Featured Stories, Lifestyle

When Barks and Meows are Terms of Endearment in Living with Pets

May 7, 2022September 12, 2023By Christine Ang-Buban
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When Barks and Meows are Terms of Endearment in Living with Pets

Photos by Charles Buban

A neighbor alerted us about a female dog who was province-bound, to be slaughtered and served at someone’s birthday party. We were able to rescue her and named her Lucky.

Who needs an alarm clock when you are awakened on cue by the barking and meowing, the rattling of chow bowls, and the occasional growling and hissing? No, you don’t need one when you live with six dogs and four cats.

I had my first pet dog when I was 10 years old. My father, a doctor in Surigao del Sur, received a puppy as payment from a patient. He was hesitant to bring the puppy home because of my asthma, but after a few minutes of my pleading, he relented. He named the puppy Twinkle. 

cats and dogs
We received a call from the vet about a Shih Tzu named Creamy, whose humans had decided to have him euthanized because they could no longer pay for the surgery that he needed to survive. We adopted Creamy and paid for his operation on installment.

When Twinkle breathed her last at age 15, I knew I was going to badly miss our loyal companion who brought joy and wonderful memories to our household. Her death marked the start of my dedication to care for animals in need in whatever way I can.

Like me, my husband is an animal lover who doesn’t hesitate to bring home injured dogs or cats and nurse them back to health. Problem is, we get attached to our rescues and almost always add them to our growing family—a tough decision to make, but a constant happy choice.

cats and dogs
This cat used one of his nine lives when he decided to walk in the middle of Edsa Ayala. We scrambled to get him out of harm’s way and took him home. Because he looks like a bat, we named him Paniqui.
cats and dogs
We found Korch, a hit-and-run victim, in the middle of the street writhing in pain on New Year’s Eve. Her X-ray showed a fractured jaw and left front leg.
cats and dogs
Karpy was a stray given shelter by security guards in an office parking lot. They sought our help after being told by the office administrators that they could no longer keep the dog.

We have managed to take good care of many pets through the years, but it’s never a walk in the park. Having a pet is a lifetime commitment which you should be prepared to make once you bring one into your home. It entails sacrifice, patience, and time; it can drain your energy and your finances. 

But if you think you can handle all these, then go for it!

cats and dogs
Having been poisoned, Coke was almost lifeless when we found her near our house. We took her to the vet, and now she’s the fattest among our cats.
cats and dogs
Gloover was a stray who took shelter in our house on a rainy September morning. We decided to keep him when he refused to leave the house despite our efforts to lure him out with treats and toys.
An office mate said she almost ran over a kitten while she was parking her car. We went to the parking lot, found the kitten whose eyes were covered in pus, and took him to the vet. We named him “Z” because he resembled a zombie.
The oldest among our pets,15-year-old Rakoony who was given to us by an office mate, is now afflicted with dog dementia.
Angus the golden retriever and Coke the “puspin” show that cats and dogs can live happily ever after.

Having pets is among the best things to happen in our lives, and rescuing animals more so, especially when they recover from a terrible ordeal and we were a part of their healing.

Among our pets are Philippine breeds, “aspin” and “puspin” rescues, and a Shih Tzu. They share a sad story of neglect and abandonment. It took some time before we finally saw the dogs furiously wagging their tails, and heard the cats constantly purring, at seeing us. But it was worth the wait.

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