Paws for blessings
The Philippine Animal Welfare So- ciety( PAWS) has been holding its annual pet blessings for the past 21 years. I have participated in almost all of them with at least one of my doggie companions in tow. Times have changed and so, too, have the ways the pet blessings are held.
I still recall when the event was held at Mt. Carmel Church in New Manila. We had to line up with our pets outside the church and wait until after the Mass was over before the parish priest would come out to the parking lot to bless the pets.
At that time, the pets at the blessings were mostly dogs. No longer.
There are pet blessings held in many parts of the metro — most of them in malls where more people and their pets can be accommodated — and I guess it is a good thing because in the recent pet blessing of PAWS on Oct. 1 at the Skydome of SM North EDSA there was an estimated 600 pets with their humans. And this time around, as in the past five years, the Mass was held specifically for the pet blessing.
And yes, although most of the pets were still dogs, there were cats, lizards, rabbits, among others. A sign perhaps that our pets are truly part of the family — and making sure that they, too, are in the good graces of the Great Dog Above is a good
thing, I guess.
SOME THINGS NEW, SOME THINGS OLD
I had my newest pet baby with me — five-month-old Gorby the Maltipoo. As we sat quietly in our seats and watched the pets and their humans line up for the blessing, we noticed a woman brought out an urn containing her dearly departed pet’s ashes. Fr. Jose Antonio “Joey” Paras turned and blessed the urn, blessed the woman, and then proceeded to bless the other pets and their families who have fallen in line.
During the Mass, dogs and cats were carried or walked by their guardians during the entrance procession and offertory. When a pet is blessed, the humans face their pets and lovingly utter their pet’s names as they recite a pledge to be responsible for them and to never abandon them.
The scenes in this year’s PAWS’ pet blessings were so touching — just as in years past. I guess it is because the humans who come out to these events truly take the pledges and blessings solemnly. PAWS and Pet Express worked doubly hard this year for a memorable World Animal Day celebration.
“Pets accept you for who you are,” said dog lover Aiza Seguerra before she sang True Colors during the inspirational mini-concert before the Mass. Other celebrity performers, Morissette Amon and Sam Concepcion, proudly shared stories about their own pets and how these pets complete their lives.
It was obvious from the energy of the crowd at Skydome that this was truly a gathering of those who cared deeply about their furry family members. Also, PAWS celebrity spokesperson Vanessa Matsunaga took a few minutes to talk about the organization’s latest campaign to encourage more people to spay or neuter their pets.
“At first, when I was not aware of spay- neuter and its benefits for pets, I did not want the surgical procedure done on my dog,” said Vanessa. “But the more I read and talked to veterinarians and animal welfare advocates about it, the more informed I became. It is just not about preventing pet homelessness. If you care for your pet, if you want them to be healthy and if you want them to live longer, you need to have your pet fixed.”
The event was emceed by DJ Suzy Gamboa and Karen Pamintuan, the program before the Mass also featured PAWS shelter dogs Sid, a victim of muriatic acid cruelty, and Jazz, who was rescued as a blind, dying stray. The two fully rehabilitated dogs were brought onstage to encourage people to adopt from the PAWS Animal Shelter instead of buying from pet shops or breeders.
***
Sponsors of the event were Pet One, SM North EDSA, Frontline Plus, McDonald’s, Swell Sweets, Nissin Cup Noodles and The Philippine STAR Pet Life Section.