Service Dog University

Bonnie Bergin recalls taking family trips as a child from her home in Willits to the Bay Area and stopping at the Green Mill Inn restaurant in Penngrove for dinner.

Now decades later, she is poised to open a new campus for her service dog training institution on the 10-acre property that she and her husband Jim purchased three years ago.

“I remember going to that restaurant as a kid,” said Bergin, 75. “It’s kind of like deja vu.”

Bergin, who is credited with inventing the service dog for people with disabilities, founded Canine Companions for Independence, the first nonprofit to train and place service dogs. After leaving the nonprofit in 1991, she founded the Assistance Dog Institute, which was designated a university in early 2004 and became Bergin University of Canine Studies.

In 2017, Bergin purchased the iconic Green Mill Inn with the hope of opening a campus for her university within a year. But permitting issues and now the coronavirus pandemic have complicated those efforts.

“I thought it would only take a year to get it open,” said Bergin, who has a doctoral degree in education. “It’s been amazingly difficult.”

Bergin said she expects to have a county occupancy certificate within a week for the campus of modular classrooms and administrative buildings. However the coronavirus outbreak has disrupted education for the 50 students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in programs such as canine studies and human-canine life sciences.

“As soon as shelter in place came down, we moved to online teaching,” she said. “All the students left.”

The summer and fall programs have moved online, she said. Each student receives a service dog to work with during the semester, and Bergin hopes to host a three-week course with students and their dogs on the campus in mid-July depending on the pandemic. That would be the first class at the new site that operated as a restaurant for 80 years and was a local landmark featuring a green windmill along Old Redwood Highway.

Bergin pioneered the concept of the service dog at Sonoma State University in the 1970s, when a professor challenged her class to identify solutions to help people with disabilities.

She was reminded of the perseverance she’d seen in the disabled community while traveling and teaching with her husband in places like India, Turkey and Pakistan. A dog lover since she had Sport, a Labrador mix, as a child, she began to think about ways to use canines to make a difference.

“I thought about what can be done to help people with disabilities, and I came up with dogs,” she said. “That has been my life ever since.”

Bergin is also involved in several other programs, including efforts to pair veterans with PTSD to service dogs and working with inmates in dentition facilities to decrease recidivism rates.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Bergin University will incur a big financial hit to prepare teachers for distance learning, equip students with laptops and disinfect classrooms when students are allowed to return.

Bergin said she has been told that the university will receive $472,000 in federal emergency aid, although she said that she hasn’t seen the money yet.

“Every dine will be spent on safety of our students and ensuring the quality of our education,” she said.

Dogs Helping Their Owners

Any dog owner will tell you, there’s a reason our pups are dubbed ‘man’s best friend’, but for some the relationship between pet and owner is that bit stronger.

The past few months have been tough for us all but for those already going through a difficult period in their life the situation has been made that much more trying.

Thankfully in true ‘bestie’ style, our four-legged friends have been there to provide support and comfort.

As part of the Butcher’s Lockdown Dog Heroes competition, we have heard from many readers eager to share the story of life in lockdown with their pets.

And with the competition now in its final stages, we spoke to the owners of our regional winners about what makes their four-legged friend special.

Anna Chandler, 20, from Gateshead lost her dad two years ago, triggering a period of depression and anxiety. However, through the darkness came labrador River who Anna described as her ‘best friend’.

Anna said: “Mum brought her home for me as a surprise and she hasn’t left my side. She is my best friend.

“She picks up on my emotions and she sits on the floor right next to me. She even sleeps in her own bed in my bedroom, I can’t imagine life without her. She’s got me through a lot.”

Originally being trained as a dog for the blind, River passed all her tests but couldn’t make the cut due to a skin allergy. Although disappointing, Anna’s family were smitten when they could welcome her as a member of the family.

Anna added: “Everyone loves River, she is such a chilled out dog. I’ve signed her up to be a pet dog blood donor and to go into care homes when all this is over.

“I’d rather lose my arm than lose her. She’s constantly there for me.”

Osian Morris, of Corwen, underwent major surgery in 2018 after being diagnosed with a tumour on his spinal cord.

