Korina Sanchez-Roxas with some of her pets at home.
Korina Sanchez-Roxas, award winning broadcast journalist, has told many stories. But there is a story close to her heart, something she shares when asked. That's because it's about her private life, and her passionate advocacy of rescuing stray dogs. In the 10 years that she's been doing this, Korina has rescued about 3,000 stray dogs from all over the country — putting them up for adoption, and keeping a few as pets.
The lovely broadcast journalist who started her career almost 40 years ago, and earned a reputation for good and relevant stories, while also keeping her private life private, has a big heart for stray dogs. She believes – and gives an emotional argument to drive home the thought – that a dog has a soul and feelings, just like humans.
"Hindi ako naniniwala na wala silang kaluluwa. Who knows? Some say they don't. But how do you explain what you see? Yumayakap sila. I really don't know," said Korina during an interview in Quezon City recently. "Hindi ba lumalabas sa mga feed ninyo yung adoption and rescue ng mga animals. Ano ang nararamdaman ninyo? Ganun yun! (I don't believe they don't have souls. Who knows? Some say they don't. But how do you explain what you see? They hug...they kiss. I don't know. Do you get the adoption and rescue of animals in your (social media) feeds? What do you feel? That's it!)”
She stressed that dogs have emotions. "Who says dogs don't have emotions? When she (a stray dog she rescued) sees me, she stands up to give me a hug. As if she is forever grateful for the safe, fun, and loving home we gave her," Korina said.
Her recent rescue operation happened while she was on vacation in Boracay.
"Pumunta nga ako ng Boracay at inuwi ko lahat ng dogs sa beach. I brought a team of vets. I took them to a hotel, binakunahan muna silang lahat, dinala sa isang shelter sa Aklan. Kasama na ang support with food. Ang bagal magpa-adopt. So ni-RoRo ko sila by 10," she said. (I went to Boracay, rescued all the dogs at the beach, vaccinated them, and took them to a shelter. I also provided food and transportation),” she narrated during an interview.
Korina Sanchez- Roxas with her pets and a two rescued dogs in August 2021. (File photo)
Shelter for the stray dogs
But where does Korina keep all those stray dogs she has rescued?
I rented a house in Pasig because whenever I pick up dogs from the streets, it's more expensive to put them in a vet or clinic until they get adopted. It costs P1,500 a night there. So they stay in a house, and I get them adopted individually. When they get adopted, I can rescue them again, she said in Pilipino.
A few of those strays are somewhere around her. " I have five in my Cubao home. I have five in my Makati home. I have three in my Merville home where I grew up. And I have about 20 in my shelter," she said.
Non-negotiable
She made it clear that her dogs were non-negotiable. She laughs when she remembered the times she had an argument with her husband, Senator Mar Roxas – about the dogs.
"Kung minsan naiinis siya. Ay hindi, dito matutulog yan sa ulunan ko. Sabi niya, 'may dinala ka na namang dog galing sa kalye.' Ni-rescue ko sa isang shelter. So nandyan lang siya sa garahe. So sabi nya, may bago na naman? Ang dami-dami na.
(Sometimes, he gets annoyed. Oh no, the dog will sleep here on my head, he said, or, 'you brought another dog from the street? There are so many’.)
She related the time she left their home and went to her mother’s because of an argument where her husband said he would send the dogs to the mountains the next day.
"Ipapadala ko yan sa bundok. Akala ko nagbibiro. Sabi niya, hindi bukas ng umaga, ipapadala ko na talaga,” she said.
“That night naglayas ako. First time ko maglayas kasama yung dog. Umuwi ako sa bahay namin. Sabi ng mommy ko, oh, this is a first. Overnight lang naman pinauwi rin niya ako. No compromise talaga ang dogs ko (That night I ran away. It was the first time I ran away with the dog. I went home to our house. My mommy said, oh, this is a first. But he also only sent me home overnight.”
Korina Sanchez-Roxas with one of the rescued dogs sit on the beac (Image courtesy of Facebook)
Adopt-A-Pet from K
Recently, Korina launched ‘Adopt-a-Pet-from-K,’ which is run by a dedicated team of three people.
Korina has set standards for those who want to adopt the dogs. "I investigate the would-be adopting parents. Never tie, never cage, sleep in the house, hindi puwedeng guard dog, hindi puwedeng nakabukas ang gate or nasa veranda. May experience na kasi ako na tumatalon sila. Lahat dapat may bantay. May pera ba kayo para ipa-vet yan? Mahal. Huwag ninyong pakainin yan dahil magkakagalis. (They must sleep indoors and should not be made a guard dog, or leave the gate open. I have experience with dogs jumping fences, so everyone must have a secure fence. Do you have the funds to get the dog vetted? Please do not feed the dog any food without our approval as it may cause itching), she said.
She even requires them to send photos of the dogs and to allow visits from her staff. “Minsan maabutan ko sa visit yung dog wala ng buhok. Bawi yun (Once in a visit, I saw that the dog was losing its fur. I took it back)," she said.
She has many stories about each of the rescued strays. One is about Jas, a dog she saw along J.Abad Santos Street where her studio is located.
"We saw this dog curled up maybe in pain and hunger on a piece of cloth. Skin and bones. Most of her fur was gone because of malnutrition and disease. She couldn't eat well from the garbage pile because she had a nerve problem from the dreaded parvo disease that is fatal to dogs. She could not keep her head from twitching.”
Naturally, she took care of the stray dog. "Less than a year after we took care of Jas (acronym of Jose Abad Santos Ave), she attended her very first dog birthday party. Her fur is now perfect. Her body is rounded, healthy, spayed, and vaccinated. Shed a tear of joy finding out her head doesn't shake anymore! The condition is usually permanent.”
Bring more love into your life by adopting one of our rescues. Email us at [email protected]," she wrote.
Korina’s journalism career spans almost four decades. She is currently the host of Rated Korina on Kapamilya Network; host and executive producer of Tik Talks on TV5; and host and producer of Korina Interviews on Net 25. She married Mar Roxas on Oct. 27, 2009; they have two kids, Pepe and Pilar.