PAWS or Philippine Animal Welfare Society is the biggest, most feared animal-abuser arse-kicker in…read morethe Philippines for the past thirty years. I have high respects for this organization and what they do for our furry friends out in the streets. But that's just the organization. They have their own clinic slash shelter too, and it offers low cost spaying and neutering and consultations. I've only been there one time to kapon two of my cats because let's face it, it's in Narnia (I live in Makati, OK) but it seems like a great place. PAWS' compound is first of all, HUGE. It slopes up a little bit, with nice feels of trees and nature. On my surgery day, I apparently came in too early for the appointment time (nah, I came on time, they just opened late), so I was able to take a look at the babies in the animal shelter. There's an area for adoptable cats (adults), kittens (awwww!), Quarantine (maybe they're new?) and the recovery/sick bay towards the back (poor hunnies!). And then, to the right side of the clinic, there are the dog runs. Going to PAWS is a life-changing experience to me. After that, I actually thought of a rough life plan in having my very own animal shelter one day. But that's besides the point. If you're one of the humans who has the same passion as the organization though, you can call them up and ask how to volunteer in their shelter! Also, a word of advice: When you want to have your pets done, make sure to book ahead. Because they can get rather full!

PAWS is one of the Philippines' most active organisations that fight for animal rights and welfare…read more PARC is their main office, as well as the temporary home of several dogs and cats that were rescued and rehabilitated. Though, they don't just simply take in strays (they are NOT a pound, okay?) and you cannot just call them to take your unwanted pets away. That is not what they do. Their shelters are even at full capacity already, since there are so much irresponsible and abusive people out there who do cruel things to innocent animals. It's really heartbreaking if you hear the stories of some of the animals there. Luckily, these animals got the second chance that they deserve through PAWS' efforts. If you're looking to get a new furry companion, please, PLEASE consider adopting one from organisations such as PAWS. Instead of supporting pet shops who perpetuate the cycle of exploiting animals for profit, and supporting puppy mills and irresponsible breeders, adoption is a MUCH BETTER option. Drop by and interact with the animals, and I guarantee that your heart will be taken by a lot of them. There are so many animals here that are perfectly adoptable and are waiting to be taken in by a loving home. If you love cats, you will LOVE their cattery! It's also a pleasure to meet some of their cats and dogs who roam freely and act as a "welcoming committee" to all the guests of PARC. If you can't adopt, do consider volunteering your free time to a good cause. PAWS accepts volunteers who can help them with their various campaigns, office work, animal care and rehabilitation, and much more. You can also be a foster parent to an animal, too!

Most commonly known as PALs, this organization is actually an official non-profit, non-government…read moreanimal welfare organization with a huge following in social media. Having been formed in year 2012, they already have lot of volunteers that I've personally seen fund-raising during huge animal welfare gatherings to fund their mission. They've also been helping a lot of animals by being advocates of spay and neuter, educating the public about responsible pet ownership and promoting ways to better every pet's behavior and psychology. In the field of animal rescue, PALS have done a lot, partnerting with veterinary clinics to provide the medical care a rescue needs. Afterwards, the animals will undergo rehabilitation by the organization to get them ready for adoption. They're also pubicly known as animal activists and have been lately helping lost pets back to their owners through their strong internet presence. Way to go, PALS!

Where do you go when you're so stressed and depressed and lonely and so tightly wound you feel like…read moreyou'll snap any second and you need to do something to relax like right now or you'll start randomly punching people in the face like oh my god what is wrong with you stop breathing oh my god - *inhale* *exhale* Some people go running. Some go and get massages. Others have passionate sex until they pass out. Idiots do yoga. My lobster and I? We go look at puppies! And where better to see puppies than the famed Cartimar Pet Center, the Divisoria of the animal kingdom where you can get yourself a furry life partner for less than the price of your average microwave. Even Tinder won't get you that. Even if you're not currently looking for the one, or if you've already found your furry pal, Cartimar Pet Center is still a must-visit for any animal lover. Aside from the obvious pros of seeing cute puppies frolicking around in their cages, waiting for someone to sing "How much is that doggy in the window?", you can also get amazing deals on pet food, accessories, and anything else you need for little Fido. They don't have lasagna though. Garfield will be disappointed. I know I was.

