Background:

It all started with just one dog...about five years ago.


Her name is Faye. She was my youngest sister's dog. My sister got her when she was still a puppy. It was so funny then when she lost all her fur and she looked like a monkey according to my grandfather. That's when I really started to care. I started buying her canned dog food which is very expensive but it was worth it. She grew her fur back. Dogs here without breeds are called "street dogs" and aren't usually spent money upon...since life here is hard and dog food costs as much as a person's meal. So usually, these dogs eat the family's left-overs...but thankfully, things are starting to change...but life here is still hard especially when it comes to money.


After a while, I think my father received another "street dog" which they named Clover. He was given away a year after, I think...since it was getting harder for us to take care of two dogs then.


When Faye grew up, my father would always tie her up outside after her play around the neighborhood and bring her back in a while later. Back then, street dogs loitering around wasn't prohibited in our city...now...our city has gotten really strict when it comes to street dogs...I learned that they are euthanized/killed. But when you step out of our city, it's not yet strict in other cities in the metropolitan. But I guess, maybe our city's rules are better...because it's heart-wrenching for me to see the life of the street dogs. Although they are really strong and don't get sick easily...to see them search for food in garbages, scamper at the sight of humans, look dirty, etc... whenever I have food I usually just give it to them...and wish that I could bring them home. Same goes for the cats...but I think they are much more stronger since they can go anywhere.


This part happened three years ago...around the end of 2005


One night, while my brothers and I were watching television as entertainment after schoolwork...we heard Faye crying. We shh-ed her thinking she's just being dramatic again but when I peered outside the window, there was a dog attached to her. I was so angry that Faye seemed to be in pain since she kept on crying and that dog was just smirking at me/us. My younger brothers jokingly said to pour hot water on the male dog's *bleep* so that it will disengage.


Yes...we are so ignorant as to how to take care of dogs. This is how usually street dogs taken into a household are "treated"...not too well I guess...they're "just dogs" after all as most people say. It's a shameful behavior.


My younger brothers were only joking of course...but I must admit, we really have no idea how to make them separate. After a long while, the male dog finally let go. I was so angry at that dog for hurting our dog that every time I see that stray dog, I would glare at it. Dogs really do behave like humans...somehow. He would usually be just sitting on the street with front paws crossed in front of him and look at me square on as I pass by and glare at him. He would have this "smug" look taunting me that he was able to spread his seeds.


The reason why it was able to enter our house was because my father left the gate  ajar...and the male dog just went inside...


So anyway, when I noticed that Faye seemed to be pregnant, I started researching on the internet and reading a dog book that was given to my sister. I guess that's when I started to get more informed about dogs. Even if we've had dogs since I was little...I really didn't know basic stuff about them.


I remember that I would endure mosquito bites at night whenever I would check Faye's stomach. The book said "feel for little golf balls to count the puppies inside". I don't think I ever felt any even until now...but I do know she's pregnant. I would also find ways to save some money from my small school allowance to at least be able to afford canned dog food every two weeks or so...


When the puppies arrived, it was when I went out. I was waiting for Faye to give birth but I had to go out because of another emergency at my granparents' house.


My father just told me that Faye gave birth already.


Faye gave birth to 3 puppies. One brown, one black and white and one black. My father was amazed that I could approach Faye and handle the puppies without being bitten by Faye. I didn't understood it until he approached and Faye started growling.


I started to take care of the puppies even thinking really hard of their names. That's when I started to name them by looking at them and thinking really hard what would suit them. I remember more mosquito bites, me holding the puppy up to the light of the lamppost at the street and saying various names...that suit them until they responded.


I named the brown female Cheska. She has lovely yellow eyes.
I named the black and white female Lucy. She looks cute.
I named the black one Lulu. Although when she got older...that's when I realized that she's a male...so I changed it to Ruru since it was already too late to change what I could call him.


See how ignorant I am when it comes to really taking care of dogs.


