Laying Down Negativity to Rest in a Pet Cemetery

by Greg Salido Quimpo and Heidi Marquez

Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), in its nearly two decades of protecting and rescuing maltreated animals, especially the dogs that are slaughter-bound, has seen the worst atrocities inflicted on the Filipino dogs and cats. No doubt that man’s negative treatment of these animals have caused enormous suffering, or worse, their lives.

In the early days of rescuing the slaughter-bound dogs, the dog traders crammed the hapless animals, about 70 to 100 of them restrained and tightly muzzled in a false-floor of a mini-van, and the dogs had to endure the seven-hour travel from south to the north of Luzon.

Half of them died in transit.  

The horrendous cruelty to these animals starts from the moment they are kidnapped, snared, muzzled, restrained and kept in ridiculously cramped spaces until the moment they are bludgeoned to death.

AKF provides a burial ground, a garden of flowers and plants, inside its rescue center in Capas, Tarlac.

AKF’s Pet Cemetery of Negativity was built to give these maltreated animals a decent final resting place.

At the AKF cemetery lie the most loving creatures to walk the earth: the dogs. Some of them have names while the rest were recovered lifeless as victims of the dog meat trade.

It is said that dogs are angels with four paws and furs. As disguised heavenly creatures, dogs bring so much joy and benefits into our lives.

They guard us, make us exercise, listen to us and provide us endless companionship. They make us laugh and snuggle with us when they see us sad. They give out all beneficial positive energies while we dump negative vibes on them. They embrace even our dislikable selves.

Yet cruelty is inflicted on these gentle creatures. Many are hurt, stoned, stabbed, and even shot.

Buried here at the AKF cemetery with the dogs are some of the negativity that we wish the living dogs would never experience.

Here lies Kruel Ty, may he rest in peace and not bother any animal again.

Anne Wan Ted is here, too, buried so that all dogs will not feel discriminated, unloved and hurt.

Thin Tin, neglected, ignored and treated insignificantly, is buried here. May her experience of mistreatment remain in this burial place to spare other dogs of such painful fate.

The dogs suffered too much from human hands in various forms of cruelty, maltreatment, and neglect.

Hence, we thought it is best to use the cemetery as a way to bury all together these negative acts through the messages/names so that people can learn from these mistakes with a view of ending it too,” she added.

This is AKF's Cemetery of Negativity, may negativity remain buried here forever.]