Stray dogs are given a new lease on life and purpose in the community as the Quezon City government has committed to training these rescue dogs as community service pups.
The Quezon City Veterinary Department (QCVD), which turned its old 450-square meter city pound into an animal care and adoption center in November, has taken to training its rescues as dogs that serve the community: from being adopted by Quezon City residents as home pets to emotional support dogs and even explosive detection canines.
The QCVD reportedly rescues up to 57 dogs a day. These rescues undergo a three-day observation and a Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming (SAFER) test that identifies a dog’s comfort level with restraint, touch, certain stimuli, as well as its temperament and behavior around other dogs.
The rescue pups are also screened for diseases such as parvovirus, distemper, transmissible venereal tumor, mange, and parasitism. Healthy dogs who qualify are admitted to the rehabilitation and adoption program.
These dogs are put up for adoption, while some are trained as community service and emotional support dogs — learning basic behavior, obedience, and socialization.
Meanwhile, some shelter dogs will be trained as drug, bomb detection, and rescue dogs with the Quezon City Police District and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Figures from the QCVD showed that the city pound captures an average of 200 animals weekly or 9,600 homeless animals per year, but less than one percent of the animals end up adopted.
READ: Quezon City opens animal care and adoption center for stray cats and dogs
