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| Dog owners take a stroll with their canine friends in their bi-monthly dog circle meeting last Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Fuente Rotunda. |
By Nina Bianca Sayson
Many people forget that the Fuente Rotunda is
more than just a place where health buffs exercise and couples date.
Many probably don’t know that there exists a
bunch of dog owners who walk their furry pals and play games and tricks with
them in the circle every other Sunday.
The Fuente Dog Circle is a group of dog
owners who gather in the Fuente Circle every other Sunday to do just that.
Organized by Merrell Joy Tabelon with a bunch
of friends, the group meets up every other week to walk their dogs together,
teach them some tricks and do some socialization of their own.
Since it started last May 15, the group has
gathered at least 15 – 20 dogs per meet-up, aside from the original dog owners.
When the weather is bad, the session is postponed until the next Sunday.
Aside from it being a dog socialization
occasion, it is also a fund raising event for the Island Rescue Organization
(IRO) to provide dog food for the rescued dogs in the shelters.
“Since most of my friends are IRO members, we
decided to form a group in order to at least help those dogs in the shelters”
Tabelon said.
In fact, their most recent donation was a
total of 70 kilos of dog food, aside from their usual monthly contribution of
25 – 30 kilos.
For Eunice Vivian, another event organizer,
the dog socialization not only provides her an avenue to meet new people but
also to sneak in a little exercise for herself.
“Since most of [us] live nearby and since
most of the regulars live nearby too, we figured Fuente is the perfect place
since Parkmall is very far from the city”, according to Vivian.
Advertisement for the event started out of
mere boredom, as the organizers randomly decided to post posters along the
streets. As they gathered more audience throughout the weeks, the group decided
to make a Facebook page to further spread the word.
“It doesn’t really need much advertisement
since many passers-by in Fuente are amused with the dogs running on leash and
with the games we play”, Vivian adds.
Jojo Bautista, IRO member and Cebu dog
behaviourist trainer, volunteers his time because he believes in the cause and
advocacy of the group to help provide dog food for the rescued dogs.
“Sa
ako, syempre well-bred naman akoang
mga iro, pero importante jud na makatabang ta sa mga less fortunate na mga iro diri sa Cebu labi na ang pagkaon
sa ila kay medyo gi ilugan jud (It’s important to help the less fortunate dogs
in Cebu, especially with regards to food, because there isn’t enough for all of
them)”, Bautista said.
The activity
starts at around four in the afternoon, when the owners walk their dogs around
the circle for warm up. Then, Jojo facilitates the games for the dogs so they
can learn tricks easily.
Games include dog racing and tricks include
recall, in order for the canines to bring to mind the instructions given by
their owners.
When a new dog joins the group, the trainer
then introduces the new dog with the rest of the pack to lessen any aggressive
behaviour the dog might initially have.
After the games, Bautista then answers
questions and addresses concerns from dog owners regarding any problems they
might have with their furry pals.
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