Apollo, PNoy’s pet dog, sensed his human’s passing, say handlers

Apollo, the pet dog of former President Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III, apparently sensed the passing of his beloved human, according to its handlers.

On Sandra Aguinaldo’s “24 Oras” report Saturday, the handlers said they heard the German shepherd crying on Thursday morning, when the former president was announced dead.

Noynoy Aquino, the 15th president of the Philippines, passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 61 due to renal disease secondary to diabetes.

“The sounds it was making, it really sounded like the cries of a human. It was around Thursday morning,” Staff Sgt. Ferdinand Reyno said in Filipino.

Reyno worked under PNoy for 10 years until his death, while Apollo had been with the former president since his time in Malacañang.

Since Mr. Aquino’s passing, the handlers said they had noticed Apollo’s lack of energy, adding that the dog was especially close to its owner and was in fact the former president’s personal stress reliever.

“Dogs have strong senses, and strong sense of smell, especially toward him [Aquino] because he was its owner. I guess it was able to sense that his owner was gone,” PSMS Ronald Vargas said in Filipino.

Apollo also attended his human’s funeral ceremony at Manila Memorial Park on Saturday, where his remains were greeted with full military honors and he was laid to rest surrounded by his loved ones.

Because Apollo was a trained sniffing dog, it was tasked to inspect the area where his owner’s urn would be placed. Before leaving, Apollo had the chance to go near his old buddy’s remains and say goodbye for the last time. – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News