When Ashley Fruno came to the Philippines and saw the multitudeof dogs and cats wondering the streets looking famished and desolate, she knew she had to do something as reported by The Dodo.
Source: Pasay Pups
She stumbled upon a cemetery in Manilla, called Sarhento Mariano, and what she saw was horrifying. Over 150 dogs live amid the graves, intermingling the living with the dead. However, even though they were alive, so many of the dogs who live there are malnourished, sick, and mistreated.She decided to found Pasay Pups, named after the part of Manilla where she was working with the goal of nursing them back to health.
Source: Pasay Pups
But, she soon discovered that the life of a pet owner in the Philippines is very different from in Western culture Fruno told as reported by The Dodo:
"In the Philippines, the concept of ownership applying to dogs is very loose. It can be your dog even if you feed them once a week. The dog just sort of generally lives around your area. Most of them are free-roaming and wander around to find food."
Shewas looking to change this.Despite the horrible circumstances for these dogs, they still had so much joy. Fruno, along with a group of volunteers, started bringing food, water, and giving them lots of attention.
Source: Pasay Pups
Soon the objective of the foundation became about more than just taking care of the animals already there. It's also about educating the Manila population about how to properly tend to their pets in all aspects, and that starts with the youngest among them.
Source: Pasay Pups
For Christmas, Fruno is giving out coloring books to 500 neighborhood children that explain how to properly look after their furry friends along with hygiene products, educational tools, and snacks.
"I have found through this work that when the people have it bad, the animals have it even worse. The daily struggles that these families face are unimaginable to most of us."
Thanks to all her efforts, she is starting to notice a difference in the way people treat their dogs. They have startedfeeding and washing them more regularly, and just giving them the love they deserve. Little by little the future is looking brighter for the pups and the people of Pasay.If you would like to donate to their efforts you can check out their Facebook page.
H/T: The Dodo
