Recently we were blessed to be visited by business students from Thames International.
The morning away from studies allowed them to watch a seminar promoting responsible pet ownership before going out to the Enrichment Park for a meet and greet with our rescues!
Why this is important
The students are all in the Gen Z category, meaning they are the influential next generation. Teaching them to be compassionate about dogs and showing them the value of dog ownership is pivotal for the future and welfare of dogs in the Philippines.
The students all had camera phones and all have social media accounts so shared their experience online, as well as telling their families and communities.
The more people we can reach and impact positively, the more likely more people will choose to become dog owners. This in turn will ease the burden of shelters and reduce the number of dogs suffering on the street.
Practical interaction
Seeing the dogs and spending time with them in the Enrichment Park was very important. Not everyone is used to being in close proximity with a dog. Some led a dog on a lead for the first time. Others got close to them and posed for selfies.
It wasn’t just the students who enjoyed the interaction, it was also great fun for the dogs. Our rescues spend a lot of time with our kennelmates and volunteers but interacting with new people is an important part of their rehabilitation. The more they get comfortable with meeting new people, the more successful their chance to be adopted.
Looking ahead
We hope that more colleges and universities take up the opportunity to have an away day at IWCT. We need to increase the awareness of our charity and the work we do. We also need more volunteers to help with walking and feeding. These meet and greet days are away to invite people who want to follow up and become volunteers, ambassadors and supporters.
How you can help
If you are in the Philippines and have a group who would like to visit the Treatment Centre and meet some special rescue dogs, please message the IWCT Philippines Facebook page.
Equally, if you’d like to volunteer, please get in touch by the same means.
For those outside the Philippines, you can still get to know our rescues through sponsorship. Sponsoring a rescue dog will help towards it’s maintenance and rehabilitation costs. You will be sent regular updates about your sponsored dog, during it’s time with us. Many of the sponsored dogs are likely to remain at the Treatment Centre forever, so your sponsorship secures their future.
If you are not in a position to volunteer or make a donation, even following us on social media and sharing content helps raise awareness about our organisation. You can see all our platforms from our Facebook pages IWCT – UK and IWCT Philippines.
Thank you.
