Pawssion Project: Renovating Bacolod City pound

Pawssion Project 5
Pawssion Project 5

PAWSSION Project is a non-profit organization that operates and relies heavily on donations from individuals in the community. It was founded in October 2018 by Malou Perez. Despite her hectic and scarce funding that has to be rationed, she continues to get involved in the daily pound operations contributing to the local Bacolod City pound whenever she can to make sure that the current impounded dogs are looked after, well-nourished and are not ignored and neglected with the little time they have left.

With the assistance of the other animal welfare organizations, independent advocates, and low-key anonymous benefactors, Pawssion Project has since built two shelters: the first one in Bacolod and another in Bulacan in mid-2019. Collectively, it has made over 500 rescues combined and most of the rescues are from the local city pound, strays from the streets, and rescues from individual reports on their official page.

Pawssion Project's mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home abused and abandoned animals, particularly dogs and cats, provide human care and treatment for animals that need protection, promoting the importance of spay and neuter programs, conduct free and low-cost spay and neuter campaigns, vaccination programs, raise awareness on the reality of strays in the Philippines, working hand in hand with private and public sectors to address the current animal welfare problems, campaigning for responsible pet ownership, and envisioning to have a kinder and safer environment for both humans and animals.

The Philippines has 14 million strays due to irresponsible pet ownership and stigma that has resulted in overpopulation, causing frequent accidents that have led to fatalities and more impounded dogs at the Bacolod City Pound. Pawssion Project is part of the Bacolod Animal Welfare-Task Force (Bacaw-TF).

The organization has magnified astonishing projects and programs. Instead of spending the same amount for the adoption fees for one batch of mass pound rescue operations including post-rescue expenses they have decided to have the city pound renovated instead. The pound has never been renovated since, and the situation has worsened due to the infestation of ticks and fleas.

With the contribution of a low-key good Samaritan funding the initial cost, mesh wires and doors were changed, major painting works have been done, and tiles were installed for 10 allocated kennels that have been adjusted to make them bigger. The space for storage was converted into a segregated area for puppies. The city pound office has been fixed and new glass windows have been replaced.

Architect John and Hopestone Construction Services offered a 30% discount for labor work as their way of helping the impounded dogs. They will have the walls painted with murals to brighten up the depressing place, the outdoor area will be landscaped and will be turned into a garden and a play area in honor of all the thousands of dogs buried there for years that did not have a chance to be adopted and re-homed.

The group hopes the city can provide at least one additional veterinarian who can work onsite to check on the dogs regularly, administer vaccinations, first aid, and even do spay and neuter operations both for adopted dogs and pets or rescues. This will allow people to go to the pound to avail themselves of those services, they can also see the dogs, thus giving them more chances for adoption.

We cannot save all, but we can make them comfortable and loved at least during their remaining time on earth.

Malou recalled that she knew nothing and did not have enough resources when she started Pawssion Project 3 years ago, yet God’s provision has been a miracle. She would like to thank the good Samaritan, who is also one of Pawssion Project’s adopters, and her family for all the support and for doing the groundwork for her when she was in Manila working on national-level initiatives and to everyone who continuously supported them throughout the years. She hopes many others will be inspired, both local government units and the community to help charter for change.

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