An animal shelter’s plea for donations opened up talks about the costly nature of running a facility for animals.
The Facebook page of MBY Pet Rescue and Sanctuary, an animal shelter in Rizal, uploaded a photo of a notice of disconnection sent by Meralco on May 29 after it failed to pay its electricity bills on time.
In the post, the sanctuary said that its bills rose from P43,000 to nearly P62,000.
“Do most got a higher Meralco bill this month? The Sanctuary did, from P43,000 plus to almost P62,000. The highest bill the sanctuary has ever had. This is just a month’s bill, as previous bills have been settled,” the organization said.
“A total of P39,000 were credited already before the due date, and were expecting only around P5,000 to pay yet, but, we didn’t expect a P62,000 bill! And that leaves the P22,000 amount unsettled,” it recalled.
The sanctuary also reacted with sadness and a bit of sarcasm at a suggestion for the shelter to close down amid the rising costs of running it.
“With too many better shelters, to accommodate needy homeless. Closing down would be perfect,” MBY said.
“And too many smart ones, who cannot even relate to what the Sanctuary does to less fortunate beings can rest and support better shelters to accommodate more homeless distressed as low funds is often the problem for not accommodating new ones and maintaining their status as full capacity,” the organization added.
“And to all self-called haters, may you all rest in peace,” it also stressed.
MBY’s donation channels are posted on its Facebook display photo.
Not a walk in the park
MBY’s lengthy rant caught the attention of its followers who expressed mixed reactions to its situation.
Some Filipinos showed sympathy for them. They encouraged each other to donate funds for the facility.
“You have 129,000 followers. Let’s donate, just don’t close down the shelter. I am also a rescuer and this hurts me. Please!” a Facebook user said.
“Tulong tulong po tayo…tayo lang maaasahan ng mga fur babies,” another Filipino commented.
Other concerned Filipinos, however, perceived the message in the post as “guilt-tripping.”
“I’ve noticed in your posts almost every month that there is mention of the dogs not being able to eat due to the lack of donations. I apologize for pointing this out, but I’ve noticed na parang may hint of guilt tripping eh,” a Facebook user said.
This topic was also discussed on the subreddit forum r/Philippines.
A Redditor posted a screenshot of the sanctuary’s post on May 30. Moderators of the forum, however, took it down, citing uncensored personal information.
The discussion section, meanwhile, is still open.
In the discussion section, Redditors disagreed with the way the sanctuary management appeals to its followers for donations.
“What is the admin of the page trying to portray here? Oo, mahirap magpatakbo ng shelter, but just like that? They’re going to give up on the furries? Instead of guilt-tripping people, why not focus solely on fundraising programs and awareness campaigns?” a Redditor said.
“There are costs involved in the operations of an animal shelter! Hindi yan paramihan ng likes o shares. Kahit na may volunteers ka for free labor ay kailangan mo pa rin bayaran ang rent and utilities,” another Redditor pointed out.
Most organizations that are dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of stray cats and dogs also relied on donations and relief goods to run their facilities.
Large shelters, however, managed to look for other ways to support the needs of their rescues.
RELATED: Animal shelters call for donations for stray animals, rescuers affected by ‘Odette’ | ‘Major SOS status’: Animal rescue group calls for donation for 600 rescued animals | How to donate to pets, families displaced by Sta. Cruz, Manila fire
