CARA has become a more active group with regards to animal welfare and awareness in the Philippines. We are honored to be a guest of the bi-monthly BAI-CAW meetings. These meetings have made us more aware and able to participate in animal welfare in Manila and the surrounding provinces.
We continue our ABC and E (Animal Birth Control and Education), mostly of stray cats & dogs and pets in the depressed areas of Manila with the help of supportive veterinary clinics at low-cost. This year we started helping with the Spay/Neuter of the pets at the Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong, the stray cats at the Manila Polo Club & Manila Golf Club, two Makati villages (began in 2003) and Nepa Mart in Quezon City and the Tondo area.

A Memorandum of Agreement was signed by CARA with the City Hall and Dog Pound of Makati making the treatment and conditions of the impounded dogs more in line with accepted standards and practices in animal welfare.

In May we participated in the Dog Walk for a Cause with our “Proudly Pinoy” dogs and had an impressive write-up in a leading newspaper. CARA was one of only two NGO’s that entered domestic dogs.

In June, two members attended the Animals for Asia Conference in Singapore where we met many active NGO’s in several Asian countries. The help these animal welfare organizations receive from their government was most impressive and we found it sad that we do not have the same support in the Philippines.

We attended the conference of Philippine Veterinarians at the Dusit Hotel, the Kamayan Forum, a press conference at the Treehouse in QC, a Greenhills Rotarian Meeting, the Vet Forum at the Legend Suites, and the Ocean Adventure conference at the DENR.

In July we signed a one year contract with Animal Scene for a monthly page for CARA activities and adoptions. We are pleased with the public exposure we are receiving for this. A sad issue we had to address along with other animal welfare organizations this month was the Electrocution of Dogs at the Manila Pound by Dr. Jose Diaz. Because of this, CARA was part of the Task Force 2005 assigned to determine why electrocution should not be used as a method of euthanasia for animals.

CARA participated in the World Animal Day in October with a blessing of animals and free rabies vaccine & mange treatment and consultation in contributing to the Philippines program of a Rabies-free country by 2010.

On February 2006, CARA visited Beacon School bringing along native dogs and cats. Besides giving talks on responsible pet ownership, the students interacted with the animals. A few days later, CARA at the request of the school, had the stray cats in the school grounds, spayed and neutered.

On March 2006, CARA joined the government’s Anti-Rabies Awareness program. The sterilization of stray animals prevents the spread of this dangerous disease.

On April 2006, CARA with PAWS tried to stop the giving away of live bunnies on Easter. Although unsuccessful, with the help of the media coverage, CARA hopes this sad incident will not be repeated ever again.

On May 2006, CARA was listed in the Alley Cats Allies Feral Friends Network. Alley Cat Allies or ACA is the US biggest organization promoting spay and neuter to curb stray cat overpopulation. CARA is proud to be the first and only group from the Philippines in this list of international animal welfare organizations.

We continue to rescue and find homes for stray animals after neutering them. Our organization is funded by donations, bazaars and wildlife animal parties. We are composed of dedicated animal lovers who extend whatever help we can to the welfare of our animals, whether homeless or owned pets.

CARA looks forward to the time when the Department of Animal Welfare will extend its help and support to the ABC and E program.

When CARA started its Spay/Neuter program in the depressed areas, we encountered a negative reaction because of ignorance of the benefits of this method. But through the years, we were able to promote more awareness, and are now overwhelmed by the requests of owners and concerned individuals to have their animals fixed. It is our hope that our government and the city and provincial veterinarians begin to support Animal Birth Control and Education through volunteer or low-cost Spay/Neuter activities.