4th Impact. Images: Instagram/@4thimpactmusic
The fundraising campaign put up by 4th Impact for their 200 dogs was taken down from GoFundMe’s official website after the girl group received criticism from the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and netizens.
On Feb. 28, the female P-pop girl sought to raise funds to put up a “farm lot for our 200 Shih Tzu dogs” on the online fundraising platform. “Our journey with our beloved dogs began with a gift from our fans: five precious Shih Tzus,” Elvira said in the now-deleted post.
“Over time, our passion for these furry companions led to unexpected blessings, but also unexpected challenges,” she continued. “But as our family of dogs multiplied, so did the need for space and resources.”
Image: Screengrab from gofundme’s official website
Image: Screengrab from gofundme’s official website
The online fundraising campaign, however, drew flak from netizens and the animal welfare group on social media, with PAWS appearing to point to them as “irresponsible pet owners” in one of their posts.
One of the negative comments comes from Instagram user @docgab_veterinarian, who creates veterinary content on social media.
“Ang pagpaparami ng mga alagang hayop through ‘mating’ sa sariling bahay na walang kaukulang permit ay tinatawag na ‘backyard breeding’ at ito po ay illegal. Lalo na kung ang mga ito ay ibinebenta o pinagkakakitaan,” he wrote. “Ang ‘inbreeding’ naman ay ang pagtatalik ng magkapatid o anak at magulang na hayop. Ito ay nagreresulta sa mas mahinang mga anak na kadalasan ay maraming sakit at komplikasyon.”
(Having many pet animals through “mating” in their home without a permit is called “backyard breeding” and it’s illegal. Especially if it’s done to sell and earn money. “Inbreeding,” on the other hand, is the mating between siblings or parent. This results in weak animals who go through sicknesses and other complications.)
“Unlike the irresponsible pet owners in the latest celebrity news, pls never ever let your own pets reproduce as there are already so many dogs and cats in need of homes in shelters, in pounds, and on the streets. Spay and neuter is the way to go,” PAWS wrote on Facebook.
However, as of this writing, 4th Impact’s campaign appears to have been taken down from the online fundraising platform as its contents are “not found.”
Image: Screengrab from gofundme’s official website
Members of the girl group, however, have yet to address the online fundraiser as well.