Today, Doghouse.PH made a small piece of history in BGC (again!), and it started with a very familiar corporate reality: security and access.

Akiko and I were scheduled to visit Northern Trust Philippines at Uptown Bonifacio Tower 3 for a National Pet Day meet-and-greet. We had completed requirements and secured approvals weeks in advance, but as often happen…

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Akiko and I were scheduled to visit Northern Trust Philippines at Uptown Bonifacio Tower 3 for a National Pet Day meet-and-greet. We had completed requirements and secured approvals weeks in advance, but as often happen…

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Today, Doghouse.PH made a small piece of history in BGC (again!), and it started with a very familiar corporate reality: security and access.

Akiko and I were scheduled to visit Northern Trust Philippines at Uptown Bonifacio Tower 3 for a National Pet Day meet-and-greet. We had completed requirements and secured approvals weeks in advance, but as often happens with “firsts,” there was a last-mile communication gap. Security did not initially have full visibility that we were scheduled to enter, so we paused while everything was revalidated. It was resolved shortly after, and the visit proceeded smoothly.

That moment is the point. Introducing animals into a corporate environment should be risk-averse by design, which means validation is expected. But it also highlights what actually makes these programs workable: stakeholder alignment, clear controls, and a repeatable operating model that building teams can execute without friction.

Once inside, the results spoke for themselves. Akiko and I became the first therapy dog team allowed into the building and into Northern Trust’s office. We spent close to two hours on site, including a 30-minute talk on the human–animal bond with real-world corporate case studies, followed by a structured meet-and-greet. Strong turnout with around 100 people onsite, which is a massive feat given transport strikes and the fact that many employees can opt to work from home. Others joined online and asked thoughtful questions.

Most importantly, it stayed mutually beneficial. Akiko was calm, engaged, and clearly enjoying herself. Employees were respectful of boundaries. The energy stayed controlled. That is what “responsible” looks like.

Key learning: the safest entry point is a standards-led, handler-controlled approach. It gives organizations a practical blueprint: how to coordinate security and facilities, how to run structured interactions, and how to make each activation smoother than the last.

Thank you to the #WorkingFamiliesBRC for hosting, and to the building teams at FOPM for partnering with us to make the “first” a safe one. Special thanks to Francis Louwi Pecadizo Nicole De Leon for the leadership and coordination.

Thanks as well to Keith Razo for sponsoring the session and helping make it happen. We had a quick chat about Northern Trust’s workplace setup and how the hybrid model has evolved post-COVID, and I genuinely applaud the culture you’ve built around supporting your partners with working arrangements that are practical, trust-based, and aligned with how people actually work today.

Looking forward to more corporate offices coming on board, slowly but surely, starting with structured visits today, and building toward a not-so-distant future where animal-integrated wellness is designed into workplace culture with the right safeguards. Doghouse.PH can help build that framework along the way.

#CorporateWellness #EmployeeWellbeing #ChangeManagement #DoghousePH #LifeAtNT

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Originally published on LinkedIn: View the original post