Life can get your really down sometimes. When this happens to me, my girlfriend knows exactly what…read moreto do. She bribes me with food to get me out of the house, and then takes me to Cartimar Pet Center so we can watch puppies with their chubby, furry butts playing with other puppies or just staring back at us, too lazy to move. This furry therapy always works, but almost always ends up with me begging her to get me a chow chow, or that adorably labrador puppy. This is also where we buy accessories and pet food for our little Stormy. We don't tell her we come here to look at other dogs though - she's a very jealous little lady, and it wouldn't do to upset her. Tip for dog-owners: get your doggy a superhero outfit. It's awesome, I promise.

For Animal House- Makati…read more They don't even deserve 1 star. I left them a chat asking for an update regarding our pug who has been admitted. I received a response that my inquiries were already forwarded to the nurse station. After a few hours, haven't heard anything from them so I decided to call. They just dropped my call. Chatted them to say thank you and no need to update me. They didn't bother to provide any update and sarcastically "heart reacted" my chat. Ang bastos.

*Note: This is a 3.5 star review…read more Finding a reliable and trustworthy vet clinic for your furbabies is difficult nowadays. You'll find a number of vets within Makati. However, most of them are not 24 hours and close pretty early. The time I went here, it was because Carlo's cats needed to have a check-up because they were visibly uncomfy and we didn't know what to do. :( They have well-skilled doctors and staff. They are patient in explaining the situation and treatment for your furbaby. You can also see they are really concerned with the well-being of your furbaby (which is a quality I highly appreciate in a veterinarian). With Carlo's cats, our doctor found that it was because of something they ate and also that they were not drinking water. So, they were dehydrated. The diagnosis was a big relief for the both of us! Apart from being a clinic/hospital, they also do grooming and boarding. Yes, they have a "Pet Hotel." Though, I think the lodging is a bit expensive for the accommodation your furbaby will get. Honestly, Animal House is more expensive than the other clinics I have gone to. But, they do provide good "pet" service and care. That is hard to find in Makati.

2015 is definitely the year of the Cat Cafe craze! Left and right, they've been opening. Of course…read moreI would prefer those who have chosen to take the high road (not to mention humane) way and have featured adoptable kitties to grace the cafe with their loving presences. One of them would be the highly-anticipated, soon-to-open Cat House! It actually has an interesting twist to it. Cats and great food would be a given, but add books and manga in that equation? Now that's a dream come true for a lot of people I know, including myself. If it wasn't so faraway, I'd probably frequent this more than usual, because you know, a huge nerd is I. Did I mention they've been teasing facebook followers with photos of their kitty bento pegs? It's been announced that they'd be serving those delectable cuties. In fact, they would be so cute, it'd be so hard to eat them! This cat cafe is definitely worth a like, a follow, and your excitement!

I'm not exactly what you would call a pet lover. I'm allergic to the smell of dogs, and I'm really…read moreuneasy around them. But recently we adopted a cute little puppy into our home, and I've developed a tolerance (if not liking) for pets. If you asked me to go to the Pet Village in Tiendesitas a month ago, I would've said no in a heartbeat. But I went recently and I actually enjoyed going there. Apart from the pungent canine odor, the place felt like doggy day spa. Get your pet groomed at the posh pet salons there or buy them costumes and treats available at several stores. There were also some stalls selling puppies and cats, and the look of those poor little fellas waiting to find a new home tugged at my heart strings. Not that I'm going to adopt them or anything. My little girl really enjoyed that part of Tiendesitas. She wanted to stay there longer, but I was afraid it would trigger our allergies so we had to go. I promised her we'd go back there with our puppy, if I can manage the long ride from the south to Pasig with two kids and a dog.

