By AJ Alarcon

On Wednesday, March 25, the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) Sandigan Mapulon, in partnership with Communitails, conducted their annual “Dr. Doggo,” aiming  to help students alleviate stress and feel supported through interactions with therapy dogs.

The orientation was held at the Assembly Space of the Formation and Learning Center (FLC), where Communitails representative Ms. Maria Paola Grajo discussed session guidelines and provided an overview of therapy dogs.

During the orientation, she explained the differences among service animals, emotional support animals (ESAs), and therapy animals, highlighting that therapy animals — such as those under their organization — are companion animals trained to provide comfort and support.

Moreover, she shared that the nonprofit organization promotes the well-being of both dogs and humans, emphasizing that the animal-human bond is a mutually beneficial relationship.

“When you have working dogs, they have a purpose in life. So can you imagine the purpose of life if you’re the dog who is making people happy? And by being with you, they are also making you happy,” Grajo elaborated.

She added, “That is the essence of the human-animal bond. So humans and animals have a natural connection with each other. And humans and animals make each other healthy and friendly.”

Furthermore, she discussed proper interaction protocols, including how to offer treats and how to approach the therapy dogs safely and respectfully.

After the orientation, students proceeded to breakout rooms, where they were given the opportunity to meet the dogs Rakki, Parka, and Phoebe across three sessions held in the Main Building.