A mutt named Yoda has gone viral in the Philippines after he was denied entry at a popular restaurant because he was not pure-bred. - LARA ANTONIO/FACEBOOK
MANILA: A popular restaurant in the Philippines is being widely panned online for purportedly discriminating against mutts and mongrels known affectionately among Filipinos as aspins.
In a Facebook post that has drawn close to 130,000 reactions, Ms Lara Antonio claimed that employees at Balay Dako – “big house” in a local dialect – turned her away because she had with her an aspin – a rescue dog she named Yoda.
Aspin is a portmanteau of the words “asong Pinoy”, which translates to Filipino dog. But the word is widely used in the Philippines as a less derogatory reference to mutts and mongrels – dogs without one identifiable breed and are often regarded as inferior.
A variant is askal, or “asong kalye”, which translates to street dog.
“Balay Dako is NOT pet friendly to big dogs or aspins. Don’t bother going,” Antonio said in her post.
She recounted how – while waiting to be seated with Yoda by her side – she was told by a receptionist that her dog could not be let in because he was supposedly too big.
Only dogs weighing less than 15kg were allowed entry, Antonio was told after she said Yoda weighs about 18kg.
But when the restaurant staff later asked for her dog’s breed, she began to suspect that Yoda was denied entry because he is a mongrel.
Determined to get clarity, she pressed the staff to show her the exact guideline that says only dogs less than 15kg are allowed in the restaurant.
“I checked their website, and I couldn’t find anything about 15kg, so I know it’s bull,” she said.
A manager later told her it was in the company’s Facebook page, but there was nothing there that specifically indicated “less than 15kg”.
What incensed Antonio even more was she saw in Balay Dako’s Facebook page a photo of a golden retriever that was clearly bigger and heavier than her aspin.
The manager then told her that the only dogs allowed actually are shih tzus and labradors.
“Labradors are easily 25kg and above,” she said.
Antonio said she then pointedly told the restaurant manager that she believed her dog was being discriminated against because he’s not pure-bred.
“So, what’s clear to me is that they will decide based on what your dog looks like, and then they’ll let you know just like that,” she said.
In response, Balay Dako – which markets itself as a “pet-friendly” restaurant – said “while we understand the importance of accommodating pets... we must also consider factors such as spacing and safety of all our guests”.
“We are currently reviewing our policy to ensure it is clear, fair and balances the needs of both pet owners and non-pet owners,” it said, adding that it would “take steps to ensure that our staff are better trained and guided to understand and implement our policies effectively”.
But the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (Paws) said Antonio’s experience at Balay Dako “reflects a troubling disregard for the respect and dignity that all animals deserve, regardless of their breed”.
“This incident is particularly disheartening as it underscores the persistence of harmful stereotypes and unjust biases against our native dogs,” Paws said.
Paws education and campaigns officer Sharon Bangzon-Yap told the online site SPOT.ph that aspins “often face discrimination and are sometimes denied access without any clear or justifiable reasons”.
Another pet advocacy group, the Philippine Animal Rescue Team, said Balay Dako’s supposed apology “appears vague and does not directly address the issue involving Yoda, the aspin”.
Celebrities have also chimed in.
Socialite Heart Evangelista, who owns an aspin with an Instagram account that has some 70,000 followers, said in her Instagram post: “Sending love to Yoda.”
Actor John Arcilla said Balay Dako claiming to be “pet friendly” is “false advertisement”.
“These establishments should be reprimanded officially and legally. There should be no discrimination of pets on all levels,” he said.
Commenting on Balay Dako’s statement, Inka Magnaye, a voice talent and online content creator, said: “This needs to be cleared up because it is equal parts disappointing and ironic that a Filipino restaurant with a Filipino name is seemingly pet friendly to breeds like shih tzus and labradors but not to asong Pinoys.” - The Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
