Found abandoned and dying on the streets, “Eliana,” a Philippine native dog, got a new lease on life when the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) rescued her in late 2018.
After spending less than a year with PAWS, the adorable dog found her “forever home” when a loving fur mom, 33-year-old registered nurse Lizza Pascual, adopted her in July last year.
Lizza and Eliana have become inseparable since then, enjoying each other’s company in the comfort of their home in Zinnia Towers, a pet-friendly condominium community in Quezon City developed by DMCI Homes.
In the #HumansOfPAWS feature series of the animal welfare group, Lizza related her journey of finding her perfect pet companion.
Lizza enjoys doing community work especially if it involves animal welfare.
Love at first bark
Being an animal-lover, Lizza had always wanted to bring home a pet but could not do so because of her work schedule.
Her number one factor that she considered when she was looking for a condominium back then was that “it should be pet-friendly.”
“I was looking for a pet companion ever since but due to work, I didn’t have enough time to take care of one since I was not always at home,” Lizza shared.
“So when I had the opportunity to work from home, I searched for animal shelters where I could adopt and found PAWS,” she continued.
Immediately after seeing Eliana and learning her rescue story, Lizza knew in her heart, she wanted to bring the sweet fur baby home.
“Eliana was incredibly well-behaved which is suitable for condo living and basically our personalities just clicked,” she related.
Lizza says Zinnia Towers is an ideal place to raise pets because it provides an environment where pets could go out with their owners to play and exercise which is also important for their health.
Caring for the abandoned
In adopting Eliana, Lizza not only found a perfect companion but also fulfilled her heart’s desire of helping care for abandoned cats and dogs.
Growing up with cats and dogs around the house, Lizza always had a soft spot for stray animals.
“In my free time, I enjoy community work especially if it involves animal welfare and I love meeting people with the same interest,” she enthused.
“Every time I go out, I would always see stray dogs and cats on the streets. Some of them are malnourished and in poor condition and it saddens me a lot because they don’t deserve that situation they are in,” she added.
So instead of buying from pet shops, Lizza encourage others looking for pets to adopt rescued cats and dogs because for her, this is more fulfilling as one gets to see the stray animals regain their will to live and in return, develop this special bond with their pet owners.
“I once rescued a cat and took care of it. She then transformed into a very beautiful and lovely cat and from that moment, I realized the importance of rescuing and adopting as it gives another chance for these animals to have wonderful lives,” she beamed.
Lizza and Eliana have been inseparable ever since they found each other in July last year.
‘Love knows no breed’
The first time she visited the PAWS shelter in Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City, Lizza was so surprised with the number of rescued dogs and cats that needed a home and a family.
This realization all the more convinced her that adopting is the way to go instead of buying from pet shops.
“As they say, ‘love knows no breed.’ Adopting from a shelter gives those animals the second chance in life that they deserve. They are also neutered or spayed which is important in solving the problem of unwanted animals that leads to abandonment or animal cruelty,” Lizza explained.
“When you adopt, you are not only saving the life of the animal that you chose, but it also opens an opportunity for another stray animal to be rescued,” she pointed out.
*DMCI Homes allows each condo unit to have a total of two pet dogs or cats that weigh less than 25 pounds and standing 15 inches in height when full-grown.
