From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Askal

A Philippine mongrel
Country of origin	Philippines
Traits
Classification and standards Not recognized by any major kennel club

An askal is a mixed-breed (mongrel) dog in the Philippines. The name is a Tagalog-derived contraction of asong kalye (street dog). It is applied to mongrels due to their often stray nature. In Cebuano, mongrel dogs are called irong Bisaya, which literally means a native dog.^[1] To counter perceived political incorrectness, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has suggested the alternative term Aspin, short for asong Pinoy (Pinoy dog).^[2]

Askals are often more resilient and street-smart than purebreds^[3], but unlike in other countries, mixed breeds are not popular choices as pets in the Philippines. These dogs however are now being considered for training as bomb-sniffing dogs as purebred dogs of the Philippine K9 units are becoming too old to work and too expensive to maintain.^[4]

"Azkals" is also the nickname of the Philippines national football team.

References