IF not for the dog, the seven-hour-old infant should have died.
It was Bodi, the family pet of Jean Abasiar that saved the life of the infant who was left in the open fi eld at Sitio Calumdom, Brgy. Tiza, Roxas City.
According to Jean, before 9 am on February 27, she saw Bodi coming home from the open fi eld carrying an infant in its mouth, passing through the barbed wire and sharp stones of their fence.
Bodi put the baby under the piled plastic chairs at the back of her in-law’s house
which is just within their compound.
It is the same place where Bodi put its newborn tots that also died due to the severe cold of the environment.
Upon finding the infant, a girl, Jean wrapped it with her towel, and with trembling hands, asked help from her neighbor what to do with the baby, who was already weak and pale.
Her neighbor brought her to St. Anthony Hospital. The baby’s legs were cut.
According to Jean, the place where the baby was left is just 100 meters away from their house, where the grass is fully grown.
Had Bodi not brought the baby, she said she would have died of the heat of the sun
because it is an open fi eld, or might be eaten by the snake.
Jean also narrated that as seen in the CCTV of a resident Dog saves newly-born infant in the area, at about 1 or 2 am on February 27, a tricycle driven by a teenager, with two girl passengers, one of them
looking like a teen.
The tricycle was moving toward the vicinity of the open field.
After about 20 minutes, the said tricycle left with one girl passenger only.
At the hospital, the baby was named Baby Padua by hospital staff , derived from the name of the hospital’s patron saint, San Antonio de Padua.
The baby was immediately treated having several wounds and bruises and without legs.
After three days, Baby Padua became stable, but fought against the pain, having cut both legs.
The Capiz Medical Society, in a Facebook post, asked for financial support from
the concerned individuals for the medicines, milk, and other needs of Baby Padua.
According to the Women and Children’s Desk of Roxas City Police Office, their
investigators are still zeroing in as to the identity of the mother.
But as per the investigative report of Baskog Radyo, the girl passenger in the tricycle found on the CCTV wears a school
uniform of a university in the city.
To reward Bodi, Baskog Radyo has facilitated the treatment of the dog with St.
Claire Veterinary Clinic, that provided medicines for its tick and cold, as well as vitamins and dog food.
On the other hand, it has
been reported by the Population
Commission Offi ce that teenage
pregnancy is becoming rampant.
This is alarming because
teen mothers are increasing
every year.
Popcom report in Western
Visayas showed that in 2020,
there were 8,409 cases of teen
mothers, mostly from 11 to 14
years old.
Such case is not only in
Capiz, but elsewhere.*