To cheer him up, Osian’s parents surprised him with labradoodle, Macsen, and the pair have been inseparable ever since.

Sadly, Osian’s rehabilitation has not been without its setbacks.

Osian’s dad, Dafydd, said: “We’ve had a tough 18 months or so since Osh’s diagnosis and operation.

“He was walking with crutches and slowly getting there but in January three months after his operation in Walton, when he was getting rehab in Gobowen, within a week he lost all feeling and strength in his legs, and the frustrating thing is no one can tell us why.

“Macsen has been the glue which has kept us together and has been so good for Osh in keeping his mood positive when it has started to dip.”

Lockdown has been an especially tough time for Lucy Westgarth from Plymouth after splitting with her partner of five years.

The break-up led to Lucy moving back home to her mum with her loving doberman, Mia.

Through the heartache, Mia has been Lucy’s ‘rock’.

Lucy said: “Having gone through a break-up of a five year relationship during lockdown, Mia has remained my absolute rock.

“She has adapted really well to moving back home to my mums with me and been polite to her new housemate, Andrew the pug.

“Without Mia, I wouldn’t have been so inclined to go out walking every day and we have even started jogging together too, which is great for the soul.”

Service Dog Brutus

Late in life, Brutus is building up quite a résumé.

The loveable mutt, rescued from a California shelter, was a family pet before he trained to become a service dog for his Cliffside Park owner.

Last month, after Brutus helped Jasmine Steinwand graduate from Centenary University, his memorable senior year on campus moved the chairwoman of the Science Department to present a special “Greatest Science Helper” award.

Steinwand said Brutus, who is about 14, accompanied her to the Centenary campus in Hackettstown for her senior year because she was struggling to manage her food allergies.

“He was trained to be receptive to any sort of anaphylactic shock, and he can retrieve my EpiPen,” she said. “He came to school with me every day and during the lectures, he would just sit on the floor and fall asleep.”

“He senses Jasmine’s needs,” said Prof. Krassi Lazarova, chairwoman of the science department who had Steinwad and Brutus in one of her physics classes.

Before long, Brutus adopted the rest of the class.

“The more amazing thing that I didn’t anticipate was the calming effect he had on all of the other students,” Steinwand said. “Whenever we would take tests or quizzes, he would start walking around the room and checking on people, and whoever seemed to be the most stressed would be the one he would sit next to.”

“It didn’t start out that way,” said Prof. Krassi Lazarova, chairwoman of the science department who had Steinwand and Brutus in one of her physics classes. “It started that Brutus had to be with Jasmine at all times. But then all of a sudden, Brutus had to be with every student at all times.”

“He ended up becoming an iconic part of the campus,” Steinwand said. “People knew his name, even if they didn’t know me.”

Animals are allowed on campus and in dorms after clearing what Lazarova described as “rigorous processes” with Centenary’s Academic Success Center and Disability Service Office.

But service dogs in classrooms are a rarity. Brutus was a first for Lazarova.

A self-described cat person with a soft heart for dogs, Lazarova had initial reservations about Brutus, particularly in science labs.

“My problem with animals in buildings is mostly safety-related,”  she said. “Think about a lab. If you end up with an animal in a lab, you don’t really know what could happen. We’re talking about physics labs, chemistry labs, biology labs. Sometimes, there are sounds, noises or smells, you never know what could be a problem.”

But the mellow border collie mix, adopted from Rocket Dog Rescue in San Francisco before Steinwad’s family moved to New Jersey, quickly proved its worth.

“Brutus alleviates all of my concerns,” Lazarova said. “He really was always out of the way. He was incredibly well-behaved. Usually, service dogs are well-behaved.”

So when it came time for the science department to hand our its achievement awards for the academic year, Lazarova created a “Special Science Helper” award for Brutus, which was presented in a virtual ceremony along with 14 student awards.

“It was a surprise to me. I was lucky enough to win an  award myself [Senior Merit], and then he won an award,” Steinwand said. “It was pretty heartwarming.”

