The Quezon City Veterinary Department(QCVD) has started training rescued animals to become community service dogs to help the residents in the city.

“Before training them, our veterinarians make sure that the rescued animals undergo comprehensive assessment, health check, and even temperament test. This is for us to determine if a dog is suitable as a pet or a community service canine,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

A three-day observation and Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming (SAFER) will be conducted on the dogs that will assess their comfort level with restraint and touch, reaction to new experiences including movement and sound stimuli, bite inhibition, behavior around food and toys, and arousal level toward other dogs.

According to the report of the QCVD, they rescue up to 57 dogs per day, including those who were surrendered by their owners.

All of them are sheltered and listed as candidates for rehabilitation and adoption to become pets of QCitizen families, emotional support dogs, or even explosive detection dogs.

“Since the establishment of the QC Animal Care and Adoption Center in November, the city has already partnered with the Quezon City Police District and Bureau of Fire Protection. These agencies will be the first recipients of selected sheltered dogs that they will further train as drug and bomb-sniffing and rescue dogs,” Belmonte said.

Dogs will also be screened for diseases such as Parvovirus, Distemper, Transmissible Venereal Tumor, and Mange and parasitism. Only healthy dogs will qualify for the rehabilitation and adoption program.

The dogs that have satisfactorily passed the assessment are put up for immediate adoption while some are further trained as emotional support and community service dogs and undergo training on basic behavior, obedience, and socialization.

Aside from these, the city is also collaborating with various animal groups to increase pet adoption and provide every animal with a new family.