Rescued dogs are trained as emotional support to make vaccination a “fun experience” for children in Quezon City.
City Veterinarian Dr. Ana Marie Cabel said the City Health Department has coordinated with their office to make vaccination in the communities memorable for kids, who have less colorful decors than in inoculation sites in malls and events places.
Since the establishment of the QC Animal Care and Adoption Center, city veterinarians have already trained 14 dogs as community service animals, and two as emotional support dogs.
The Quezon City Police District has already started training five dogs from the city to be bomb or drug sniffers.
The other dogs are still being prepared for assignment in other QCPD detachments and barangays.
“Soon, we will start to bring the dogs in institutions, first of which is the GRACES facility for the aged. Whenever we finish training the dogs, we’ll send them to facilities na kailangang kailangan nilang matulungan as emotional support animals,” Cabel said.
Before their training as emotional support or community service dogs for two months, the canines undergo a comprehensive assessment by the city veterinarians. Rio N. Araja
Recently, children who were scheduled to get inoculated in North Fairview Elementary School were able to pet Chichi and Coffee, who were both rescued from the streets a few months ago.