Binibining Pilipinas International 2025 Katrina Anne Johnson on how she became a fur mom to 13 dogs
Binibining Pilipinas International 2025 Katrina Anne Johnson's 13 dogs saved her as much as she rescued them.
The beauty queen, in an exclusive interview with PhilSTAR L!fe, shared how she came upon adopting her fur babies.
During the lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Katrina said that she felt grief over the loss of her mother.
"I didn't really have the energy or much will to leave the house. Because I was so kind of [reclusive] into my own little bubble, I was on social media a lot," she said.
Katrina then got added to a Facebook group looking for people to take care of dogs from puppy mills. The pooches would either be let loose onto the streets or euthanized, she said.
"And then something in me was like, you know what? I think this is the best thing that I can do at this point, because I'm stuck at home. There's not much else I can do out in the world. Let me see if I can make a difference in these dogs' lives."
Some of her fur babies are senior dogs, others had to be transported from areas three to four hours away, while a few were abandoned because they had diseases like cardiosis and leptospirosis.
While she's done so much for her pups, one of which even has a wheelchair, Katrina shared how they have also helped her.
"I'm thankful that I was able to give these dogs a second chance at life, and they really are what keep humble and happy every single day," she told L!fe.
"It's such a big responsibility, but at the same time, when you know that you're making a difference even in an animal's life every single day, it really does keep you grounded."
Being a responsible pet parent
Katrina, a licensed pharmacist, also talked about how people should not treat pets as objects or a thing of vanity, but as an "addition to your family."
"Sometimes we kind of forget that they are kind like children. You do need treat owning a pet as if you are taking care of a child. They obviously have their own needs [and] it's quite expensive and you need to dedicate a lot of time and effort into bonding and making sure that you're giving them a good life," she said.
"They deserve all the love and care in teh world, not just for a short time, but for their whole lives. There's a saying that [while] a dog or if a cat is in your life only for a short time, you are their whole life."
According to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society, there are about 12 million stray dogs in the Philippines as of 2019. Meanwhile, a single unspayed female cat can produce up to 30 cats in a year.
Katrina emerged victorious against 35 other candidates at the 61st edition of Binibining Pilipinas held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on June 15. Meanwhile, Annabelle Mae McDonnell of Iligan Ciy was haled Bb. Pilipinas Globe.
She took over the reign of Myrna Esguerra of Abra. Myrna will represent the Philippines at the upcoming Miss International pageant on Nov. 27 in Tokyo, Japan, while Katrina will compete in the international tilt in 2026.
