Origins: The Happy Animals Club Story

I love animals. I have one rescue dog and two rescue cats. Ever since I can remember I wanted to open an animal shelter to help the stray dogs and cats on the streets. Here is an example of a poster I made when I was 8 years old. My dad told me it would take a lot of money and 20 years for me to get an animal shelter. He said only grown ups can raise enough money to start an animal shelter.



But in February of 2014 pictures of me feeding dogs on the street were passed around on the Internet. Here are those pictures.

Some very kind people who saw these pictures donated money to help me care for the dogs. We got enough money to get the dogs I was feeding off the street, feed them high quality canned food, and provide them with veterinary care. They gained a LOT of weight, their open wounds healed, and their fur grew back. They also learned not to be scared of humans.

Here's how they looked after two months of care at Happy Animals Club. Their names are Blackie, Brownie, and White Puppy.

In addition, I got enough money to start an animal shelter. On May 1, 2014, I leased a 1,000 square meter (10,000 square feet) lot for one year. It cost 66,000 pesos ($1,500).

We also spent a lot of money on wood, electrical wiring, tin roofing, cement, and many other things. The area flooded every time it rained, so we built canals. The shelter now has 2 large pens, 2 apartments, and an annex. The dogs are not kept in cages unless they are ill or there is some other good reason. The cats have a very big living area solely for them. All of the dogs and cats at Happy Animals Club are very happy animals!

Happy Animals Club's main goal is rescuing dogs from the city pound. In this article dated March 20, 2014, the official at the pound said most dogs are put down because only 20-30% of owners claim their dogs, and no animal welfare organization was doing something about it.

I want to save as many of those dogs as possible from being killed for no reason. My first step was to get a rabies vaccination, on May 8, 2014.

Our big challenge now is to make a system for finding the dogs good homes once they are healthy again. This is a problem because in the Philippines most people want pure breed dogs. They don't like mutts, even though mutts are just as smart, just as loyal, and just as loving.

Please help me develop the animal shelter by fostering dogs or cats, holding seminars at your school or company, or donating funds for dog food, care, and the development of the shelter. Happy Animals Club is a non-profit organization registered in the Philippines. Happy Animals Club is autonomous and independently managed by me with help from staff and volunteers. Happy Animals Club is not affiliated with anyone or any organization that supports euthanizing stray dogs.