Who protects the animals nobody ‘owns’?
Her name was Bonnie. Bonnie was the gentler one of the siblings, constantly following behind her Mama Patches or her brother Clyde everywhere they went. Clyde was headstrong and curious, and often tottered toward me as soon as I opened the front door to find them. Bonnie would look first—she always did—but as soon as she heard my voice, she stumbled after her brother to press her head against my palm.
At first, Patches hid them behind a slab of concrete right after they were born. Patches likely thought they might be safer there. Then, she moved them under a bush near our neighbor’s house. Bonnie, in particular, loved playing with flowers.
I was informed very quickly, however, (and it was stipulated in our lease) that pets were strictly not allowed and could not be inside. But I knew I could at least care for them within the common outside space of the apartment, where I set an automatic feeder and water bowls.
The night I found Bonnie, I stepped outside a little later than I usually did to refill the cats’ water bowl because of work. I saw Clyde through the window, easily enough, right next to Patches, who was surprisingly somber. And then I saw the shock of white fur beside the rubber tire of a parked e-bike.
I ran outside before I could even register it.
Bonnie was still so small. I could hold her in one hand still. I did, for a bit, for a long time, crumpling onto the cement driveway in front of our apartment complex in backwards pajama pants after I pushed the e-bike wheel back a little bit to pick her up fully.
What fight did Bonnie have with this car? I tried not to think about it as I cradled her. Patches watched me. Clyde did, too. But Bonnie’s body was stiff and cold and did not soften like it usually did when I carried her, when she would trust me to hold her so she could inch closer to me. I told her I was so, so sorry—over and over. I buried my face in her fur. I stroked her head even as I was shaking.
I buried Bonnie that same night outside the apartment in front of a tree she loved to play at. The hole was too big at first—I had forgotten how little she was, how gentle she was. Patches and Clyde stayed with me as I dug. When I placed flowers at her grave and sat on the curb to pause, Patches and Clyde sat close to me, making no noise and doing nothing else as I evened my breath.
I thanked them both after, held them for an extended period, and ducked back into the apartment.
That night, I scrubbed all of Bonnie’s blood off me, and I struggled to sleep. That night, I prayed for the first time in a long time. I decided then and there that a Heaven of some kind has to exist, even if it was only for Bonnie.
A world of strays and cruelty
According to research by nonprofit CARA, there are an estimated 12 to 13 million stray cats and dogs roaming Philippine streets, with 100,000 to 500,000 being added to that number every year. This is largely due to a severe lack of proper and consistent spay/neuter programs, irresponsible pet owners abandoning animals, and limited resources for animal advocacy groups and shelters.
The risk of rabies is also higher in the Philippines because of this, with our country leading globally in the number of cases.
Even if these animals are rounded up by pounds—as tasked by local government units to enforce the Anti-Rabies Act—many of them remain unclaimed or unadopted and end up being euthanized. Some pounds even suffer from severe overcrowding, and, in turn, animals are neglected at best or treated cruelly at worst.
This is a shame, considering that so many stray cats and dogs have no “wild” to return to. These animals had been domesticated for decades, to the point of having to rely on human beings for the best chances of survival.
And now, we trap them in concrete jungles filled with four-wheeled machines that spell death for these animals, so much so that if they make one wrong move, it could be dangerous for them.
The result? They’re afraid—shooed constantly for being “dirty” and “disgusting,” and having to hold out hope that there is something edible and non-toxic in the trash we throw out. We don’t offer them reprieve or shelter. We don’t provide safety from the elements or from preventable disease, but we blame them for getting hurt or getting sick anyway.
“It’s not their fault they’re trying to survive”
Julienne Posadas, lover of animals and owner of Buhay Gulay, La Union’s first vegetarian eatery, says, “If you don’t have the heart for strays… just ignore them, but never hurt them.” She points out that people don’t have to stop and save animals if they don’t care for them, that they can simply leave them be.
Ro Morales, animal advocate and pet sitter (@dropinpetsitting on Instagram), agrees and shares her own story: “Unfortunately, there’s a high number of cases of animal abuse here in the Philippines.”
“I had this work cat, his name was Ginger. One afternoon, I got a call downstairs that Ginger had passed. I ran down to check for myself. He was lying there with blood pooling from his nose. I believe he was poisoned. I kept questioning: Why are people so heartless? My heart broke.”
Jamie Fournier, animal advocate and a long-time volunteer feeding and providing care and medication for cats around the Rockwell area, says poignantly, “Cats are not evil, they are not dirty, they are not mabaho… They are living beings; we should learn to coexist with them. If you can’t be kind, then don’t go near them or don’t hurt them. If you can’t feed them, if you can’t be kind, don’t hurt them.”
“It’s not their fault they’re trying to survive in a world that’s stripped them of the space they deserve.”
Love has four paws
Despite the odds being stacked against many strays, those with a heart for animals are doing their best to provide for those left to fend for themselves on the street.
Grab delivery driver and animal lover Benjo Paz caught the attention of many animal-loving netizens with his videos where he goes out of his way between Grab deliveries to feed stray cats and dogs he meets during his rides. Kuya Benjo always details how he hopes they like the food he has prepared for them and that he hopes his act of kindness helps.
“Gawin nating ituring natin silang mga tao kasi meron din naman silang puso, isipan, at nararamdaman—lalo na ang gusto lang nila ay ‘yong makakain at uminom. Bigyan natin sila ng pagmamahal at ‘wag saktan,” he says.
Persisting for our four-legged friends
It can be heartbreaking to see how cruel and violent life can be toward these animals. But that doesn’t stop many animal advocates, as they want to continue to provide a bit of gentleness amid the often brutal nature of the world, and show kindness to these animals, no matter how brief.
“There are so many things we can do to help them and care for them,” Fournier affirms, while reminding us all that this endeavor to care for strays and community animals cannot be hopeless—and that it contributes some light to this world.
When Bonnie died, I was angry that the world continued to carry on. Nothing stopped the Earth from spinning, even though holding her in my hand made me will everything to stop.
Because how could the world keep going after Bonnie was taken so violently? How could there not be a pause to consider the weight of that moment, of the life that had been taken? But seeing the efforts of these volunteers just reminded me that there are still so many things we can do and, instead of dread, we can face it all with hope.
These days, Clyde is big and grown-up. He follows his mother everywhere still. He runs after butterflies. I sometimes wonder if he thinks of Bonnie when he does.
Losing her broke my heart in an irreparable way I don’t think I could ever explain, but one that makes me want to do right by all the other animals that have come into and will come into my life.
We carry on for the animals.
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