DAVAO CITY —- She gives food, care, and love to every abandoned, sick, and neglected pet she cries for, and her family gradually accepts her advocacy, to the point where they are now building a multi-million home worth for the joy of their lives.
Marites Sia Batacan used to go abroad and dress up in the finest clothes and pieces of jewelry, just like her high caliber lawyer-husband, Ramon Edison Batacan, did for her and their children, and one of her favorite hobbies is owning a pet, just like her husband.
But her life changed on May 9, 2012, when her pet Momo died in her arms, leaving her sleepless and in pain. “Held him in my arms until he went to sleep because I knew he was in pain, pero di nya ginapahalata sa akin(but he is not manifesting it) he sat and stared in my direction like asking for help, the best thing I could give him was to ease the pain. ‘ve been with him in his pain last night, prayed with him, slept with him [. . . ] and gave him my love, another loss […] sige lang, there are still too many dogs waiting to be loved.”
On that same morning, she buried Momo near her house and until now, she cries every time she remembers him. She was shattered and she did google why her pet died despite the intervention of her trusted veterinarian “I cried hard, I cannot believe it happened, I started to google why my pet died, and little did I realize, my knowledge about caring for pet was not enough.”
Her love for Momo and her improved knowledge on nursing and caring for paws grew and her rescued pets increase day in and day out “I even pick those I found starving in the highway looking for food.”
THE SACRIFICE
She used to move around with signature brands from head to toe, flashing jewelry which only those on the top economic class can afford, but after Momo’s death, she was totally changed and sacrificed her want to save the abandoned, sick, and maltreated pets.
She even uses her luxury car to transport the rescued pets.
“I cannot even have my manicure now, because it means a kilo of pellets and those signature clothes can save dozens of abandoned dogs and cats, I do not regret doing it, I love doing it because I want to save them.”
She said, “changing her lifestyle was so gradual and natural. Seems, it happened normally, there was no transition, no plan, all God’s plan, because I cannot remember planning for this, it just happened and I love doing it, and my family embraced my advocacy,” a reason why they throw full support.
For her dogs and cats are not animals, “They are children like my children and they need good food, love, care, and affection and they too have doctors.”
Given her passion for stray animals, her family throws all the support she needs, and they too because the lifeblood of her personal crusade and they now established a foundation called Animal Rescue Rehabilitation & Fostering ARRF – Davao, Inc. where she is the founder.
Batacan says she picks up abandoned, sick, and maltreated dogs or cats very often along the streets.
What the law says:
The Republic Act 8485 also known as The Animal Welfare Act of 1998 seeks to protect and promote the welfare of all animals in the Philippines by supervising and regulating the establishment and operations of all facilities utilized for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating, or training of all animals either as objects of trade or as household pets. For purposes of this Act, pet animals shall include birds.
IN Section 6. says ” It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horse fights, kill or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare.”
The city of Davao has its own Ordinance No. 1457 which prohibits the loosening or letting astray of dogs/cattle in the City of Davao
providing for the catching and impounding of the same collection of fees for impounding them providing further for their disposition when not claimed within a certain period and providing for a penalty in case of violation.
Section 7: says the dogs/cattle shall be considered stray if they are not accompanied by their owner and found wandering in streets, plazas, markets, school premises, and other public places.
Stray animals are brought to the city animal pound, in claiming their pets owners are penalized to pay 500.00 for the first day and the addition of P 50.00 for the succeeding days. For cattle, P 1,000.00 for the first day and the addition of P100.00 for the succeeding days. Dogs impounded will be under the care of the Office of the City Veterinarian for 3 days only and are subject to euthanasia/mercy killing thereafter.
The Republic Act 9482 also penalizes pet owners to the tune of P2,000 who fail to register and immunize their dogs are penalized to pay P2,000.
But until now, she said, she has yet to hear a person penalized for animal cruelty.
Irresponsible pet owners
Dr. Gay Zaragoza Pallar of the City Veterinarian’s office earlier told Newsline “Thirty dogs are impounded daily, “Many pet owners just let go of their pets and are even unmindful if they lost them,” a reason why the number of dogs in the city pound increases each day.
The city government has also put up a crematorium for pets which can no longer be retrained and rehabilitated especially the sick and beyond medication but the city spends at least P1,300 per dog to perform the cremation.
Because of the Adopt a dog ordinance, Pallar said the city has established a rehabilitation area where pets are nurtured and trained and will be up for adoption to qualified foster parents “We need to process their application so we will determine if they really are capable of having a pet.”
Still, the crematorium and the rehabilitation area has yet to operate because of financial constraints as the city has yet to release the fund to complete the facilities.
For Professor Ed Paredes, a dog lover, “Cremation is a very painful process, we should encourage people who want pets to adopt a dog rather than kill them.”
In his case, Paredes said, “Once I have out of town engagement I will leave my dog to my friend and provide adequate food during my absence,”
The advocacy:
While she continues to rescue pets, Batacan said, her rescue facility remains private and she cannot allow people to bring their dogs to her facility because “I want them to be responsible owners, you own a pet then, you take care of it not as animals but as human.”
Earlier on, she launched the “Beep and Brake Campaign” asking motorist to blow their horn for every stray animal crossing the street, her tarpaulin message read ” Beep and Brake for animals (drive safely) their families are waiting too.” and it was posted in strategic areas where everyone can read.
She expects the government to be pro-active in its role to limit if not stop the mass breeding of dogs and cats on the streets by conducting mobile spay or neuter to avoid population boom.
“The big dream is to conduct mobile spay and neuter in collaboration with other agencies for us to act as one for the welfare and protection of animals,” she added.
Building a home for the rescued pets, according to her, is the family’s gift to the abused animals, “Our way of sharing our Blessings because God has been so good to us.”-Editha Z. Caduaya
