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[av_heading heading=’JUST ANOTHER DAY ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY LUIS BUENAFLOR JR.
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Do Pinoys walk their dogs?
PRESIDENTIAL Proclamation No. 715 series of 2004 declares the first week of October every year as Animal Welfare Week. And in the spirit of animal welfare let’s talk about dogs.
Traditionally, the average Filipino does not walk his dog; all he does is open the gate every morning and let Bantay loose into the streets, hence the term askal or asong kalye (in English, literally “street dog”).
Of course, letting your dog by himself in the streets can cause a lot of things, most of them unpleasant, i.e. stepping on poop or worse, someone gets bitten. These are just some of the reasons why the term askal is considered derogatory by some; of course, nowadays askal can also mean the National Football Team as they also go by that nickname, but that’s another story.
As a result of the campaigns of animal welfare groups to raise the national consciousness on responsible pet ownership, things slowly changed and “walking the dog” or “dog walking” became part of the Pinoys’ vocabulary.
It is now fashionable and sosyal to walk your dog and Pinoys, being trendy or social climbers, instantly followed the trend.
In western countries, particularly in America and Europe, dog walking is not just a trend or fashion statement but a business as well. There are professional dog-walkers and dog walking clubs. Do we also have them in the Philippines or do they even exist in the country? With this story we will find out if they do indeed exist here.
Today the most common sight you will see in affluent villages every morning and early evenings are people walking dogs. First there’s yaya or the kasambahay walking her boss’ dog, usually a purebred, then there’s the expat or Filipino walking their own dog. Occasionally, there’s the professional dog trainer walking the dog as part of their obedience training.
In the purest sense of the word, the only people paid to walk the dog are the kasambahays but that goes with their job, likewise for the dog trainer. However, walking the dog is part of the overall obedience training and not just dog walking per se. In short, there is no professional dog-walker in the Philippines but what we have are dog groups or clubs that have dog walking as part of their activities.
In Metro Manila, there are no formal dog groups save from Philippine Canine Club Inc. (PCCI) and the Asian Kennel Union of the Philippines (AKUPI) but these are basically organizations for registering purebred dogs and their main activity is organizing and running dog shows for these purebred dogs. These two organizations have their local chapters here in Iloilo City and basically their activities are similar to the main club in Manila.
Dog walking is really an informal activity done by dog owners and in Quezon City the best place to walk your dog is the Quezon Memorial Circle. On weekends you will see all sorts of dogs – from your common askal to purebreds walking with their owners. In Manila, people usually bring their dogs to the Luneta or to the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard and the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex (CCP) on Sundays. These places are filled with people jogging or walking their dogs. In Iloilo, one can see owners and their purebreds every afternoon in Plazuela Arcade.
For the middle class in Metro Manila, the place to bring their dogs for walking and other activities is in Tiendesitas Pet Village in Ortigas and the pet-friendly Eastwood City Mall in Libis. Here on weekends animal welfare groups hold activities likewise with dog shows and dog walks.
To answer the question we posed, “Do Pinoys walk their Dogs?”, yes, they do now. As the concept of responsible pet ownership slowly gets into the national consciousness, walking your dog is no longer a fad but the right thing to do. The more sophisticated a person becomes, the more he realizes that dogs are sentient beings like him with the same basic needs as he has.
By the way, when you walk your dog and he poops, please pick it up otherwise you can be fined and charged with violation of Republic Act 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Law./PN
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