WHO said you can't have fun with your dogs during the pandemic?
A pawfect venue for dogs and dog lovers to relax and play with each other can be found on the 5th floor, Tower Skygarden of SM CDO Downtown Premier, a pet-friendly mall.
The "Paw Park," according to SM CDO Downtown Premier Mall Manager Evangeline Ditona, is a project to give pet owners a venue to bond with their dogs.
"Our mall is a pet-friendly mall and there were some restrictions during the GCQ (general community quarantine) that even the movement of the pet inside the mall were regulated," Ditona said.
"So we're opening this park specifically to allow owners of the pets and the pets to bond together," she added.
The Paw Park consists of two areas: a playground area where the obstacle course is set up for dogs to be trained or just simply play with other furry friends; and an open area where dogs and their owners can take a break and laze.
In adherence to the health protocols imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Ditona said they only allow 10 dogs inside with their owners, who should be at least 21 years old, wearing face masks and face shields at all times.
"We want to allow them to move freely," Ditona said.
"The owner should be able to present the health card of the dog. We're going to check and make sure that all the vaccines are updated," she added.
Ditona further said the dog owners should have their sanitary kits and dog food.
"So whenever the dogs will throw some waste, the pet owner should be able to clean it. And we have provided bins for proper disposal," she said.
Rules and regulations of the Paw Park include:
- Before entering the Paw Park, the owner must present the dog's vaccination records showing that all required vaccinations are dated and verified with the signature.
- Owners are responsible for their dogs. They bear the risk of any injury or damage to their dogs, or caused or contributed to by their dogs, while their dogs are inside the Paw Park.
- All dogs inside the dog park must be accompanied and directly supervised by a responsible and capable adult no younger than 18 years of age. Owners must be inside the dog park with their dogs.
- No person may bring in more than two dogs at one time, unless they are accompanied by another responsible and capable adult for every additional dog.
- Female dogs in heat are prohibited from entering the dog park.
- Dogs that exhibit signs of illness or are clearly infested with parasites (whether internal or external) may be prevented from entering the dog park.
- If a dog defecates inside the dog park, the owner must promptly remove the dog's feces and dispose of it, properly bagged, in the appropriate bins provided. Owners and guardians must bring their own poop bags and cleaning material.
- Food, rawhide, bones, toys, and other personnal items are not allowed inside the dog park during off-leash dog play as these could trigger dog-dog aggression.
- All dogs must remain on leash until they are inside the dog park, and must be leashed before they leave the park. Owners must carry the dogs' leashes at all times while they and their dogs are in the park.
- If a dog becomes overly aroused, aggressive, or starts bullying another dog, the owner must interrupt the interaction and give the dog a time out to calm down to a relaxed state before joining the other dogs. If a dog digs or tears into the park fencing or benches, the owner must promptly interrupt it and prevent further digging or destruction. If the dog barks excessively, it must be removed and calmed down.
- Management reserves the right to refuse entry to any dog that presents any risk to the health and well-being or other humans and dogs.
The Paw Park is open daily from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.