This one's for you, Panda! Yesterday, I unveiled my "Have A Heart For Aspins" campaign with @pawsphilippines. This is a dream come true for me because I grew up with a lot of aspins. I understand how they're beautiful and gentle animals who are equally deserving of love as any other pet. So when PAWS approached me for this campaign, it was perfect! I've been with PAWS since 2005, and since then, I've seen many loving aspins find homes through their rescue shelters. Adopting an aspin was one of the most fulfilling decisions I've made in my life, so I encourage everybody to try it too! Right now, there are over 300 rescues available for adoption from @pawsphilippines 🐾 I hope you support the cause ❤ #AdoptDontShop #AspinClub

A post shared by Heart Evangelista (@iamhearte) on Aug 23, 2018 at 6:43pm PDT

MANILA—Heart Evangelista-Escudero recently launched a campaign with Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to promote the "asong Pinoy" or "aspins."

"I grew up with me and my parents who loved dogs and I didn’t know the difference between [an] aspin and having a breed," she told Push during the launch of her "Have a Heart for Aspins" campaign.

"My dad, super dog lover siya. I grew up with a lot of dogs, siguro mga 20-plus 'yung aso namin sa bahay so lumaki na iba iba 'yung aso namin."

Evangelista said she hopes she can help change people's minds about adopting local dogs, adding that it is a wrong notion that aspins are always unfriendly and aggressive.

She also explained that the way dogs behave has something to do with how they are trained and treated, regardless of the breed.

"Actually tumatahol sila and na-fru-frustrate sila kasi wala sila tubig, nakatali lang sila. Siguro kahit tao ganun din magiging reaction niya, mabu-buwisit ka parang, ‘Get me out of here,’ " Evangelista said.

"But honestly it’s just really a mindset na nagangagat (ang aspin). Actually 'yung first ever dog na kumagat sa akin was a German Shepherd. Linapa ako sa likod, so it’s really not about the breed. It’s really not. In fact I think they’re really, really smart."

I believe that our kindness, compassion, and love must extend to animals too! ❤ Choosing to #AdoptNotShop saves the lives of so many animals who have suffered from neglect and abuse. As a proud member of PAWS for 13 years, and a loving owner of Panda for 3, I'm excited to announce that I will be launching a campaign with @pawsphilippines very soon, stay tuned…🐾

A post shared by Heart Evangelista (@iamhearte) on Aug 18, 2018 at 5:58am PDT

Evangelista's pet aspin, Panda, has been with her for three years. She is now planning to take her pet with her to Paris on her next trip.

"I’m working on Panda’s paper, pupunta siya ng Paris, so para makita nila na, di ba, aspin in Paris," she said.