This holiday season, we call on everyone to make our wish come true, to continue providing a safe and healthy oasis for all our shelter dogs. Through your donations, we will be purchasing 5-in-1 DHPP vaccines for distemper, hepatitis, kennel cough, parainfluenza, and parvovirus along with Simparica to kill ticks and fleas and to treat and control heartworm, roundworms, and hookworms.
We knock on your kind hearts to share what you can in this joyous season of giving by sponsoring one, two, or even just a portion of the vaccination cost.
Read up more about our story below.
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Lucky is one of three pups that was found by one of our volunteers on a secluded trail one rainy night last December. The poor, dirty, and damp pup would have faced a horrible death in that cold rainy night, hungry, unwanted, and alone just like his brother and sister. Lucky is one of the many puppies who are born into neglect and unwantedness, and who by sheer fate, survived that fateful night and into a rescuer's arms before finally recuperating and finding his forever home.
After that night, a group of volunteers convened and decided something needs to be done about the rising population of strays and unwanted dogs in Ormoc City. Starting with social media interaction on adoptables and rescues, the Ormoc Strays Oasis was formed.
The humble beginnings of OSO showed how passion, drive, and the sheer love for animals made a lot of difference in their lives. We have worked on cases we never thought we could handle, that is of course, owing to all who supported our cause.
Marcus, the dog with a broken front leg. Oso and Patricia, dogs who were both victims of hit and run. Raegan, the sweet but lethargic dog who was jaundiced from his ehrlichiosis. Sylvester, the cat walking around open-wounded. MJ, another hit and run dog who had distemper and maggots preying on his open wound. Kilkil the dog and George the cat, who were both mercilessly hacked by humans. Kars, Bella, and Garfield who were all abandoned by their owners. And the unforgettable Botchok who was shot by his owner’s neighbor with an improvised firearm with a marble as a bullet. Yes, an average sized marble we used to play with as kids got shot into a dogs shoulder and stomach.
Dogs are a truly loving species. And while they are not the same as humans in cognitive and emotional capacity, dogs have special capabilities of their own. They don't hold grudges nor do they feel the need to revenge when they are hurt. They can, however, interpret belly rubs and neck scratches as a form of trust and friendship. These grounds are the very reasons why the OSO team continue to look after their welfare.
The advocacy started with close to nothing in our hands but the common belief that we humans have the responsibility to look after other living creatures. We offered our time and effort without expecting anything in return. We just always knew that the dogs were worth it.
Our work took a sharp turn when OSO took over the Cagbuhangin shelter. From there, we shifted our efforts from individual rescues and severe cases to giving hundreds of dogs another shot at life on a daily basis. These weren’t dogs with maggots on their faces or marbles in their stomachs but they deserved far more than being abandoned by owners who weren’t ready for the responsibility nor be put to death because they are crowding the pound.
The shelter continues to be a safe haven, an oasis, to more than two hundred dogs and every day they wait for the chance to be fed, to get neck scratches, to be pat on the head, to get belly rubs, and to eventually find their forever home. But two hundred dogs will always be a handful for a small circle of volunteers and a resource pool that has been finite since we began. Food is consumed fast. Supplies are quickly depleted. Medicines are always in shortage and even just one sick dog could be so contagious and infect the whole shelter. Ticks, distemper, and parvovirus are just few of the diseases that could be easily passed around, and more than just healing the sick, our team have all worked hard in disinfecting and making the shelter a healthy living space for our strays.
So we call on you who have chanced upon the humble work of Ormoc Strays Oasis to support the operations of our shelter and to keep giving these dogs a chance at life. Every peso counts and we will make every peso be worth it for our furry loving friends.
-PJC
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