Princess Ingrid BergmanJune 2005 - February 2006
I'm a total wreck. That morbid ominous feeling I had all month finally made sense yesterday when our little Ingrid had to be put to sleep due to a viral infection and resurgence of distemper. And although her time with Tesa and I was short and sweet, her death also comes associated with a very disturbing trend happening among the Philippine upper classes right now: The giving away of puppies as souvenirs. It was just last August when my aunt called me up to asked me if I wanted to adopt a Jack Russel. Being the dog person that I am, I happily accepted the offer. But upon receiving Ingrid, I soon learned the darker story behind the request. Apparently, at some hoity toity soiree thrown by some fruitcake freakshow named Tynie Meneses, Ingrid and her siblings were passed out to my aunt and the guests as they were leaving. And it gets worse, not only were they given away like lollipops without a single thought regarding the pup's welfare, apparently this guy also kept the puppies and their mother on a fighting cock farm in Sto. Tomas - a totally inappropriate place for dog raising. That was where Ingrid's distemper developed. All her other brothers and sisters died of the disease soon after the party and Ingrid was the only survivor. And although I would like to throw all the blame squarely on Tynie's shoulders, sadly, he is not alone in this savage heartless trend. The precedent for this was set by that social climbing C grade actress Gretchen Bareto who gave away dalmatians at the 101 Dalmatian themed party she threw for her daughter's birthday last year. So to you Tynie and Gretchen, I say this: DOGS ARE NOT PARTY FAVORS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY AND CARE THAT GOES INTO RAISING A DOG. IT'S LIKE GIVING AWAY INFANTS FOR CHRISTMAS. IT'S A BARBARIC ACT THAT IS NEITHER CUTE NOR RESPONSIBLE. IT IS A REFLECTION OF YOUR LACK OF BREEDING, EDUCATION, AND HUMANITY. So for you, Tynie, I wish that you suffer in the same way that your diseased dogs did. And for you Gretchen, I guess it's already bad enough just to be known as a money grubbing, posturing, adulterer who will never fulfill her dream of being the other Gretchen Cowanko.
