Fashion icon and celebrity endorser Heart Evangelista has joined hands with the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to promote the adoption of the local dogs known as “asong Pinoy” or aspin.
The new PAWS campaign dubbed “Have a Heart for Aspins” is a call for better treatment for aspins – who are often victims of cruelty or neglect – and encourages people to adopt aspins from shelters instead of buying from pet stores.
PAWS coined the term “Asong Pinoy” or “Aspin” to replace the more commonly used term “Asong kalye” or “Askal” referring to native dogs. Evangelista says PAWS wants “to uplift the image of the native dog because dogs don’t belong in the streets. Every dog deserves a home. Like purebreeds, native dogs deserve to be treated as cherished members of the family.”
Evangelista who grew up with native dogs talks about how to treat local dogs better:
“Nowadays, we see a lot of animal cruelty posted on Facebook and Instagram. Usually it’s about a stray that is injured or sick. If a dog is out on the street, then the chances of it being a victim of cruelty is greater. HAVE A HEART FOR ASPINS is a call for responsible pet ownership.”
Evangelista appears on the campaign poster with her aspin, Panda, and wrote on her Instagram of her decision to adopt a local dog.
PAWS Executive Director Anna Cabrera explains that the Have a Heat for Aspins poster and billboard images have a positive image but it addresses an important issue. “Ending pet homelessness involves a series of steps including a conscious effort of saying NO to the things we have been used to seeing or doing.”
With reports from Renzo Velarde.
