Pets go to school for a day
IMAGINE HOW, even for just one day, students can bring their pets to school and be with them during class hours.
That possibility became a reality through Psycho¬theraPETS, the first-ever pet fair, held on February 1 at SEC Field.
Among the highlights of the fair were the pet bless¬ing led by Theology Chair Fr. Adolfo Dacanay, SJ, a talk on proper dog care by Dr. Nielsen Donata, a veterinarian from Vets in Practice, and a popularity contest for dogs.
Ateneo Psyche orga¬nized the event, in coopera¬tion with Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and Sergeant’s Pet Care.
The proceeds of the pet fair will go to the Dr. Dog program of PAWS.
Relieving stressAccording to Project Head Theodora Krystynna Cuaso (IV BS Psy), her passion for pets led to con¬ceptualizing the fair.
“Me and my friends were thinking, ‘What will happen if we were allowed to bring pets in school?’ So it led to this idea,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“We also found out in psychology that pets help relieve stress, so we thought of doing this project,” she added.
A good chanceStudents flocked to the fair with their pets.
Ateneo alumnus Miguel Andrade said that through the pet fair, he learned that most Filipinos are dog lovers.
“[People] still need to learn a lot on how to be a good dog handler,” said Andrade, pertaining to the talk on proper dog care.
For Joseph Anthony Cuadro (III BS Psy), the fair made him learn some¬thing new about his dog Orange.
“I found out that my pet was hyperactive and aggressive, because he got so excited being in a place with so [many] dogs,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
For Denise Ashley Go (II AB Eu), the fair was a good chance to be with her pet in school.
“[My pet] was with me in [my] Sci10 [class], and he was a good boy,” she said. “Overall, it was a fun day for me and my pet.”
A lot of funFor Cuadro and Cuaso, the fair was a success.
“The fair is a project that a lot of people had fun with,” said Cuadro, adding that the fair was a good chance to interact with other people, pet owners, and non-pet owners alike.
“I think that for the people who brought their pets, we made their day,” Cuaso said.
Cuaso hopes that this pet fair would be a yearly event. “We really did this fair with the intention that we’re setting up something that can be a yearly event, so that it’s something that the students can look forward to come every February,” she said.