Two emotional support dogs trained by the Quezon City Veterinary Department (QCVD) have started visiting community vaccination sites in the city to give children a fun experience when getting their Covid-19 jabs.
The local government said on Monday, March 14, that dogs Chichi and Coffee, who were part of the 16 rescued canines trained by city veterinarians -- two for emotional support and 14 for community service) -- were able to interact with the children scheduled to get inoculated at North Fairview Elementary School to lessen their anxiety.
“Kapag nakita ng mga bata ‘yung mga aso, tuwang-tuwa sila tapos pwede pa nilang hawakan at pwede pang mayakap (When the children see the dogs, they are very happy, they can pet and hug them). It soothes the anxiety of the kids and makes vaccination a fun experience for them,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
Dr. Ana Mariel Cabel, city veterinarian, said that the City Health Department (QCHD) coordinated with their office to make the experience memorable for the kids who will get their jabs in community vaccination sites which have lesser decorations than those in malls and events places.
“Soon, we will start to bring the dogs into institutions, first of which is the GRACES (Golden Reception and Action Center for the Elderly and other Special Cases) facility for the aged. Whenever we finish training the dogs, we’ll send them to facilities na kailangang kailangan nilang matulungan (where their help is needed) as emotional support animals,” she said.
According to the local government, five dogs from the city are also being trained by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) as bomb and drug sniffers, while the other dogs are being prepared to be assigned to other QCPD detachments and barangays.
The dogs will first undergo a comprehensive assessment conducted by the city veterinarians before they get trained on emotional support or community service.
They will also undergo observation for three days and a Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming (SAFER) to determine their comfort level with restraint and touch, reaction to new experiences, bite inhibition, behavior around food and toys, and arousal level towards other dogs.