Pipay and her Palanquin

Manila is not a very friendly place for dogs.

No dog parks exist here. In fact it's against the law to have your dog out in public without a leash due to a national rabies control law. Many establishments don't allow dogs to enter. Many condominiums forbid dogs to live there.

I can't really blame them. The reason why this city is so dog-unfriendly is because of a lot of irresponsible dog owners.

I have seen dog owners who allow their pets to "go" in public places and not pick up after them. I have seen them just letting their dogs roam wild out in the street, to harass whomever passes. But mostly I believe this is because most dog owners aren't really aware of the responsibility that owning a dog really entails. They just think that they have a friendly animal that they feed, will come when called and stay out of sight when not needed. They are not aware that pets need companionship, proper nutrition, healthcare, exercise, stimulation... almost as much as a small child.

Fortunately things are getting better for dogs. With the advent of the internet and exposure to foreign dog care shows such as the Dog Whisperer, there's a growing awareness of the responsibilities that one has to a dog and increasing tolerance for dogs who have owners that are responsible enough to make sure that they aren't nuisances to other people. I'm actually quite grateful that this country's largest mall chain SM tolerates dogs inside their malls... provided they come in proper "packaging".

Hence my dog Pipay has her "palanquin"; a dog stroller. I actually bought her dog stroller for another reason, but inadvertently I realized that it had a side effect: it allowed us to get into shopping malls where normally dogs on leash are forbidden. I wonder if there's some kind of class thing going on because usually it's the well to do people that can afford a dog stroller, and it's usually those kinds of people who are aware of their social obligations when bringing their pet out in public.

In any case, despite the pet-unfriendly nature of the city, things are looking up. It definitely isn't up to first world standards but I think with time things will get there. In the meantime Pipay and I will just have to deal with the challenges of pet ownership in Manila.