Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA)
Encyclopedia
Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA) is a registered non-profit animal welfare
organization in the Philippines
. It was founded in 2000 by a group of dedicated animal lovers. Its current president is Nancy Cu-Unjieng.http://www.caraphil.org/Our-Volunteers.html
In terms of ongoing projects, CARA has two main goals: procuring a van which can serve as a mobile spay and neuter clinic, and building a shelter for its rescued animals.http://www.caraphil.org/Please-Donate.html
. To date, over 2,000 animals have been fixed at the clinic. In keeping with this campaign, CARA also performs Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR), wherein a stray animal is caught, neutered, then released. TNR is currently the most humane and effective solution to curbing the feral cat population. CARA's TNR program has received support from Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and is currently in place in Dasmarinas Village, Forbes Park Village, Bel Air Village, San Lorenzo Village and Pacific Malayan.
CARA has spoken at various schools, such as the international Beacon School in Taguig, on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. It has also held programs during events such as World Animal Day
, providing lectures, free anti-rabies vaccines, check-ups, and supplies to pet owners. Among its notable achievements are signing a memorandum with the Makati City dog pound for a better managed facility.
Adoption is another core campaign of CARA.http://www.caraphil.org/Adoptions.html Its animals are either strays, rescues, or pets which have been abandoned by their owners. However, CARA is not an animal shelter and does not have a facility to house relinquished pets. All its animals are fostered in the homes of members and volunteers. CARA's first adoption event was held at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig in February 2009. The event was so successful that two more adoption events followed later that month. A total of 22 cats and 3 dogs were adopted; however, one dog was later returned to the organization.http://www.caraphil.org/Activities.html
CARA often works with other animal welfare organizations, such as the Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC), in protests and campaigns. It has joined protests against dog fighting, the electrocution of dogs in the local pounds, the poor conditions of the Manila Zoohttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090317-194628/Manila-Zoo-animals-suffer-from-boredom-abuse, the giving away of live rabbits and chicks by establishments during Easter, and the illegal dog meat trade. The organization recently took part in training provided by Humane Society International
.
Other programs include the Faith Fundhttp://www.caraphil.org/Faith-Fund.html, Sponsor a Cathttp://www.caraphil.org/Sponsor-a-cat.html, Sponsor a Spay or Neuterhttp://www.caraphil.org/Please-Donate.html, and Wildlife Partyhttp://www.caraphil.org/Wildlife-Animal-Party.html. The Faith Fund was named after a rescued cat and supports the medical expenses of CARA's sick or handicapped rescued animals. Many of them are successfully rehabilitated and are adopted into loving homes. "Sponsor a Cat" allows people who cannot adopt but who wish to help by enabling them to pay for the food, medicine, and other expenses of one of CARA's rescued cats until the cat is adopted. Sponsors receive a certificate and updates on their chosen animal. "Sponsor a Spay or Neuter" lets people make a one-time donation towards a spay or neuter, either of a rescued animal or one involved a TNR program, at the CARA clinic. To raise funds, CARA throws Wildlife Parties for children, wherein exotic reptiles and insects are showcased by trained handlers. CARA also recently held its first garage sale in Bel Air Village, which was a huge success.
They have appeared on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
as a feature for World Animal Day in October 2006http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20061001-24078/Center_shelters_homeless_pets. The adoption event in Bonifacio High Street received considerable coveragehttp://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=442409http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20090221-190287/Wigs-accessories-for-running-gear, including by Reuters
and Yahoo! News
. In 2006, CARA participated in the "Dog Walk for a Cause" to protest the illegal dog meat trade and were noted for being the only group that proudly paraded mixed breed dogshttp://www.saveadogandkids.org/Philipineprotest.htm. Local mixed breed dogs (commonly called "askal
s" in the Philippines) are not popular choices for Filipino pet owners, as most prefer purebreds.
CARA also has a special page in every issue of Animal Scene magazine.
CARA also made the news when a number of their rescued cats became victims of horrific animal abuse. Despite being caged and kept in a secure area in a private subdivision, the cats and kittens were shot point-blank in the head. Many died or had to be euthanized; only 15 of the 29 animals survived. The event drew outrage and sparked an investigation, but the perpetrators were never found.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080103-110030/Cat_carnage_in_posh_Makati_village_draws_flak
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
organization in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It was founded in 2000 by a group of dedicated animal lovers. Its current president is Nancy Cu-Unjieng.http://www.caraphil.org/Our-Volunteers.html
Objectives
CARA's core objectives can be summed up as ABC and E or Animal Birth Control and Education. The organization focuses on reducing the number of homeless animals and stopping animal cruelty by promoting spay and neuter and responsible pet ownership.In terms of ongoing projects, CARA has two main goals: procuring a van which can serve as a mobile spay and neuter clinic, and building a shelter for its rescued animals.http://www.caraphil.org/Please-Donate.html
Campaigns
CARA actively campaigns for spay and neuter. In 2007, it established the first low-cost spay and neuter clinic in the Philippines.http://www.caraphil.org/CARA-clinic.html The clinic is located in Makati CityMakati City
The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
. To date, over 2,000 animals have been fixed at the clinic. In keeping with this campaign, CARA also performs Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR), wherein a stray animal is caught, neutered, then released. TNR is currently the most humane and effective solution to curbing the feral cat population. CARA's TNR program has received support from Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and is currently in place in Dasmarinas Village, Forbes Park Village, Bel Air Village, San Lorenzo Village and Pacific Malayan.
