50 dogs, cats rescued from Parañaque blaze need help

Amid the heartbreak and devastation caused by the massive fire that swept through a residential community in Parañaque City, dozens of frightened dogs and cats survived alongside their owners — but they now urgently need help. A total of 50 rescued pets are currently staying with their families at the evacuation center in San Antonio Elementary School after the late Wednesday night blaze destroyed their homes in Barangay San Antonio Valley 1. Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the rescued animals, along with the 1,800 displaced residents, are now taking temporary shelter at the school. Many of the pets escaped the fire traumatized, hungry, and without necessities. Authorities are appealing to animal lovers and kind-hearted donors to help provide dog and cat food, water bowls, crates or carriers, leashes, collars, and pet hygiene supplies such as shampoo, wipes, and towels. Olivarez said that the rescued pets are also victims of the tragedy and need care and comfort. Those who wish to donate may coordinate with PAWS volunteer Kryndall Garcia-Puzon at 0917-317-7214, the city’s Animal Regulations Division veterinarian Doc Maisie Althea Gubat at 8-813-0813; or Flor Condolon, the evacuation center focal person from the City Social Welfare and Development Department. While families continue trying to recover from the disaster, many evacuees refused to leave behind their beloved pets, carrying them to safety as flames engulfed their neighborhood. The fire broke out at around 11:12 p.m. on Wednesday at a three-story residential house owned by Elmer Opamil and quickly spread through the densely populated area. Authorities said the blaze escalated to Task Force Alpha at 2:36 a.m. Thursday, May 7, before being declared under control at around 5:40 a.m. Three individuals were injured in the incident, while around 300 houses were damaged, affecting about 600 families or nearly 1,800 residents. Initial estimates placed the property damage at around P900,000. A total of 94 fire trucks responded to the blaze, including 29 from the Bureau of Fire Protection and 65 from volunteer fire brigades. Olivarez said the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) also deployed tanker and filtration trucks to Barangay San Dionisio to provide additional water supply for responding fire units during the operation.