It’s a known fact that dogs can help an individual’s emotional state. Whether you’re depressed or just exhausted from a long day of work, these canines can easily cheer you up and put your mind at ease. And since they are just naturally friendly, they can easily be trained to be an emotional support animal. As the American Kennel Club mentioned on their website, an emotional support animal (ESA) can provide therapeutic benefits and support those who are suffering from anxiety, depression, certain phobias, and trauma.
Given these dogs’ ability to sense human feelings, the University of the Philippines–Diliman (UP) has a program that lets students and university staff interact with them. Earlier this year, the campus officially introduced its first batch of emotional support dogs as part of its “expanded idea.” Aside from honor and excellence, UP also wants to bring compassion to the community.
Although all dogs can offer companionship and comfort to their owners, they also have to be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional and pass the dog behaviorist test.
And recently, a Facebook page called Utak at Pusa congratulated UP College of Architecture dog, Putol, for passing the dog behaviorist’s test. The said test involves assessing a dog’s attitude towards people. During the temperament test, dogs are being graded based on their level of aggression, friendliness, stability, protectiveness, and more. Since Putol is now a qualified Emotional Support Animal (ESA), he will undergo training like bonding with other handlers and following basic obedience commands.
Upon learning about Putol’s recent achievement, netizens can’t help but express their happiness in the comment section.
Some even shared photos from their last visit to the university.
With our dogs’ unconditional love, loyalty, and emotional support, they’re not just a man’s best friend, but they’re also man’s medicine.