dogs on her farm in Cavite. Moreover, she vowed to sponsor a statue of an Aspin in memory of the countless innocent dogs who gave up their lives since 1800 to save lives against rabies in the Philippines.
Yesterday, January 20, Tita Rina partnered with the NPDC and the Manila City Veterinary Office in conducting mass neutering and spaying at the Rizal Park Luneta Open-Air Auditorium. They administered these to 606 doggos and cattos to help our responsible furrent kababayan who are having difficulty availing such services. Cats of Taguig City also helped in trapping 31 cats within the Rizal Park Luneta for spaying.
Rizal Park Luneta is setting an example of being a conducive space for our pets.
Know more about Dogs in Philippine History by purchasing a copy via shopee.com/dogsphi . Join us as well as we relaunch the book and launch its Puppy Edition (mini edition) at the Valenzuela City Library this coming January 27, Saturday, 3pm. Registration details here bit.ly/PuppyEdition .
