FEATURE STORY: A nurse for dogs

A man’s best friend. A guard dog. “Bantay.” Name it all but one thing is for sure, for Verena Scheer being a nurse for dogs is everything.

She is a 30-year-old Palaweña who has a big heart for animals. Maybe it is because she grew up in a family who loves animals.

Her mom owned over 20 cats back then while her dad is the first dog breeder in Palawan.

As a child surrounded with dogs, she explained the excitement of going home with dogs waiting on your doors. “Syempre masaya, excited ka umuwi dahil sa mga dogs mo,” she said.

She also said that when she was child, she was also proud to have dogs for there were only few at that time who have dogs. The dog lover has over 30 dogs, most of which are Siberian Huskies.

Dogs should be treated just like humans, she said further. “If there is someone that could love you more than themselves, that is dogs. ‘Di ba ang aso mawala ka lang sandali, pagbalik mo sa inyo parang isang taon kayong di nagkita?” She averted.

Vereena said that she treats her dog like her true child. “Ako kasi wala akong anak kaya sa kanila ko rin binibigay lahat ng oras ko,” she said.

She also said that dogs are more than a family to her. She wakes up with dogs and sleeps with her dogs and her husband. She even work for her dogs. “Ako kasi I work for them,” she said.

You can see it in her eyes, in her smile, the way she hugs a puppy, her ultimate love for animals. It is like she was born with a golden heart that beats for animals.

Verena compromised her will to become a veterinarian when she was in college for her dogs. She studied nursing in preparation for veterinary medicine but sadly, there are no universities around Palawan that offer the course and she cannot leave her dogs behind to study in Metro Manila. “Nursing ako. The reason kinuha ko yun is para pre-med for vet kaso walang vet dito sa Puerto, hindi ko kaya iwan mga aso ko,” she said.

And now, Verena has become a nurse for her pets.

Verena has a very strong personality, an empowered woman but one of the things that could make a Verena Scheer cry is when one of her dogs dies.

Her dogs usually reach 10-12 years old.

With her passion for animals, Verena does not only take care of her animals, she also offers to take care and service dogs around Palawan.

She owns a pet shop named “Happy Tails” for grooming of dogs. She also breeds dogs to share with other people the joy of having a canine in their lives. And having some of her puppies bought by a customer is one of the saddest things for her. “Minsan ‘yung ibang aso na binebenta namin, hindi ko na hinahawakan para hindi ako ma-attach,” she said.

But it’s not all about money and business for Verena. She still visits dogs that are bought from her.

“Minsan pag may mga bumibili sa akin ng aso tapos pag binibisita ko tapos di nila inalagaan ng maayos, sinasabi ko talaga na kung alam ko lang na hindi nila aalagaan ng maayos, sana nung una pa lang binalik ko na ‘yung pera nila at kinuha ko na ‘yung aso.”

Because Verena knows the sadness of losing a dog, Verena has been one of Puerto Princesa’s animal care influencers on social media. She created a group on Façebook to spread out her advocacy and care for animals. Her group is where dog owners inquire about how to handle their dogs during sickness and all.

For her love for dogs, Verena has been known around Puerto Princesa as one of the advocates against animal cruelty. “Minsan pag nakakakita ako na sinisipa yung mga aso, sinasabi ko ‘eh kung ikaw kaya sipain ko?’ She said. She also feeds stray dogs with dog food from her pet. “Minsan kasi nag sasawa sa dog food yung mga aso ko, minsan nilalabas ko yan pinapakain ko sa mga aso sa labas (stray dogs),” she explained.

She added, dogs and animals are living things. They should be well taken care of. In fact they are more emotional than humans for dogs suffer from separation anxiety from their owners.

She added that animals are living things like humans and they should not be physically and emotionally abused. “Nakakagigil kaya ‘yung ibang sinasadyang banggain o sagasaan ‘yung mga aso, may buhay yan eh, living thing ‘yan,” she said with sadness and madness in her eyes.

She said that dogs are more than pets. They are the most loyal creatures on earth.

Dog owners should also accept the responsibility when owning a dog.

She added that there are still abused pets because some dog owners lack love.

“I think what’s lacking on them is love eh. Kasi kung mahal mo ‘yung aso mo di mo na sila kailangan i-remind na pakainin yung aso, na linisan ang bowl pag tapos kumain… Alam mo ‘yun? Yung mga ganun kaliliit na bagay,” she said.

She defined dogs as something that you will own permanently. “Yung aso kasi pag nag alaga ka niyan hindi yan temporary eh, hanggat nabubuhay ‘yan dapat alagaan mo ‘yan,” Verena said.

Verena, as a nursing graduate, became a nurse for dogs.