Life with Ligaya

PANGGA: Her full name is Pallangga which means ”loved one” in the Aklan dialect. She came to us May 5th, 2002 that’s why we celebrate her birthday on Cinco the Mayo.

It was through an irresponsible and impulsive vendor that we got her. He brought her around the office the day he adopted her from the Humane Society. To this day, I remember how she sat very still just staring at me throughout the visit. She did not look at anybody else.

As it turned out, the vendor’s wife would not even let ”Panda” (as Pangga was called then) in the house when he took her home. About midnight that same day, the vendor came around to ask us if we could please keep her overnight. He planned to take her back to the Humane Society the next day.  

For various unknown reasons, Pangga had been returned twice before. It would have been her third rejection. I couldn’t stand the thought of her unloved and homeless or worst. By morning, she was in the car with us to her first hockey game.   We don’t know if she suspects what the alternative was. I’d like her to think that when she was brought to us – she knew she was coming home. 

TEEMU: He was named after one of my favorite hockey players – Teemu Selanne.  Not long after we got Pangga, another vendor was telling me about a new dog they got. He told me that his Jennie was one of three that was rescued after having been abandoned.  Another was adopted by a Caltrans worker. A third was with our neighbor Theresa, our neighbor and she was looking for no one . Theresa tells me that She had three other dogs and she could not keep him.

She called him “Worm” because he was so scared of everything that he crawled on his stomach. He was huddled in a blanket at the back of Theresa’s car when I saw him. It was love at first sight.

It was a different story when he and Pangga met.  We were afraid that although he may have survived the wilds, he might not live long enough to see his first birthday.  Happily, a dog detente was achieved. We designated his birthday to be August 14th but we celebrate his being alive every day.