The UP Men’s Football Team (UPMFT) gathered in the dugout to have breakfast and catch up with their teammates while preparing for a fun day ahead. Instead of their usual drills, they donned their uniforms to play with dogs on the football field.
Defender Jared Florendo has six dogs, all of whom are very affectionate. Butterball, his Golden Beagle mix, always hangs out with him, even if they’re not doing anything. “All of our dogs are always happy when we come home. I hug all of them,” he said.
Dogs can also help people get out of the house more, especially if they need to unwind from assignments and training. This is what winger and defender Ken Saludez does with his three dogs, Coco the Shih Tzu, Churro the Mini also their bonding time on weekends.
Forward Florenz Tacardon and his brothers, share happy times with their Beagle named Bigol who is lovable and “kulit” who perks them up when they’re tired.
“My brothers and I are all athletes, so we love playing with Bigol whenever we’re home,” he says. He also shares how Bigol became a source of comfort when a close teammate passed away two years ago.
Forward Josh Garces, who’s originally from Cebu, says he misses being able to talk to his dogs, Twix the Shih Tzu and Tisoy the Pug, when he needs someone to vent to “even though they don’t answer.”
The unconditional love of dogs is unmatched. Although furbabies are often content with being rewarded with pets and playtime, it’s even better to give them high-quality dog food that provides overall nutrition, like TopBreed Dog Food for adult and puppy.
Behind every great student-athlete are supportive loved ones and affectionate dogs that won’t leave their side no matter what. As the players of UPMFT would find out, sometimes all they need to get by during their free time is the playfulness of dogs – and TopBreed helps make sure the furbabies are in the best shape.
