“I grew up in a family with cats and dogs,” says Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) spokeperson Jodi Sta Maria. “Ang Pusang Pinoy or Puspin ay kelangan ng pagmamahal at ng attention (Native cats need love and attention).”

Most Filipinos still have a ‘buy or breed’ attitude when it comes to getting pets. Due to the unregulated pet breeding industry and the lack of mass spay-neuter programs, many cats are left to fend for themselves as stray that multiply rapidly on the streets. They seek food and shelter in buildings and in communities that may provide them with a bit of kindness, and yet, since they are not fixed and reproduce quickly, these felines are often reported to local animal control facilities (city pounds) to be rounded up. The unlucky ones who find themselves in busy office buildings or near roads run the risk of being trampled on by people or hit by vehicles.

The “Puso Para sa Puspin” campaign aims to raise awareness about the plight of these Puspins (native cats) who suffer on the streets while people keep buying or breeding pets. With pet mom, Jodi Sta. Maria, as PAWS newest spokesperson for the puspins, the organization hopes the public will be inspired to open their hearts and homes to adopting native cats from the PAWS Shelter and be moved to also help animals if they see one who is injured or in danger.

The campaign also aims to show the connection between the failure to spay-neuter one’s pets and the current problem of our country having millions of strays and homeless pets. PAWS wants to encourage cat owners to spay-neuter their pets and to inform people who regularly feed strays to also spay-neuter the animals that they feed to reduce their number.

Instead of reporting stray cats to city pounds, PAWS also proposes the implementation of a Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) Program for villages, condo buildings and commercial establishments that have many stray cats. The TNVR Program will enable the cats to live safety and sustainably as part of the community.

Enter Jodi Sta. Maria

From the moment PAWS read about the story of how Jodi rescued her cat Naia at the airport, PAWS knew that she would make a very good spokeperson for puspins. In May of 2023, Jodi visited the PAWS Shelter with her mom and son, Thirdy. She not only donated much- needed supplies, but she also spent a lot of time with the shelter cats and discussed with PAWS officers about how she can help the organization promote the adoption of rescued cats using her platform.

She learned from that visit that in many public places, cats end up getting hurt because they are viewed more as pests rather than pets. There was even a case of Bernie, a cat who was rescued at a roadside eatery in Pasig who suffered second and third degree burns all over her body because someone threw boiling oil at her. Jodi was so moved that she donated for the cat’s medical needs. Now, Bernie’s burns have healed and the lucky feline is on her way to a full recovery.

“With this campaign, we’re really hoping to encourage ang mga tao na bigyang pansin ang mga Pusang Pinoy or puspins (we hope this campaign will give attention to native cats). They deserve to be treated well, they deserve kindness from us and that we should not hesitate to help them or rescue them when we see them injured, sick or pinagmamalupitan (treated cruelly),” says Jodi. “Maganda rin na ma-rasie natin sa tao ang awareness tungkol sa lumalalang sitwasyon ng pagdami ng stray cats sa ating bansa at na merong solusyon para dun…. ang pagpapakapon sa kanila (It is also important to address the growing problem of cats by raising awareness of the need to spay or neuter them).”

PAWS is a non-profit, volunteer-based group, and seeks long-term solutions to animal welfare problems by lobbying for laws that protect animals from cruelty, prosecuting animal offenders, launching spay-neuter outreach programs and working with celebrities to promote Aspin and Puspin adoptions.

PAWS runs an animal shelter for rescued animals in Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City where they care for over 200 rescued cats and dogs. This is also where their low-cost Spay-Neuter Clinic is based. PAWS believes that if everyone spayed or neutered their pets, their rescues and the strays that they feed, we would be closer to our goal of eradicating pet homelessness.

For more, message Cristina Martinez, PAWS director at 0936-9779182 or Vida Yabut, PAWS Admin, at 0905-4012235. Or email: kapon@paws.org.ph.