Social Issues
As flood season approaches, Marikina’s famous riverbank park announced premium pet spa services to ensure local dogs maintain their grooming standards even during high water events.
Lisa Fernando (staff writer)
Marikina City —
Marikina Riverbanks Introduces Luxury Pet Grooming for Flood Season
The Marikina Riverbanks Park management unveiled their newest amenity: a floating luxury pet spa designed to maintain the city’s famously well-groomed dog population during the annual flood season.
Adaptive Flood Season Services
Park Administrator Carmen Villanueva explained the innovative service during a demonstration featuring a Golden Retriever receiving a “flood-proof” grooming treatment. “Marikina dogs are accustomed to a certain standard of care. Just because the Marikina River occasionally reclaims the park doesn’t mean our pets should suffer,” she announced from the amphibious grooming vessel “SS Shampoo.”
The floating spa offers specialized services including waterproof coat treatments, emergency nail clipping during evacuation periods, and “post-flood rehabilitation grooming” for dogs traumatized by muddy water exposure.
Community Response and Innovation
Local pet owner Maria Santos praised the initiative: “My Shih Tzu Princess was devastated when the August floods cancelled her weekly grooming appointment. Now she can maintain her beauty routine even when we’re evacuated to the second floor.”
The spa features hydraulic grooming tables that automatically adjust to flood levels, solar-powered hair dryers, and a emergency doggy life jacket fitting service. Premium packages include “flood survival training” where dogs learn to paddle while maintaining proper posture.
Veterinarian Dr. Ricardo Mendoza endorses the service’s psychological benefits: “Dogs in Marikina have developed anxiety around flood season partly because they know their grooming schedules will be disrupted. This service addresses a real mental health need in our pet community.”
The Marikina City Government is considering expanding the program to include floating veterinary clinics and emergency pet evacuation centers, making Marikina the first flood-ready pet-friendly city in Metro Manila.