Meet Some of the Animals PETA Helped in 2017
PETA’s campaigns have changed minds and laws, saving millions of animals from abuse in the food, clothing, experimentation, and entertainment industries. We’ve also directly rescued animals from abusive situations and placed them in loving permanent homes. Here’s a list of just some of the animals PETA helped and rescued in 2017:
Dandan
Dandan was found by one of PETA’s staffers based in China. He spotted the dog near his apartment block late one evening in the pouring rain. The animal looked desperate and weak. The staffer called nearby veterinary clinics and, after finally finding one that was still open, drove him there while he cried in pain.
The veterinarian examined him and determined that he’d likely been beaten by someone. He had deep wounds on his back legs that had become infested with hundreds of maggots. His injuries were so severe that removing the maggots took over two hours and he had to spend a week at the clinic recovering. Now, he has a life that he could previously only dream of. He was adopted by the parents of the staffer who found him, and his new family describes him as energetic and very smart. He loves cuddling and asks his family to pet him by nudging their hands with his nose.
Dandan on the night he was found (left) and now (right)
Halo
A PETA staffer based in Hangzhou, China, found this dog wandering around outside in the cold, scooped her up, and tried to find her owner, but no one would admit to being her guardian. The staffer took her home, and when no one came looking for her, she was put up for adoption. Named Halo by her new family, she’s very clever and even knows how to use the toilet!
Halo on the night she was found (left) and Halo recovering in the PETA staffer’s apartment (right)
Cinnamon and Nutmeg (aka “The Spice Girls”)
Cinnamon and Nutmeg’s mother was rounded up by the city pound in Metro Manila, in the Philippines, and her owner didn’t claim her. A PETA volunteer came across the puppies and spoke to their owner, who agreed to give them up for adoption. After just a few weeks, a wonderful couple came looking to adopt a dog—and the best news is that they chose to adopt both puppies so that the sisters could stay together!
Cinnamon and Nutmeg now live with two other dogs, Mickey and Stitch. They cuddle together every night and are never more than a few feet apart.
Cinnamon and Nutmeg cuddling at the PETA office
Christmas
While running a clinic for working horses on the remote island of Luzon in the Philippines, PETA staffers stumbled upon a tiny puppy with a severe lice infestation and two huge wounds on his back. He was taken to the clinic, where he received lifesaving care. His owners—who knew that if he stayed on the island, his chances of survival would be slim—agreed to surrender the puppy, named Christmas, so that he could receive further care. He was taken to Manila, where he was cared for in the PETA office for several weeks until he fully recovered.
Christmas when he was rescued
Christmas was adopted by one of the veterinarians who worked at the clinic and now lives with three other dog friends. He loves playing in his new family’s yard and has more toys than he knows what to do with. Watch his rescue:
Duchess
Duchess came to PETA via a community group working in an impoverished area of Pasay City in the Philippines. Her human family was living amongst the graves of a public cemetery, but they ended up on the street when the owner of the mausoleum that they had been living in made them leave, and they were unable to take Duchess with them.
Duchess in her new home with PETA Asia’s cruelty case worker and her father
She was adopted by PETA’s cruelty caseworker and is now an ambassador for animal adoption. She has appeared on top Philippine TV news stations GMA and ABS-CBN with her new guardian, who discussed companion-animal overpopulation, the need for spaying and neutering, and the importance of adopting from shelters.
Teddy, Kelsey, Brown, Choco, Happy, and 320 Other Dogs and Cats
In 2015, in response to the overwhelming number of stray and neglected dogs and cats in the metropolitan Manila area in the Philippines, as well as an increase in calls and reports from the general public to PETA asking for help with these animals, PETA held its first-ever spay-a-thon. This very successful event—known as Kapon/Ligation Immediately, Please (KLIP)—provided not only spay and neuter surgeries to prevent the birth of more homeless animals but also essential veterinary care that saved animals’ lives. Since then, PETA has been spaying and neutering animals every month, including 325 dogs and cats in 2017.
Yellow Bean and Brown Sugar
After a viral video emerged showing a heartless man in China savagely beating with a stick a little dog who would not pull him around on a cart, PETA tracked him down. Although the video shows only one dog, the team members found two at his house and rescued both of them. They were also told that he used to have others.
PETA live-tweeted the story, posting updates with photos showing the team standing outside the man’s house waiting for him to come home. At first, he refused to hand over the dogs, but the team wouldn’t leave without them. Finally, he relented and surrendered them. After receiving a lot of patience and care, both dogs learned to trust humans again and were adopted into loving homes. Brown Sugar’s family also rescues cats, whom the dog “fosters.”
Brown Sugar in her new home
Bodhi
Bodhi was found frightened and alone by a German tourist who was sightseeing in Manila’s historical Intramuros district and who was leaving the city the following day. Knowing the tiny kitten wouldn’t survive on the streets, he contacted PETA because he wasn’t sure what to do. PETA picked up Bodhi and cared for him at the Manila campaigns office until an adopter could be found. He was adopted by a loving couple with another rescued cat, Tigrez, who needed a playmate. Bodhi’s new guardians love the two cats like children, and they couldn’t have better lives.
Bodhi at the PETA office
Small Dumpling
Small Dumpling was found lying in some bushes in Shanghai. He was so weak that he couldn’t even walk. He was severely dehydrated, malnourished, and anemic. After he recovered, he was adopted by a gentle girl who was drawn to his unique appearance and charm. The adopter prepared a special bed for him, but he prefers to sleep next to her.
Small Dumpling when he was rescued (left) and Small Dumpling in his new home (right)
306, Katrina, 64, 361, and Over 700 Other Horses
The small island on which Taal Volcano is located in the Philippines is home to about 5,000 people and hundreds of working horses. Swarms of tourists flock there—many of them on package tours—to climb the volcano. Most make the trek on horseback. The horses, many of whom are still juveniles and most of whom are malnourished and underweight, climb the steep path without any rest. They stumble on the rocks and are forced with the threat of a whip to battle their physical exhaustion and continue to climb. When they reach the top, there are no food or water troughs waiting—instead, they’re granted just a few minutes of rest before they’re forced to start the dangerous trek back down. When they’re not carrying tourists, they’re tied to trees or posts in mud-filled lots in all weather extremes. Often, these horses are restrained so tightly that they can’t even lower their heads. Lying down is impossible. Some develop wounds from poorly fitting harnesses and saddles.
As the island is isolated and far from major cities and the majority of its residents live in poverty, these horses had never received veterinary care until PETA, in partnership with International Veterinary Outreach, got involved. The team members held a series of horse health clinics on the island and, in 2017, administered veterinary care—such as deworming, teeth floating, ectoparasite control, and hoof care—to over 700 horses for the first time in the animals’ lives. They also held educational seminars to enable the island’s residents to take better care of their horses.
Remember: If you have the space in your heart and home and the ability to care for a dog or cat, please adopt. Never buy animals from pet stores or breeders, because doing so supports the cruel pet trade. If you live in the Philippines, e-mail us for more information on adopting companion animals.
