What is "askal"

Askals or aspins are mongrel dogs in the Philippines. The name "askal" is a Tagalog-derived portmanteau of asong kalye or " street dog" as these dogs are commonly seen wandering the streets. The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has suggested the alternative term aspin, short for asong Pinoy ( Pinoy dog). In Cebuano, mongrel dogs are called irong Bisaya, which literally means " Bisayan dog", implying that these are not thought of as a mixed-breed dog so much as unbred mongrels with no purebred ancestors. Physically, the dogs have "all shapes, configurations and sizes."

In an opinion piece for the Inquirer, Michael Tan writes that Askals are often more resilient and street-smart than purebreds. Jojo Isorena states that aspins tend to be more shy or fearful because dogs that were easier to catch would be eaten. PAWS reports that at one point, 98% of the calls it received about cruelty and abuse involved aspins.

Aspins have been raised or captured and eaten for their meat, which is called azucena ( asocena). Aspins were allowed to compete in the First Philippine Dog Agility Championships in 2013. At the 2015 Pet Express Doggie Run in Pasay City, aspins were the featured type of dog. The dogs featured in an essay by Gilda Cordero-Fernando. Aspins have been trained by the Coast Guard to identify bombs and drugs by scent.