MANILA, Philippines – Social media users and animal welfare groups lambasted Balay Dako, a restaurant in Tagaytay City, for their statement regarding an incident involving a customer with a pet aspin.
Balay Dako recently came under fire after Facebook user Lara Antonio claimed that the establishment refused to accommodate her aspin named Yoda.
Antonio said that the restaurant staff only provided her with vague details about the size qualifications in their guidelines, leading her to believe that Balay Dako was allegedly discriminating against aspins.
The restaurant claimed Yoda wasn’t allowed inside because of his size, but Lara thought otherwise because photos shown by staff had dogs bigger than Yoda inside the restaurant.
The post quickly went viral on social media, with several users expressing their dismay and hurt on having aspins being subjected to discrimination.
Balay Dako then released a statement to apologize for the “misunderstanding regarding [its] pet policy.” The statement says they “understand the importance of accommodating pets” as they are a “company that loves animals,” but they said that they’ll also have to be considerate of the safety of their guests.
The statement, however, earned the ire of the public, with social media users saying that it was a “non-apology.”
In the comments section, the Philippine Animal Rescue Team (P.A.R.T) called out Balay Dako for directly not addressing the issue about Yoda. P.A.R.T pointed out that the establishment didn’t mention why Yoda wasn’t allowed entry to the restaurant’s premises.
“This issue is about Yoda, the aspin, it would be clearer if you could address your apology letter to the furparents if indeed you are apologetic about this ‘misunderstanding’ as you have stated,” P.A.R.T added.
As of writing, Balay Dako’s statement also has 120,000 angry reactions and 48,000 haha reactions.
Motivational speaker Jonathan Yabut also proposed a revised statement for Balay Dako, noting that public apologies should specify the wrong action, address the party that was hurt, and identify the next steps to being better.
Animal welfare groups advocate for aspins, pet-friendly guidelines
The incident sparked discussion on the continued discrimination against native dogs, as well as the definition of being “pet-friendly.”
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) said that establishments who label themselves as “pet-friendly” should be “mindful of their practices” and “ensure that their policies reflect genuine inclusivity, and not arbitrary standards or breed preferences.”
Filipino celebrities John Arcilla, Heart Evangelista, and Carla Abellana left comments on PAWS’ post. “These establishments should be reprimanded officially and legally. There should be no discrimination of pets on all levels,” Arcilla wrote.
Other animal welfare groups, such as Animal Kingdom Foundation, Pawssion Project, Philippine Animal Rescue Team, and CARA Welfare Philippines also released respective statements to remind the public against breed discrimination among animals.
“Every dog, regardless of breed, deserves love, care, and respect. Filipino dogs are just as loyal, loving, and wonderful as any other breed,” Animal Kingdom Foundation wrote.
Pawssion Project echoed the sentiment, saying: “We continue to hope and pray and do what we can in our own capacity to raise awareness on the beauty of our own aspins. Regardless of breed, they deserve love, care, attention, and a home too.”
PAWS Philippines also emphasized that establishments can’t be considered “pet-friendly” if they’re not “Aspin-friendly.”
“Being truly pet friendly means embracing a holistic, inclusive love for all pets,” the group said. – Rappler.com