Raevin Bonifacio

Teng Balili Ongpin
Dec 3, 2016
4 min read

22-year old Raevin didn’t expect to get so much attention when he decided to take care of Brei. When he decided to take her in, Brei was in bad shape. She was weak and malnourished and her mange was so bad it was as if boiling water was poured on her. An animal lover at heart and an aspiring veterinarian, Raevin adopted her and made it his mission to give her a better life. On the day he got her, Raevin took a picture of Brei and posted it on Facebook. Raevin’s “Zombie Dog” quickly caught people’s attention and it soon went viral. Every day he would nurse her back to health even though he had a limited budget, feeding her nutritious natural food and tending to her skin disease, and more importantly, he would give her the attention that only a loving pet owner can give to his or her animal. Raevin and Brei’s bond only grew from there. He continued to post photos of Brei on his Facebook page to keep his followers updated on her improving condition. It was only a matter of time that Brei recovered fully from his condition and to everyone’s surprise, Raevin’s thin and sickly Zombie Dog turned out to be a sweet and friendly Siberian Husky mix. One of his Facebook followers took his pictures from his page and made a compilation video of Brei’s remarkable recovery which again went viral. Raevin and Brei’s video garnered 80,000 likes, 2.7 million views, and 48,000 shares on kami.com and they have appeared on TV news shows where their inspiring story was shared with even more people. Raevin now takes care of even more animals and he serves as a true example of an animal lover’s generosity and caring nature. Though the experience was sometimes daunting, Raevin and Brei are still the best of friends. Their story continues to inspire people to rescue and care for animals that need a lot of love and attention. Although challenging, the experience and the result of helping one of God’s creatures is priceless.

Raevin with Brei, the dog that he adopted and gave a new home and life to

What motivated you to adopt and take care of Brei?

I challenge myself na subukan ang capacity ko para mag alaga ng dogs and ang sabi ko sa sarili ko na kakayanin ko mabigyan sila ng second chance para mabuhay.

(I wanted to challenge my capacity to take care of dogs, and I told myself, I will try to give them a second chance to live.)

How many animals are you taking care of now?

I have 6 dogs and 2 cats (all adopted), 5 birds and 1 turtle.

What do your neighbors think about your animals?

Nung una wala lang. Pero nung nagviral na ako natuwa naman sila.

(At first they didn't really mind. But when it went viral they were happy about it.)

What do you think makes a good pet owner?

Huwag nilang ituring yung mga alaga nila as animal. Ituring nila ito na parang pamilya nila.

(Don’t just treat your pets like animals. Treat them like they are family.)

What advice would you give people who would like to adopt a pet?

Every animal is a blessing. Dahil likha ito ng Maykapal. Advice ko lang kapag nag adopt kayo na imparamdam nyo na mahal ninyo sila. Kahit sobrang imposible na kapag nararamdaman nilang may nagmamahal sa kanila, gumagaling sila.

(Every animal is a blessing. Because these are created by our Lord God. My only advice when adopting is always make them feel that they are loved. Even if it’s impossible, when they feel that they are loved, they heal and get better.)

When you found Brei, she wasn't in her best of health. What did you feed her and what did you do to make her better?

I feed her kalabasa, carrots and malunggay. Then minsan, raw food. Pinaparamdam ko din sa kanya na palagi akong nasa tabi nya kahit na ganun ang sitwasyon nya.

(I feed her squash, carrots and moringa. Sometimes raw food. I always make her feel that I’m at her side in spite of her situation.)

How has your experience with Brei changed your life?

I’m so thankful! Kasi hindi ko akalain na aabot kami sa ganito. Kaya ko din sya inadopt kasi naawa lang talaga ako sa kalagayan niya. Hanggang ngayon hindi pa din ako makapaniwala sa mga nangyari.

(I’m so thankful! Because I never thought we would reach this point. I also adopted her because I felt sorry for her situation. Until now I still can’t believe what happened.)

What makes you happy?

Na always healthy ang mga alaga ko. Na wala sanang magkakasakit sa kanila. Na nandiyan yung family ko sa tabi ko.

(That all my pets are healthy. That none of them will get sick. That my family is always by my side.)

More on Brei's transformation can be found in Raevin's facebook account . Click here to see more.