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Ampon Alaga‘s rescue story began in the ash-choked chaos of a natural disaster; after the Taal Volcano erupted in 2020, PETA Asia saved more than 100 dogs, cats, and other animals left behind. Working tirelessly through COVID-19 lockdowns, staff and volunteers rehabilitated the animals and matched them with loving families.
“Seeing once-abandoned animals go on to live safe, happy lives continues to remind us why rescue, adoption, and preventing homelessness through spay-and-neuter programs are so important,” says Jana Sevilla, senior campaigner for PETA Asia.
That trial by fire gave birth to Ampon Alaga. “Ampon Alaga is PETA Asia’s rescue, adoption, foster, and spay-and-neuter program. Its mission is to help build a more compassionate society where companion animals are adopted rather than bought,” Sevilla explains.
Today, the organization faces a heartbreaking daily crisis on the streets: a severe epidemic of companion-animal overpopulation. In underserved communities, homeless animals face daily dangers, including hunger, disease, abuse, traffic accidents, and extreme weather.
To break this cycle of suffering, Ampon Alaga deploys its most powerful weapon: large-scale, free spay-and-neuter clinics. Run by a core team of just six full-time staff members, these events are awe-inspiring, 24-hour marathons of love. A single Spay Day requires around 120 volunteers working grueling shifts—from as early as 4 a.m. until 3 a.m. the following day—to handle everything from registration to recovery. The impact is enormous; an average clinic serves around 600 animals, with their largest single-day marathon having helped 740 animals.
These free clinics provide essential care to families facing financial or geographic barriers. “By keeping animals healthy and preventing overpopulation, these programs reduce suffering, ease the burden on families and communities, and empower people to care for their animal companions responsibly and compassionately,” Sevilla says.
For rescued animals waiting for a family, healing happens through the Volunteer Walk program. Many dogs arrive shy, anxious, or unfamiliar with positive human interaction. By taking them on walks and giving them affection, volunteers help build the dogs’ confidence and teach them to trust people again. Sevilla notes, “The experience is also rewarding for volunteers, who get to see firsthand the impact that patience, kindness, and companionship can have on an animal’s recovery and journey from rescue to adoption.”
Ultimately, Ampon Alaga hopes to see local governments institutionalize large-scale spay-and-neuter programs so humane population control becomes a standard public service. Until then, their dream relies entirely on community support. “The support we need most is from volunteers, foster caregivers, adopters, donors, and local government partners who share our vision of creating a future where no dog or cat suffers from homelessness, neglect, or overpopulation,” Sevilla says with a smile.
For more information or if you’d like to help or volunteer, please check out the following sites:
Website: www.petaasia.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmponAlaga/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/amponalaga/
Frequently Asked Questions
Ampon Alaga is PETA Asia’s rescue, adoption, foster, and spay-and-neuter program in the Philippines, founded to build a more compassionate society where companion animals are adopted rather than bought, and to address the country’s severe companion-animal overpopulation crisis.
Ampon Alaga grew out of PETA Asia’s rescue of more than 100 dogs, cats, and other animals after the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption. Staff and volunteers rehabilitated the animals through COVID-19 lockdowns and matched them with adoptive families, which became the foundation for the ongoing program.
Ampon Alaga’s free spay-and-neuter clinics, called Spay Days, run as 24-hour events staffed by around 120 volunteers, typically serving about 600 animals per clinic. Their largest single-day event helped 740 animals, run by a core team of just six full-time staff.
The Volunteer Walk program pairs volunteers with rescued dogs, many of whom arrive shy or fearful of humans, to help rebuild their confidence and trust through walks and affection. The program supports the dogs’ emotional recovery on their path from rescue to adoption.
Ampon Alaga relies on volunteers, foster caregivers, adopters, donors, and local government partnerships to sustain its work. Interested supporters can find more information through PETA Asia’s website, or Ampon Alaga’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
