Most people do not realize that the Philippines has a law on impounding stray dogs. Owners are given three days to claim their pets. After the period is up, sadly, unclaimed dogs are euthanized.
Mandaluyong Animal Shelter is no different. Unclaimed dogs are automatically placed on death row.
Although there is a group of animal welfare volunteers helping take care of the dogs at the pound, the Help MAS Dogs, they can not stop this process if dogs are unclaimed or no one will adopt them. This group is focusing on getting the dogs they had gotten exempted back in 2013 (because they had already spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and rehabilitated the dogs) adopted.
Something miraculous happened last Mother’s Day, though, when one of the death row dogs got a lucky break.
Maddy, like the rest of the newly caught or surrendered dogs, was waiting for her inevitable end. Perhaps due to her emaciated state, the pound staff and city vet may not have noticed that she was pregnant.
A volunteer shared her story with me:
Oddly, it was her unexpected delivery when the volunteers were around that saved her from death row. She gave birth on Mother’s day so she was named Maddy (a play on the slang mader/madir)
Read her story here. Â
Fortunately, two fairy tale-like godmothers offered to foster Maddie and the puppies, saving them from death row.
Within a few weeks of TLC and close attention by foster moms, with several visits to the vet and a special diet (they discovered she had a food allergy), Maddy turned from virtually skeletal to being in great shape, normal weight with a nice, clean coat. She is now spayed, vaccinated, and wormed. She loves going for her regular walks and is potty-trained and house-broken.
Her two pups were named Leila and Luca and eventually went under a foster-to-adopt agreement with Kat O., luckily a friend of the fosters who was also looking into adoption.
Help MAS Dogs explains that since 2013, they had avoided adopting out puppies or unfixed pets because of the risk of puppy adopters not bringing them back for spay/neuter. Those who are interested in puppies must enter into a special foster-to-adopt agreement where they can foster the pup/s but must pre-sponsor the spay/neuter and only upon getting the pup/s fixed at 6months old can the adoption be considered officially approved.
For now, Help MAS Dogs is appealing to people to open their homes to Maddie. After all that she has been through, she deserves a loving, fur-ever home.
Do you want to adopt Maddy? Email your interest to helpmasdogs@gmail.com.
Photos were provided by Help Mas Dogs
