Actress Heart Evangelista played Good Samaritan for stray animals when she found a cat while jogging in a school campus recently.
Last week, Evangelista stopped and took time to approach a brown and white stray cat while doing her exercise routine at the University of the Philippines compound in Diliman, Quezon City.
“I found her!!! Took me days to find this cutie…I fed her a few days ago and she was so friendly. If only I had a shelter to be the voice of the voiceless, to make a difference starting with the smallest things…could be a better world…I will run everyday to feed you little missmingning,” said Evangelista, wife of Senator Chiz Escudero, in her Instagram post.
She initially called the cat “Miss Mingning” and later “Ginger.” The actress finally decided to bring the cat home the next day.
But Evangelista had second thoughts of taking “Ginger” home after another cat showed up near her vehicle.
“Today another cat joined us and looks like she’s the daughter of Ginger. It was heartbreaking to take Ginger and leave her daughter behind. Ginger has a life here in UP and I’m so torn if I should still take her home and have her adopted:( I’ll just see her tomorrow,” said Evangelista, also spokesperson for Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).
Evangelista is one of few local celebrities who is a staunch supporter of animal rights.
In 2015, the multi-awarded actress slammed a Quezon City ordinance that limit pet ownership among residents.
“I’d like to think that they had good intentions in passing the ordinance and while I agree with some of its provisions. Animal welfare is not about this. Abandonment of dogs/cats is punishable by law and this totally goes against it,” Evangelista said in her IG post.
“It promotes dog/cat lovers to abandon their dogs no matter what age and how long they have had the dog/cat in their home. Pet abandonment is a crime under amended AWA. If people are imposed penalties or fees for having more than four pets…this may increase the incidence of pet abandonment,” she added.
Evangelista has adopted more than 10 Aspins or AsongPinoy. They live in the farm of her father.