The following is an archive article from August 25, 2020.
“One week of daily webinars to spread awareness, positivity and inspiration, one day of online adoption drive, successful rehoming stories, one day of free spay and neuter and an online benefit concert joined by over 20 artists who chose to be the voice of the voiceless.”
This is how Pawssion Project founder Malou Perez describes the foundation’s weeklong celebration of International Homeless Animals Day (IHAD), an event celebrated worldwide every 3rd Saturday of August, where various advocates, academe, and artists convened to raise public consciousness about the issues of strays in our country. After their culminating concert last August 23, 2020, the foundation raised 41,000 pesos, with two strays being adopted and dozens more requests flooding in.
On the 2nd year of celebrating said event, the weeklong celebration aims to shed light on the reality of strays and other homeless animals especially in out country, where animal welfare is of least priority. Rehabilitation of Pawssion Project’s 200 rescues, sustenance of their daily stray feeding of hundreds of homeless animals, spay and neuter of strays were also some of the objectives by the weeklong IHAD event. The event also raises funds for homeless animal shelters and celebrates pet adoptions, thus allowing space for more strays & mitigating their suffering.
A part of their online festivities was “Strays 2020”, a six-day long webinar that tackled the issue of strays in our country & inspiring hope in the middle of a pandemic, caring for our rescued pets, the whys and hows of animal cruelty, the importance of pet rehabilitation and animal shelters, volunteering 101, and how vital spaying & neutering is for our canine siblings.
Our hearts are full knowing a night of music, awareness and inspiration was made possible in less than a week of preparation. May we always remember to choose kindness as this is not Pawssion Project’s project, this is God’s project, just through all of us.
Malou Perez, on the Voice for the Voiceless Concert last August 23, 2020
A free spay and neuter operation was also conducted as Ms. Malou states that their organization acknowledges that rescuing is just a band aid solution. “Controlling the population, adoption and strengthening the animal welfare act are the solution”, she adds.
Among the guest artists who participated in the online concert were national and local artists such as Martin Nievera, Moira Dela Torre, Jason Marvin, Inigo Pascual, Leila Alcasid, Bugoy Drilon, Marcos Patterson, VERA, Kokoi Baldo, Tippy Dos Santos, Lance Busa, Gab Pangilinian, Miguel Mendoza, RJ Dela Fuente, Kayla Rivera, Sam Hashimoto, YUZON, Gio Levy, Kyler, Franz Arcilla, Yanah Laurel, Jojo Robles, and Angelica Prado, with a special message from Heart Evangelista.
Notable guest speakers for the Strays 101 event included Ronnie L. Ong, 2nd Nominee Representative of Ang Probinsyano Partylist, Yassi Pressman on Animal Cruelty: The Whys & Hows, Jelai Andres on Online Adoption Drive & Adoption 101, and Karen Joy V. Toyoshima on Volunteering 101.
Paghimutad 