In many parts of the world, stray dogs are invisible. Their suffering is normalised, their presence ignored. But sometimes, someone does see them. And when they do, everything can change.
This is Islander’s story — one of heartbreak, recovery, and the power of education to transform how we treat animals in need.
Found, Barely Alive
A friend of the animals and supporter of IWCT, Paps Jinok, was out on a street feeding round in Manila, when he spotted a dog unlike the others. This dog didn’t dart off or bark in fear. He simply stood there — motionless, sad, almost defeated.
His body was ravaged by severe mange, his skin flaking and raw. He was dehydrated, malnourished, and painfully thin — just skin and bones. He was the kind of dog people walk past every day in the Philippines, not sparing enough time to consider whether he’ll survive or not.
But this man didn’t walk past. He brought the dog to us.
We named him Islander.
The Diagnosis
Islander was in bad shape. His mange had advanced to the point where he had lost most of his fur. His immune system was failing, and he was dangerously underweight. He would not have lasted much longer on the street. But with care, food, and medication at the IWCT Treatment Centre, Islander began to recover. Slowly, he started to heal.
Today, his fur is growing back, he’s gained weight, and his spark has returned.
The Bigger Picture: Strays Like Islander
Islander is just one of countless stray dogs across the Philippines. And his condition isn’t rare — it’s typical.
Many dogs suffer on the streets not from cruelty, but from neglect born out of misunderstanding. Mange is seen as a death sentence. Thin, sickly dogs are thought to be unfixable. Many people don’t know that mange is treatable, that strays can recover, and that compassion is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.
This is why education is critical.
At IWCT, we not only rescue dogs like Islander — we work to educate local communities about basic care, disease prevention, and humane treatment of animals. With awareness and access to affordable veterinary services, conditions like Islander’s can be treated early — or prevented entirely.
Help Us Do More
Islander is healing, but thousands of others still suffer, simply because they’ve never known kindness — or because people don’t know how to help.
Your support means more than just rescue — it means we can continue educating communities, running mobile clinics, and showing people that stray dogs aren’t hopeless. They’re just unseen.
Help us change that.
Please Donate today — and be the reason more dogs like Islander are seen, saved, and given a second chance.
