Sigh...

Today, I found out what neutering means. Sigh...

A visit to the vet

Today, my mom and I went to the vet. The vet has a resident dog, named Tom, who helps entertain visitors. Tom is very friendly, but I really was not in the mood to play.

I have been visiting since I was a puppy but I always get nervous around this place. I try to act cool but my heart is really pounding a hundred beats per minute. I just sat on this bench and waited for my turn.

Thankfully, I was only due for a checkup today. They measured my weight and cleaned my ears. The vet gave me a tablet and some liquid medicine so that I won't get any parasites. The vet also said I should eat more because I lost weight. I guess that means my mom should get me more yummy treats.

My mom was sooooooo annoying. She kept taking pictures of me. She's such a stage mother!

Afterwards, my mom discussed something with my vet. I could not hear it all but I heard snippets of their conversation - "New ter" and "this weekend." I didn't know what "New ter" means so I casually dismissed it. Must be some unnecessary hooman talk.

Hey pups! Do you know what "New ter" means?

Patience

I look positively bored in this picture - that's because I am! I like to be with my mom everywhere and I wait for her to finish working. But, waiting time can really be very boring.

To alleviate my suffering, I would bring toys with me and play with them while she works. I would often drop it on her lap so she'll have a clue that I'm bored. I usually have a stuffie with me. Last Friday, however, I brought my red squeaky football with me.

What do you do when your parents are at work?

I feel for my brothers and sisters - thousands of stray dogs and cats wandering the Metro. I hope they were able to find a higher and safer place during the typhoon.

During disasters, animals usually take the backseat in terms of rescue. Some may have to leave behind their pets because they have no choice - there is no space left on the rescue boat or they could not bring them to the evacuation center; Sadly, others may have done so because they just do not care.

Kudos to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) for rescuing animals left behind due to the Typhoon Ondoy. PAWS also opened its Rehabilitation Center for temporary shelter of animal evacuees. My Mom promised we would visit the animal shelter this weekend to donate some basic stuff that animals need.

Photo credit - http://www.flickr.com/photos/annalyn
Photo by Savann Ouerm

My mom found these other pictures of animals circulating on the net. She would give acknowledgement to owners of the pictures but she's not sure who owns them. Please, send her a bark if these are your pictures so she can provide the proper credit for it.

(Dog on a muddy roof)

Worst typhoon in 40 years - a note from Charlie's mom

Noone expected Typhoon Ondoy to turn out this way. Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) was only signal number 1, the lowest storm signal. But, it dumped a month's worth of rain in 6 hours.

It rained hard on Friday and did not stop until late Saturday evening. Rivers around Metro Manila rose and water dams overflowed. The situation was exacerbated by blocked drainages and erosion from nearby mountains. Massive flood around Metro Manila resulted. In areas near rivers or creeks, waters reached 20 feet high! People were stranded on their rooftops waiting for rescue. However, since roads were not passable, it took time to provide help. It was painful to watch the news reporting children on the rooftops drenched by the heavy rains and going for several days without food or clean water. The typhoon left many without homes and over two hundred people dead.

Our family was spared. We consider ourselves lucky than most people. While water did come in our house, it was not that high and we had sufficient time to move our things to the second floor. We were stranded on the second floor for about a day but we were safe and warm and had food and water. I think Charlie had fun playing with his toys and sleeping on our beds.

It would take time to help all those affected and rebuild that which had been damaged. But, I believe in the resiliency of the Filipinos, tested by countless calamities like this one. For now, though, we need help. If you have something extra you could donate - food, used clothing, blankets, anything you can spare - please course them through the numerous organizations helping Filipinos get through this challenge.

Thank you,

Charlie's mom