A non-profit animal organization is seeking assistance for rescued animals from an abandoned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub raided in Porac, Pampanga.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) on Monday said that it found pets in the POGO hub which was recently raided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
POGOS has been regulated by the government since 2016 during the Duterte administration, but it has since become associated with illegal activities such as scams, torture, and human trafficking.
Among those included in the Porac raid was the Lucky Star 99 compound which operated without a license and was described as a “torture hub” and a “scam farm.”
Meanwhile, PAWS informed the public that it has rescued pets from the illegal POGO hub which were “found with conditions reflecting prior sicknesses or signs of long-term neglect, beyond the malnourishment from being abandoned for days.”
“Please help the rescued animals who were abandoned at the illegal POGO hub in Porac,” it said on a Facebook post on June 17.
PAWS said that the pets need “medical attention and treatment” as of now.
“Please consider donating to help cover their medical expenses — your kindness can make a world of difference in their recovery,” the non-profit organization added.
“If you are not in the position to donate, but would still like to help, sharing this post to get the word out would be a great help in itself,” it further said.
PAWS also informed the public that the abandoned pets are not for adoption as of now since they “have just been rescued.”
“What they urgently need is help with their medical needs,” the organization said.
“Like with all other rescued animals at PAWS, they still need to undergo treatment, rehabilitation, and neutering [or] spaying (kapon) — which means we need to wait until they are healthy enough to undergo the surgery. This also means that the plans of those looking to adopt for the purpose of selling or breeding these rescues will be foiled,” it added.
In the instance that the animals will be finally ready for adoption, PAWS said it would prioritize “those who have a good track record of adopting aspins (asong Pinoys)” from them.
“We hope you can extend your sensitivity and compassion towards these animals as they are still in the process of healing, both from their physical ailments and from the trauma of being abandoned,” the organization said.
“We thank you for your utmost support and hope you can consider donating to help us continue fighting for and caring for more animals in need,” it added.
The organization said the public can donate through the following channels:
It added that Globe subscribers can also donate their Reward Points to help fund the shelter via the GlobeOne app.
PAWS said those interested may scan the following QR code on any mobile banking app or e-wallet:
The non-profit organization is dedicated to protecting and promoting the humane treatment of all animals.
