10 Reasons Why the Number of Abandoned Dogs in the Philippines Continues to Rise

Here's a sad fact - while many puppies are being born and sold daily, more dogs are being carelessly abandoned in the streets by their irresponsible owners.


As for the fate of these abandoned dogs, who knows? If they're lucky, they could find new families and homes who would love them better. However, this is more possible for purebred dogs. They could instantly be adopted by anyone who sees them roaming the streets or is nabbed away and has them sold elsewhere. However, I doubt that purebreds would be abandoned just like that in the first place. Have you seen these online posts about rehoming dogs? Sadly, in the real world of dog selling, this "rehoming" term means "reselling."

Unfortunately, the case may differ for mongrels (aspins). They could end up in local dog pounds or on the plates of drunkards. Either way, one thing is for sure - they would face unwanted deaths.

Real Reasons Why More and More Dogs Are Being Abandoned Everyday

Have you ever wondered why the number of dogs being abandoned daily continues to rise? You may not be one of these owners, but you or anyone we know could be one of the contributors to the problem.

You're probably thinking of one thing - the financial capabilities of the dog owner. But let's start digging deeper into the problem. Shall we?

1. Bad Mentality

Many Filipinos think that purebred dogs (older people love calling them "imported") are better than mongrels (aspins/askals). They're too embarrassed to publicly take their mongrels or tell people they have one. For them, only purebred dogs are worthy of being seen by the public eye because, apparently, it would reflect their social status.

2. Dogs Being Given as Gifts

Since Facebook became a part of our daily lives, I'm sure you've seen these posts repeatedly shared before the holidays saying, "Dogs shouldn't be given as gifts!". This should be strictly followed, and there should be a law against it. Giving dogs to unprepared recipients is wrong on so many levels and could result in dire consequences.

What if the recipient isn't emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially ready to commit to a possible 15 years of responsible dog ownership? Even if that puppy is the cutest thing you've seen in your entire life, no matter how expensive it is, or no matter how that person claims that she's a dog lover, there's still a long list of factors to consider before making sure that anyone's ready for a long term commitment of taking care of a dog. Even those who thought they were prepared suddenly realized the opposite after experiencing real life as dog owners. It's not all about kissing and cuddling the whole time!

RELATED: 8 Good Reasons Why You Shouldn't Give a Dog as a Gift

3. Being Attracted to Puppies

Who couldn't resist a cute little puppy? Many people love puppies - and it doesn't matter at first if they're purebred or not. As they grow eventually and show what they really look like, these owners tend to get disappointed that the cute puppy they once begged for from its previous owner turned out to be a stereotype aspin they see every day. And what comes after disappointment? Right.

4. Dog's Unwanted Behavior

If your biological child grew up as a "not-so-good" human, would you blame his genes? Probably not. You shouldn't blame his school or his friends, either. It's your way of parenting. No criminal was born into a happy and loving family unless he has some mental disabilities. But this could still be quickly taken care of with the proper management. The same goes for dogs.

5. Fed up Dealing with Unexpected Puppies

So the female dog gives birth twice a year, every year. Here's the thing - this is none other than the dog owners' fault. There are 2 easy solutions for this - (1) Don't let other male dogs come near her or don't let her roam the streets every time she's "in heat," and (2) Check your local vet or government's yearly program on "Free Spaying / Neutering."

6. Backyard Breeders

These backyard breeders' or puppy millers' only goal is to earn money from puppies being produced by their bitches (female dogs), ignoring the health concerns the puppies and their "workers" may get in the long run. Because of low-quality dog breeding, many of these puppies have more tendencies to be born with developmental problems.

Secondly, because they desire to spend less and earn more, they sometimes release their puppies to new owners before they reach their 2nd month. According to some studies, puppies taken away from their mothers early tend to develop behavioral problems as they grow up.

And to add more fuel to the fire, what do you think would happen to their female dogs once they reach the age that they couldn't produce puppies anymore? Right again.

How do we stop these puppy millers from doing this awful stuff? Learn how to identify these backyard breeders and stop buying from them.

 

7. Relocation

Many owners abandon their dogs as they transfer to new apartments/homes.  It could be due to the new apartment's owner's rules, or they couldn't think about how to transport their dog to the new place. If you don't have a permanent home, why would you get a dog in the first place?

8. Dogs as Cheaper Alternative to Home Security System

Admit it, many Filipinos get dogs to secure their homes - that's why "Bantay" became the most popular dog name in the country. Many of these pooches spend their entire lives inside their cages or chained to trees. Although they are fed daily with leftovers, they don't get to live their lives as real dogs. They don't get daily exercises, required socialization, etc. These people wouldn't even pet or train these dogs. They only see them as breathing home alarms.

Once these dogs get old and can't serve their purpose anymore, the owners will look for a much younger replacement. What would happen next to the senior dog once he got replaced? I could only think of 3 things.

9. Having Kids

Do you know that exposing your children to dogs can have many benefits? Those who abandoned their dogs because of this indeed had several excuses like "financial issues," "time management," or even "fear for their children's safety."

You're not ready for a dog if you're earning just enough to let the days go by without being starved until your next pay-off.

If time management becomes an issue, then you didn't think hard before signing up for a possible 15-year commitment before getting yourself a pet.

Lastly, your children's safety shouldn't be a problem if you have trained your dogs well and given them the proper socialization they require. You don't have to pay for someone else's service to train your dogs. You can easily do it by yourself. After all, you're the dog parent!

10. Exceeding Number of Dogs at Home

This is really simple - Why did you let that happen in the first place?!

All dogs, purebred or not, possess the same capability of understanding and having emotions. They all have the same goal - to be part of a good family who will love them until the end. Unlike humans, they are more capable of loving unconditionally. If you abandon them, just imagine the unbearable pain they would feel. And because they love you unconditionally, your presence and scent are the only things they would continuously dream of while sleeping on the sidewalks or having their last breath.

So, why abandon them? Why surrender the only living creature that loves you more than anyone else loves you? They only get to live 7 to 15 years. Who are you to deprive them of the life that God had graciously given them?

If you know we're on the same page and want to do something about it, adopt a rescued dog from PAWS, CARA, or the Animal Kingdom Foundation. These dogs were rescued by these organizations from neglect and cruelty.