A T-shirt campaign for dogs has raked in P40,000 in less than a month since it was launched.
Twenty-three-year-old Mark Gather, whose family runs Inkcreme Printshop that offers shirt printing services and corporate giveaways, said he has used his own resources to help raise funds for Bacolod-based PAWSsion Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of dogs in distress.
He said his old store, Drip and Ratchet, a streetwear clothing line, is now dedicated to producing “T-shirts for a cause.”
Gather said 100 percent of the proceeds will aid operational costs in running shelters of PAWSsion Project, including pet food, medicines, veterinary bills, and rescue operations.
Every purchase of a T-shirt “brings us closer to our goal: to be of constant help to the strays and to give them a chance at life,” he said.
“I fully committed to run the PAWSsion Project merchandise by myself. That’s my way of volunteering, to raise funds for PAWSsion,” he added.
His initiative started on February 15.
He said he was able to raise P40,000 in less than a month, “but I’m praying for more because running two shelters with 400 dogs is very expensive, P40,000 can only last for days or just for veterinary bills of three dogs.”
The PAWSsion Project founded by Malou Perez two years ago has shelters in Bacolod and Bulacan.
Perez “inspired me to do all of these,” Gather said.
“There are times that the number of orders can be overwhelming…but what keeps me going is that the people appreciate what I’m doing. When I read thank you messages, all the stress fades away,” he said.
He said they had been supporting PAWSsion from the start, adding that they initially raised P60,000 for the animal group just by selling pillows and pouches.
Gather, who has six dogs and a rescued cat, said: “My hope for the strays is that they will find their forever home. They all deserve love…no human or animal in this world deserves to be abandoned.”
Each shirt costs P500 and can be ordered on Drip and Ratchet’s Facebook account and Shopee.*