Dog sanctuaries are very rare in the Philippines. When I first went to Manila, I was sad to learn that 9 “lucky dogs” I had helped rescue from a dog slaughterhouse raid had nowhere to go except face a “second death”. In order to save any future meat trade rescued dogs, all they needed was a safe shelter on a patch of land where they could receive care. I was already providing care for 60+ dogs in a house I rented in Bangkok, Thailand, and so began my search for a base in the Philippines where I could take in rescued dogs. In September 2006, I purchased a small mountain land, which would become my first Animal Sanctuary.

Prior to my arrival in Philippines, all dogs rescued from the Dog Meat Trade were killed. So now, a change in attitude had commenced. With my personal funds, I was able to quickly set up a wooden kubo hut and bamboo fencing, and began taking in dogs from dog pounds, slaughterhouses and strays off the streets. We expanded to cater for the numbers. We also soon realized that rehoming dogs is very difficult, because it is hard to guarantee their future security and care. A fully transparent and trustworthy re-homing programme is required, and will help free up much needed sanctuary space.