CARA has spoken at various schools, such as the international Beacon School in Taguig, on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. It has also held programs during events such as World Animal Day
World Animal Day
World Animal Day is celebrated each year on October the 4th. It started in Florence, Italy in 1931 at a convention of ecologists. On this day, animal life in all its forms is celebrated, and special events are planned on locations all over the globe...
, providing lectures, free anti-rabies vaccines, check-ups, and supplies to pet owners. Among its notable achievements are signing a memorandum with the Makati City dog pound for a better managed facility.
Adoption is another core campaign of CARA.http://www.caraphil.org/Adoptions.html Its animals are either strays, rescues, or pets which have been abandoned by their owners. However, CARA is not an animal shelter and does not have a facility to house relinquished pets. All its animals are fostered in the homes of members and volunteers. CARA's first adoption event was held at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig in February 2009. The event was so successful that two more adoption events followed later that month. A total of 22 cats and 3 dogs were adopted; however, one dog was later returned to the organization.http://www.caraphil.org/Activities.html
CARA often works with other animal welfare organizations, such as the Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC), in protests and campaigns. It has joined protests against dog fighting, the electrocution of dogs in the local pounds, the poor conditions of the Manila Zoohttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090317-194628/Manila-Zoo-animals-suffer-from-boredom-abuse, the giving away of live rabbits and chicks by establishments during Easter, and the illegal dog meat trade. The organization recently took part in training provided by Humane Society International
Humane Society International
The Humane Society International is the international division of The Humane Society of the United States. Founded in 1991, HSI has expanded The HSUS's activities into Central and South America, Africa, and Asia...
.
Other programs include the Faith Fundhttp://www.caraphil.org/Faith-Fund.html, Sponsor a Cathttp://www.caraphil.org/Sponsor-a-cat.html, Sponsor a Spay or Neuterhttp://www.caraphil.org/Please-Donate.html, and Wildlife Partyhttp://www.caraphil.org/Wildlife-Animal-Party.html. The Faith Fund was named after a rescued cat and supports the medical expenses of CARA's sick or handicapped rescued animals. Many of them are successfully rehabilitated and are adopted into loving homes. "Sponsor a Cat" allows people who cannot adopt but who wish to help by enabling them to pay for the food, medicine, and other expenses of one of CARA's rescued cats until the cat is adopted. Sponsors receive a certificate and updates on their chosen animal. "Sponsor a Spay or Neuter" lets people make a one-time donation towards a spay or neuter, either of a rescued animal or one involved a TNR program, at the CARA clinic. To raise funds, CARA throws Wildlife Parties for children, wherein exotic reptiles and insects are showcased by trained handlers. CARA also recently held its first garage sale in Bel Air Village, which was a huge success.
Press
CARA has been featured in various newspapers for their work.http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/1005&062007/life07.html,http://www.philstar.com/ArticlePrinterFriendly.aspx?articleId=421483,http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=78271,http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0720&212007/life05.htmlThey have appeared on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
as a feature for World Animal Day in October 2006http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20061001-24078/Center_shelters_homeless_pets. The adoption event in Bonifacio High Street received considerable coveragehttp://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=442409http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20090221-190287/Wigs-accessories-for-running-gear, including by Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
and Yahoo! News
Yahoo! News
Yahoo! News is an Internet-based news aggregator provided by Yahoo!. It features Top Stories, U.S. National, World, Business, Entertainment, Science, Health, Weather, Most Popular, News Photos, Op/Ed, and Local news....
. In 2006, CARA participated in the "Dog Walk for a Cause" to protest the illegal dog meat trade and were noted for being the only group that proudly paraded mixed breed dogshttp://www.saveadogandkids.org/Philipineprotest.htm. Local mixed breed dogs (commonly called "askal
Askal
An askal is a mixed-breed dog in the Philippines. The name is a Tagalog-derived portmanteau of asong kalye . A pet you can leave in the streets, Askals are very resilient compared to their pure-breed counterparts. In Cebuano, mongrel dogs are called irong Bisaya, which literally means a native dog...
s" in the Philippines) are not popular choices for Filipino pet owners, as most prefer purebreds.
CARA also has a special page in every issue of Animal Scene magazine.
CARA also made the news when a number of their rescued cats became victims of horrific animal abuse. Despite being caged and kept in a secure area in a private subdivision, the cats and kittens were shot point-blank in the head. Many died or had to be euthanized; only 15 of the 29 animals survived. The event drew outrage and sparked an investigation, but the perpetrators were never found.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080103-110030/Cat_carnage_in_posh_Makati_village_draws_flak