When an animal is in distress, veterinarian Dr Nelson Donato and his team are on call to provide medical care and food. One of his primary concerns is feeding and inspecting dogs in disaster-prone areas of the Philippines.
“We always do our best to respond to a disaster scene from a typhoon, an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. If we can do it, we really do our best,” Dr. Nielsen said.
Dr. Nelson has a genuine love and compassion for animals. As Managing Partner and Chief Surgeon of Vets in Practice (VIP), he takes care of different kinds of pets on a daily basis. He also runs the Laguna Wildlife Park and Rescue Center in Pansol, which houses a variety of animals, including stray dogs.
As a television host, Dr. Nelson educates viewers about animal health and candidly talks about some of the challenges he faces while treating animals. For example, back in 2018, Donato and his team visited Camiguin Norte province in response to a distemper outbreak affecting dogs in the region. That same year, he went on a veterinary mission to Kalayaan Island due to lack of veterinary care.
Recently, Dr. Nelson flew to the Bicol region to check on dogs and other animals left behind by people evacuated after the sudden disturbance at Mayon Volcano.”Our goal is to provide relocated animals, pets Stay at home Because they cannot be taken to evacuation centers. “
He added, “Top Breed also helped by donating the dog food we fed to the dogs that stayed.”
Taking care of community dogs
For those looking to help dogs in the community, Dr. Nelson’s advice is to contact animal welfare non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as PAWS, CARA WelfarePhilippines and Biyaya Animal Care. They can also coordinate with local government units (LGUs) to help rescue dogs in disaster areas.
“For all the animal lovers out there who want to help, there are established shelters where you can donate dog food or provide monetary assistance to meet veterinary needs. As far as disasters like this [the situation in Albay,] If you want to do the rescue yourself, you will need extra help from NGOs and local government agencies,” he explained.
With the country battered by typhoons and other natural disasters each year, Dr Nielsen said he was happy and proud of the progress local government units had made in rescuing and responding to endangered animals. “Compared to 10 years ago, the situation is completely different, the animals were rescued after a few weeks. I am very proud that the Philippines has matured in meeting the needs of animals,” he said.
“These animals, whether they are domestic pets or farm animals, are part of our lives. They are important to every Filipino family.”
Dr. Nelson and his team are working to build a world where kindness to animals knows no boundaries and we can all be a part of it.
