I found out about CARA’s rescue of the pit bulls a long time ago but I only found the time to get there last year, and my outlook of love for animals has changed since.

You see in March of 2012, hundreds of dogs were rescued from a dog fighting operation in Laguna and about a month later, CARA Welfare Philippines gave the dogs a home, love and care since. It’s been more than 5 years, and still around 88 dogs still need to find homes, have medical care, and share the love they still have for humans, which, considering what they’ve been through, is a miracle in itself.

So we volunteered to spend the day with the pit bulls at their sanctuary. We went through the screening process, sent them a filled up application form, sent them government IDs and after about two weeks, found ourselves around the sweetest dogs ever.

When you get there your heart invariably melts because they are all excited and happy to see you. You get oriented and shown around to meet the dogs, and are encouraged to put your hand with treats into their cages to say hi. Consider that. These dogs that were raised to fight, gingerly fishing the treat from your hand and licking you at first contact. I, without exaggeration, have not met a friendlier group of dogs kept in cages. This is ultimately due to the constant rehabilitation, love and attention CARA’s full time staff provides them, which I believe has to be the most heartbreaking but also most fulfilling job one can undertake for the love of a dog.

We got to walk them and throw a ball around with several dogs, but there’s a lot of work you can do around the space. You can bathe them or help brush or clean the cages and space. You can donate here if you don’t have the time to spare. You can reblog and spread the word through social media so others can help. If you have the space and the love, you can foster. Best yet, you can find a place for your home for a pit bull of your own. The process is stringent but also, fair as the organization wants these dogs who have spent almost their whole lifetime waiting for a home, to find a good, permanent one.

It is ultimately my wish to help these dogs find their forever home, and encourage my friends (and even am volunteering to drive and cover the adoption fee) to open their homes up for these loves who just want to be loved back. I currently have my hands tied because my home is not fully behind the idea of pit bulls (it will take some time to rehabilitate pit bull reputations around here), but I am sincerely hoping to help get someone the love of their life. And by that I meant if you want someone to love you for the rest of their life, open your heart to a Laguna Pit Bull, and see how your life will change.