In 2006, I came upon a website about dogs for sale. It's not about those cute Poodle, Dachshund or Shitzu puppies you see at pet shops, but about the common street dogs that people in Manila call askal, asong kalye or street dog.

The askal in the website are tied up. The first photo shows a common, brown askal with forelegs dislocated and twisted towards its back. Its mouth is gagged with a jagged tin can. And the cut up bodies of others lie on a table – ready to be chopped and cooked.

"Boomer" by Elson T. Elizaga

I shared these revolting images to an online photo list, and one member responded with another photo of an askal bound on a motorcab like a pig. He wanted to buy that dog and set it free, but someone said the dog would be caught again, and there are more dogs in the market for sale.

One list member, apparently a dog-eater, asked: "What is the difference between a pig, a chicken, and a dog?"

I replied that the dog is intelligent, of course. But it's what intelligent humans do with intelligent creatures that amazes me. They have been using dogs not for food, but for higher goals. They train dogs to provide emotional stability to special children, the sick, and the elderly. Dogs also guard the farms, herding sheep, goats, and cattle. And, yes, dogs guide the blind, sort out drugs, sniff bombs and cancer cells, find lost people and animals, track down criminals, and retrieve prey. The first animal to go into orbit was an askal- looking Russian stray dog named Laika.

Animal Planet has a feature about an unusually ingenious program --inmates being trained to train dogs! This gives the prisoners renewed self-confidence and a sense of purpose, borne out of knowing that they are still useful to society, because the trained dogs will soon be given to families who will benefit from them.

To use a dog the way one uses a pig and a chicken is, therefore, strange.

And if you think the askal is an inferior breed, consider this: It's descended from the slim wolf of Egypt, the same wolf that gave rise to the tough, adaptable Canaan Dog of Israel. The Canaan was a wild dog that lived closed to humans, hunting and scavenging. The Bedouin tribes captured their puppies, and raised them to guard their flocks and tents.

In 1934, a team led by Dr. Rudolphina Menzel retrieved and bred theseresilient animals for the Hagana, the Jewish Defense Forces before Israel became a state. German Shepherds, Boxers and Dobermans had earlier failed to function well in the harsh Palestinian environment.

The Hagana used the Canaan as messengers and sentry dogs for the civilians, soldiers, and members of the Red Cross. During the Second World War, the Canaan served as land mine detectors, performing better than the machines.

The Canaan, therefore, contributed to the founding of a country. It became the national dog of Israel and is protected. Today, you'll find proud owners of these dogs posing for photographers in the US, France and elsewhere. And you'll be amused, because the dogs look like the bisaya of Lapasan, Nazareth, and Tignapoloan.

Which is not surprising because the askal, the dingo, the singing dog of New Guinea, the Thai Ridgeback, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, the Carolina wild dog, and the Indian pariah are all descendants of that Middle East stock. Check out the photos of these dogs in many websites, and you'll see a strong resemblance. These animals are collectively called pariah dogs.

A Caucasian walking his aspin in Opol, Misamis Oriental, Philippines. When I asked him why he has a native dog, he said, "These dogs are beautiful".

POSTSCRIPT

For a long time, the askal has been ignored by dog organizations, but The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) campaigns for the humane treatment of the native dog, calling it aspin ("asong Pinoy", i.e., dog of the Philippines). It organized the Aspin Club, which was launched on April 24, 2010 at Eastwood City in cooperation with Alpo.

In the article "Aspins and mixed breeds rule" by Kathy Moran and published in The Philippine Star, PAWS president Nita-Hontiveros-Lichauco said: "The formation of the PAWS Aspin Club is a fulfillment, not only mine, but of all animal advocates of their lifelong dream of promoting the beauty and dignity of our local breed. I have long waited for this day to come. And now, it is here.”

Moran also wrote: "The club provides an opportunity for owners to socialize their Aspins through fun pet activities like dog walks, pet photography sessions, canine picnics, basic obedience lessons, and such. It also aims to promote the welfare of Aspins through education, lobbying and campaigns."

Several movie stars have joined the information drive about aspin, among them Heart Evangelista and Jericho Rosales.

LInks

• A photo of a Canaan dog in the American Kennel Club Gazette