As they grew older, they were really...very destructive. Not a day would pass by that the garage isn't chaotic.


My father was then telling me to start giving them away...but I didn't want to because I took care of them...this time...it was me who solely took care of them. So I can't bear to be parted with them. I just kept on giving my father the excuse that they won't survive without their mother.


Before my father left, they were about 6 months old already. He still can't make me give them away. I have graduated from college then...and my mother has been away for about 2 years already. (This is private and personal now so I'll stop with this information.)


The puppies were really destructive. They chewed everything...including my father's scooter seat. Lol.


That's when I started buying them dry dog food...about 2 kilos every 2 weeks. I would let it expand in water then feed it to them.


After a month, I had some argument with some family members that I took a week vacation at another relative's house. When I came home, I was so happy because I have a lot of food for my dogs...even though they are left-overs they weren't touched by humans.


I was calling out to them being to happy with my heavy plastic full of food for my dogs...but only one dog came to greet me. It was just Faye.


I kept on looking for my dogs.


Someone told me that the puppies were picked up by the dog pound.


I was so pissed off that I started kicking my father's scooter (which is second hand and old anyway and no one could use it), and a side kick to the second hand car. I kick hard, I forgot...especially when I'm really angry. It sort of left a dent. Hehe~


I was so pissed off that I smoked almost a pack of Lucky Strike (but I'm not a smoker) and drank Heineken (not bad...tastes like water). I'm just too pissed off to find out that my pets are gone taken by the dog pound.


At night, I would say their names...and then start to cry...I'm too cheesy I guess. I would reason out that there's really nothing that I could do...since they were bound to be given away anyway...I was just delaying it. We cannot afford to take care of four dogs anyway. I was thinking that the dog pound would find a better owner for them even though I missed them so much.


It was only about a week later, when I opened the television to Seinfeld to use as a "radio" as I was cleaning the living room, that I heard the female actress say "Don't you know what they do to dogs in the dog pound?! They kill them after one week!"


I felt like I was doused with ice water then. I started to look at the yellow and white pages and tried to locate our city's dog pound. After being directed to one department and other places to call, that's when I learned that if my dog has a breed, there's no way that I would be able to get it back since someone will take interest in making money out of selling it...and that they kill the dogs in about 3 days only.


I was so desperate to find my puppies that I even risked being stalked over the phone by giving my phone number and name to public transportation drivers in different stations around our area...that's because a city police approached me and told me that it was my uncle who gave my puppies away. He was also being offered on but he couldn't take care of it as of the moment. He said that the guys who got my puppies rode a public transportation. That's why I went around some stations and gave my number.


EDIT: My father has been persuading/telling me to give the puppies away a lot...but I just keep on giving him excuses even after the puppies reached 3 months old when they could be finally separated from their mother. I know that it's really impractical in our country to keep too many pets but...I guess, I'm just too stubborn this time around. It could be because I swore to the last dog before Faye came that I will never repeat the same mistake again. That I will have money to bring pets to the vet. But I've failed again and again. I'll continue the story next time so that you guys could see how things developed.

to be continued...

Disclaimer:
Although my father and my uncle seem to be the "villains" here, it can't be helped because I guess, too many dogs are really not allowed in cities. *sigh* They're just doing what's practical... The main reason why I don't want to give them away is because they don't have breed and the chances of them ending up as food to some scum low life is more than 50%. So please...sign this petition. There is a law already banning dog meat as food (plus it's not healthy), we just need help in making people more aware and for the law to be enforced more. Believe me, there are more changes now because of animalsmatter.org ... There would be more if the people see that the world is frowning upon this act. Plus the ones who usually eat these are males who drink in streets. I heard this was either a Spanish or Chinese tradition passed down during colonization. (Plus, there are actually real villains now that threaten the life of my dogs. Some people outside/pass by who want to poison them.)

A deviation with pictures accompanying this story would hopefully be up soon. It's about time I really tell their story no matter how busy I am in real life. Thank you for reading and please support the petition!


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