Well Fed Well Nurtured Campaign: Responsible Pet Ownership in The Philippines

A blog is a powerful media tool that helps to disseminate information and awareness to its readers and followers.  Thus, it may not be conspicuous but in my own little way I am trying to make my blogs to support a charity or a cause.    My running blog supports the annual Milo Marathon which main cause is to provide shoes to the under privilege children.  While my Balut Manila blog supports the Missionaries of Charity.

When I started this blog, I was trying to look for a cause that I may be able to support.  Good thing I am able to come across with the people of Strategic Edge, Inc.who, are also partly the people behind the “Well Fed Well Nurtured Campaign”. 

This campaign promotes Responsible Pet Ownership in the Philippines with the emphasis on the importance of proper diet and regular vet care for pets.  I myself is an owner of a stray cat.  I adopted it out of pity and also because of the persistence of my young daughter who really wanted to own a pet cat. This is our first time to own a cat, much more of a stray one.  We are not aware of the do’s and don’ts of taking care of our stray cat.  Good thing that the Pet Food Institute (PFI), the trade association for the US pet food industry, in collaboration with the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines (VPAP), came out with a public information campaign that seeks to promote proper pet care among Filipino dog and cat owners.



Philippines Pet Snapshot

• Close to 9M households currently own at least one pet dog or cat; pet ownership increasing yearly
• Pet humanization and flourishing pet-friendly establishments
• Increasing appreciation for health & wellness for pets
• 99% of pet owners still feed leftovers or table scraps

Cat Ownership Trends

• Cat ownership in the Philippines continues to increase in 2011. Aside from more Filipinos looking for animal companions, the initiatives of non-government animal organizations to promote adoption of homeless and non-purebred felines also assisted in improving the number of cat owners in 2011.
• Feeding pets with table scraps remains a common practice in the Philippines –more prevalent in provincial and rural areas –due to the limited disposable income of most Filipinos.

Dog Ownership Trends

• Dog ownership in the Philippines continued to increase in 2010, brought about by new owners who purchased their first dog and existing pet lovers adding more to their current family.
• There was a strong preference for toy dogs because of the changes in dwelling choices amongst Filipinos over the review period –more opting to live in high-rise condominiums and smaller houses –and because these small animals consume less food and therefore are more economical to own.
• About 99% of dog owners continued to use leftover human food as it is more economical and avoids wastage.
• Dog ownership in the Philippines is expected to increase over the forecast period as young childless couples and middle-aged empty nesters look for animal companions that are able to interact with them. Small and medium-sized dogs are projected to drive growth due to the change in lifestyle and dwelling size of a significant number of Filipinos over the review period. Nevertheless, those living in bigger houses are foreseen to keep large breeds to make them guard dogs

Awareness on Proper Pet Care

• As pet owners increase, so should awareness on proper pet care.
• Pets can live long and healthy lives, and pet owners need to understand the role they need to play to provide proper care of their animal companions.

Under the Well-Fed, Well-Nurtured campaign, PFI and VPAP will raise awareness on proper nutrition and regular veterinary care, which are widely recognized as the two key elements in responsible pet ownership.

Pillars of responsible pet ownership

Regular veterinary care

• Veterinarians are highly trained doctors who are qualified to examine pets, treat illness, and answer questions on pet care. Experts at preventive medicine, veterinarians also are expert diagnosticians.
• The veterinarian will check the pet for worms, give necessary inoculations, make certain the pet is healthy, and advise on future veterinary care such as checkups.

Proper nutrition and diet for pets

• Veterinarians and animal nutritionists agree that table scraps are not balanced meals for pets and are deficient in nutrients. Adding scraps to a balanced diet often adds extra calories which are can be detrimental to your pet's health.
• Wide assortment of commercial pet foods fully formulated for all stages of pet growth to provide a well-balanced diet for pets.

Exercise

• Walking and playing with pets is good exercise and healthy activity to do together.
• Remember to walk dogs on a leash, and be sure to scoop up after them.

Grooming

• Bathe pets and trim hair and nails regularly.
• Keep pets sleeping, “bathroom” and playing areas clean to avoid disease and parasite infection.

Training

• Helping your pets become well-behaved companions is a part of responsible ownership.
• Cats and dogs can be trained to understand a number of commands and be socialized so they are good family members and get along with other members of the community.
• Pet owners may wish to seek advice from an expert on how to train a pet.

I hope that this somehow help and raise awareness to the Philippine pet owners and would be pet owners.  Owning a pet involves responsibility.  Let us all be a responsible one!

Disclaimer:  This is not a paid post.