The Philippine Online Chronicles

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel Kant

Meeting a famous celebrity at close range may leave you starstruck.   It’s not every day that you get the chance to meet one. After all, a famous celebrity is usually on the go.  In exchange for fame, a celebrity has to get used to a hectic schedule - - filming, making TV appearances, doing commercials, going to photo shoots and attending different special events. Despite their busy lifestyles, many Filipino celebrities learn to balance their time between work, family, friends and their pets.

It’s interesting how celebrity pets could easily steal the limelight from their celebrity guardians. Perhaps the glitz of showbiz has a way of rubbing off on pets too.

Here are some notable Filipino celebrities and their star pets.

Heart Evangelista – The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) chose actress and TV personality Heart Evangelista to be the spokesperson of their campaign to promote better appreciation of the Aspin (short for asong pinoy).  Heart instantly fell in love with two aspins named Sultana and Charles. The two dogs are the models for the PAWS Aspin Club. Heart who already owns three Cocker Spaniels Al, Davies, and Kayla said that they get along very well with Sultana and Charles.

In philstar.com, Heart said there is a big difference in how people normally treat native dogs and purebred dogs. The campaign of PAWS aims to uplift the image of native dogs as well as native cats. They hope to discourage people from using the term askal or asong kalye and adopting the politically correct term Aspin or Asong Pinoy.

Other famous celebrity PAWS supporters are actress KC Concepcion (owns a Pomeranian), singer-actress Vina Morales (owns a mini Pomeranian named Arf Arf), TV personality Regine Tolentino (her family owns two Shih Tzu dogs named Porky and Sparky), singer-actress Agot Isidro (owns a choco brown Labrador named Tyson and Beagle named Elvis), radio host Chico Garcia (owns a Chihuahua), singer-actress Karylle (owns two Shih Tzu dogs named Kung Fu and Lucky) and actor Jericho Rosales (owns several dogs).

Sharon Cuneta – The Megastar is generous to her family, friends and even to her pet dogs. In an article in Inquirer's Showbiz and Style, Sharon said that she had a dog house built for the family’s six pet dogs, namely, Grandpa the Shih Tzu, Popo and Mochi the Chow Chows, Kaya the Maltese, and Bea and Cupcake the Beagles.

The lavish dog house has its own air-conditioner, electric fan and even a toilet. “What’s the use of having pets if you can’t take care of them properly? They also went to obedience school, the BetterDog Canine Center. They run around the garden every day, fertilizing the plants,” Sharon revealed.

Manny Pacquiao – Based on an article in mbpublications.com, Manny lost his pet dog when he was young.  It was a traumatic experience for Manny because his pet was allegedly killed and eaten by his father’s friend.  He did not have another pet dog after that.  When a friend in the US gave him a Jack Russell Terrier a few years ago, Manny rekindled his love for dogs.  He named the Jack Russell “Pacman.” The dog developed an enthusiasm for outdoor exercises. “Pacman” would join Manny during his US training and rounds of jogging. Manny said his dog inspires him a lot and makes training fun.  The international boxing sensation revealed that his pet “Pacman” even wakes him up early in the morning for his training.

Manny received a female Jack Russell puppy from another friend. He named the caramel brown-headed puppy with a white marking on its nose “Pacgirl.”  He was quoted saying, “para may kapartner si Pacman dog ko na nakatira sa L.A. Pareho sila ng lahi.”  Manny described “Pacgirl” as hyperactive, intelligent and fun to play with.

Manny has always been known for his dedication in training. He likes jogging and engaging in running exercises. He would continue running even after his companions complained of exhaustion. His dog “Pacman” would sometimes be the only one left running with him during long outdoor runs.

In September 2010, Manny had “Pacman” flown from Los Angeles to the Philippines to join him in his training in the Philippines for his fight with Antonio Margarito.

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Angel Locsin – The teleserye beauty is a proud “mommy” to her pet dogs.  Angel owns several dogs which she adores and pampers. In an article posted a few years ago, Angel shared the following about her pet dogs, “Meron ako’ng pug si Java pinaka-oldest ko. Parang meron akong anak eh ‘no? Tapos si Flip, isa siyang English bulldog. Kaya ko siya pinangalanang Flip dahil ang pebbles ko po sa lanai pinapapak po niya. Tapos pinaka-baby ko po si Pwet-pwet, isa po siyang Brichon Frise.” She added, “Nung binili ko talaga yung asong ‘yun ang pangalan talaga niya Beauty. Eh hindi ko carry yung Beauty dahil masyado na siyang cute. Mga sasakyan ko ang lalaki ‘di ba, tapos puro black, tapos tatawagin ko’ng Beauty? Binaboy ko pangalan niya para fair.”

Pia Guanio – The TV host is a dog lover. She enjoys “babysitting” for her mom’s Pomeranian named Misha. She recalls how devastated her mom was by the death of her pet, Wicket, also a Pomeranian. "On her birthday, my dad asked me to look for a replacement for Wicket. Kasi, after Wicket died, she didn't want another dog ever," Pia told pep.ph. Pia decided to visit a Pom breeder and get another dog for her mom. "When she saw Misha, it was love at first sight," Pia added.

Pia is also an avid supporter of PAWS. In fact, she celebrated her birthday at PAWS. She hopes that the animals at PAWS will find good homes.

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Kim Atienza – The TV host and environmentalist, more popularly known as “Kuya Kim,” has a passion for animals. Aside from pet dogs, he also likes exotic pets like reptiles. He said that he started collecting animals since he was 11 years old. When his wife got pregnant, Kuya Kim entrusted his pet reptiles to Manila Zoo.

Bianca Araneta- Elizalde - The commercial model, host and mother is the proud owner of a Norwich Terrier. “I grew up with a bunch of various pets and am not comfortable without one. I find that having pets keep one happy and grounded. I’m hoping Perry enriches the life of my kids the way my dogs enriched mine,” Bianca shared on philstar.com.  She devotes a lot of time taking care of her dog. She makes sure that he eats quality food, gets regular baths and has lots of pampering time. “Perry came into my life at the perfect time, when I really needed him most. And he has really made the whole family so happy,” Bianca added.

Yasmin Kurdi – The young actress and her family own three flowerhorn fishes. They named the first flower horn that they bought “Emerson.” She believes that their flowerhorn fish helped give her good luck. "Sabi nila, good luck daw 'yon sa life, ganyan," she said.  According to Yasmien, flowerhorns are very territorial and aggressive in nature. It is not advisable to put them in one tank because they can kill one another.  In fact, there was an incident when one of their flowerhorns lost an eye when they made the mistake of putting them together in one aquarium.

Photo: Screencap from PARCstaff.

Video: PET DOG "PACMAN' REUNITES WITH PACQUIAO 09-23-2010 by Jeans4Justice c/o Youtube and pia guanio celebrate birthday with paws.wmv by absgma2dtvnw c/o Youtube.