I'm not a fan of this place. Maybe because I hold very high standards when it comes to my pets, as…read morewe all should. Firstly, there isn't any good ventilation in this place. It's very stuffy and hard to breathe here. Then I always feel pity for the animals here who are locked up in small cages and sold as commodities at such an early age when they are still to young to be separated from their mothers and litter. It IS cheap if you're looking for pet food and accessories. But the only place I trust for pet food, in terms of quality is Bow & Wow (organic all the way). Please, please, treat your pets with more dignity than this. And adopt rather than buy.

Pet cafés are a relatively new concept to Manila. While our neighboring countries of Japan and…read moreThailand have been open to cat café concepts for over a decade, we are just starting out and it has been a good experience so far. The first animal encounter / restaurant concept that I've tried is Barkin' Blends - country's first dog café. The place was great. Though small, it is well-maintained with a separate area for diners who just want to enjoy their selection of coffee and frappes. They also have some rice meals, pastas and sandwiches. Then there's the dog zone. With an entrance fee of P180, it already comes with a drink. The dog zone is a nicely decorated area with some witty dog-related pictures like The Beagles (a pun on the Beatles), A Pug's Life and more. It has several tables and benches inside so you can keep your things and your drinks away from the doggies. But inside, you'll see that most people get really comfortable and are on the floor so they can pet the many wonderful breeds inside. You can interact with their dog residents: Psyche the Beagle, Finn, Marley and Robin the playful Golden Retrievers, Martha the Irish Setter, Smile the Pug, Fiona the Chinese Sharpei, Ella the Chiweenie, Piolo the Labrador Retriever, Skye the Siberian Husky, Bonnie and Clyde the Toy Poodles, Booster, Yoda and Vader the Lhasa Apsos. All the dogs are vaccinated and are well-behaved, so if you follow their rules about handling, you're relatively safe. Most of them are still very young puppies, so it is important to handle them with care. Since they have been in the café for a few months now, they're pretty much used to human interaction and are really very sweet and friendly. I love how clean this place is and how responsible the owners are for the well-being of the dogs. There are quiet caged areas so the dogs can rest when they get a little too excited or too playful (like the doggie version of a time out). This is a great place for dog-lovers and even for kids (my two-year-old really appreciated the visit and had a lovely time petting the different dogs that she would otherwise only see on TV). Worth a second, even a third visit for that relaxing, therapeutic experience.

Barkin' Blends is the perfect place for foodies and dog lovers. This newly-established restaurant…read morealong Katipunan is one of the most innovative and highly-imaginative restaurants that I have been to. It provides a whole new twist to the concept of cafe experience and it definitely has an edge over its less creative competitors. Once you enter this place, you'll immediately notice that there are two different zones separated by a sliding door. The small zone is the humans only zone, while the bigger zone is the dog zone. You have to pay 180 pesos to enter the dog zone. It's inclusive of one free drink, but you can't drink it while inside the dog zone. A single person is only allowed to stay in the dog zone for two hours. If you don't want to play with the puppies, you can always enjoy Barkin' Blends's refreshing beverages, rice meals, and sandwiches. Barkin' Blends makes sure that all puppies are well-taken care of. They have a shifting schedule to avoid any of them to get too exhausted.

I still have no idea how I'm going to care for the kitten I'm getting in a few days…read more While roaming around Glorietta, I remembered that there was a pet shop on the third floor. I went looking for it and finally found Star Pets. Before checking the the place for food and toys to buy for a cat, I looked at their animals. They have rabbits, rats, hamsters, dogs and chickens up for sale. I wanted to buy them all. Except the rats. The shelves of the shop are filled with items for dogs and food for dogs. Their staff just told me that they didn't have food for cats and to come back on another day. But for those who have dogs, this place just might have what you're looking for.

I am desperately looking for a puppy these days so I am touring around a lot of pet stores. I came…read moreacross Star Pets online so I thought I'd step by one day as I was already in Glorietta. Believe me when I say I am so desperate for a pet, they could talk me into buying/adopting anything but this didn't do it. The store doesn't smell very nice, I don't think it's properly aired. And the puppies in there looked so miserable it broke my heart a little, but I guess that's with any pet store. For the rest, they have a wide range of food supplies and they also sold pigeons for 1000 php which I thought was a little funny.