If I was to tell you that a 9yr old opened an animal shelter in the Philippines, rescued 100 dogs and cats and provided tens of 1000's of meals to starving strays, you probably would sum that up to a tall tale. But such is the case with this inspiring story about a generous boy named Ken Amante.
The Beginning
Ken has a heart of gold when it comes to rescue dogs and cats. Not turned-off my sickly mangy-looking strays, in early 2014, Ken was known to convert his pocket change into pet food. In turn, he would feed it to animals with gaping sores and mange -- a disease dogs acquire when all their hair falls out.
Ken's dad took photos of his kind-hearted son and released them online. When they quickly went viral, donations all over the world began to pour in.
Dream come true . . .
During an local media interview, Ken noted that he had "always loved animals, even when I was young. I was fond of them even when I was small. My parents told me that before I could even talk, I was already sleeping with my dad’s cat, Hajime-kun. Hajime-kun is 14 now, and he’s still here.”
Although Ken was not even 10 yrs old at the time, his dream to open a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter was being realized. Using the donations he received, the boy established “The Happy Animals Club,” on March 31, 2014 -- the first shelter of its kind in the Davao region of the Philippines.
“I came up with the idea for the Happy Animals Club when I was thinking that there may be more kill shelters than actual shelters for animals,” he said, according to Metro. “I want to save as many of those dogs as I can from being killed for no reason."
The Center of it all . . .
Ken's family helped manage a rental plot of 10,000 square feet for the Happy Animals Club and stocked it with top-line animal food imports.
The Happy Animals Club is still running today. “Since 2014, we’ve rescued more than 100 starving and sick animals, and provided countless meals to hungry strays,” its website states. As the number of animals increases, more volunteers and donations would be required.
Not in his wildest dreams did Ken think that his simple act of kindness would grow as it did. The Epoch Times summed it nicely: "He is living proof that caring does pay off, and sometimes it is good to let one’s heart lead the way."
Donations & Adoptions
The shelter only exists thanks to those who support it financially. You can help too by donating here, and you can adopt your own 'Happy Animals Club' rescue here.
Primary Source: Happy Animals Club