“He is an incredible animal and we were so lucky to have him,” Lazarova said.

Steinwand, who accepted a degree in biology with a concentration of pre-veterinary studies and a minor in chemistry, will continue her studies at NYU, where she has been accepted into an accelerated program for registered nursing.

Brutus, however, will stay home for now, “only because I’ve been able to get my medical involvement under control lately,” Steinwand said.

Lazarova added praise for all the student award-winners who “have distinguished themselves for their commitment to the advancement of science.”

“Despite the pandemic, they found creative ways to continue their studies virtually,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud of every Centenary science student, as well as our faculty, for rising to the challenges presented by COVID-19.”

Operation Farm Dog

It was just a chance meeting, but one that all involved believe could have a huge impact on the lives of some of our returning veterans.

Lonny Smith, Business Development Manager of AgroLiquid, was at the company headquarters in St. Johns, MI, one day last fall when he learned Michael O’Gorman, Executive Director of the Farmer Veteran Coalition, was visiting. O’Gorman is a longtime West Coast vegetable grower who founded the coalition a little over a decade ago to help returning vets find agricultural employment. He was there with the program’s state coordinator, Nick Babcock of Michigan State University, to meet with company officials about supporting the coalition. Smith had heard of O’Gorman’s work, and he had an idea. Smith and his wife Kim own Red Hive Golden Retrievers — the name borrowed from their own Red Hive Farm, a small apple orchard — near Bellefontaine, OH. Kim heads the business, which raises European-style English Cream golden retrievers, and they thought their pups would make great farm dogs for veterans.

So Operation Farm Dog was launched. The Smiths now donate one puppy from each litter to a veteran who is going to be working in agriculture. It is not a large operation, but they hope other breeders from across the country will join and donate.

Veterans submit an application, and then Smith interviews them on their plans in agriculture, and Babcock, a veteran himself, from the military perspective.

The most recent recipient is Jimmy Martin, an Air Force veteran from Carlisle, KY. Upon returning in 2012 — though he serves in the Air Force Reserve and works full-time as a Quality Assurance Specialist for Department of Defense — Martin founded Bluegrass Belties Farm & Orchard.

“I have a small orchard, and here Jimmy had one that he was using to educate other vets coming out of the military who want to get involved in horticulture,” Smith says. “I was impressed — an apple orchard is a lot of work, and he started it from scratch. That’s tough enough as it is, but to educate other vets? Awesome.”

Martin says he grew up on a farm, so he had a feeling that it would be a good experience for other vets, who generally like working outside with their hands.

“I believe the orchard is very therapeutic, especially for veterans who may have the same types of anxieties or need that outlet for stress relief,” he says. “So, I would like to be able to have small classes or whatever it takes to help them with a trade that may help them with their lives.”

Working with the Kentucky State University Agriculture Department, as well as local Extension offices, Martin is growing eight varieties of apples: ‘Honeycrisp’, ‘Snow Sweet’, ‘Grimes Golden’, ‘Empire’, ‘Enterprise’, ‘Arkansas Black’, ‘Fuji’, and ‘Crispin’.

“I like the old heirlooms better, really, but I wanted to offer a mix of fresh-eating and baking apples,” he says. In addition to apples, they also grow smaller amounts of pears and peaches. A portion of each harvest will be donated to the Lexington Veterans Home.

The Smiths recently visited Martin and his family to present them with their new puppy, Lady Liberty Rose. Martin says he fell in love instantly but quickly adds this is not about him.

“We want her to be therapeutic, but she’s not just there for us,” he says. “When we have visitors, she’s there to lean on. She’s there for the people. That’s her purpose here.”

Smith says Red Hive Golden Retrievers is just a small operation, and their goal is to grow Operation Farm Dog nationally, eventually placing 100 puppies with 100 veteran farmer families each year. They will be calling on American Kennel Club-registered sporting and working-class dog breeders around the country to help by donating as many exceptional puppies as they can.

Canine Mayor

Not even halfway through his first term as mayor of this small Vermont town, three-year-old Murfee is lapping up his only official duty: to charm.

Specifically, the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, a certified therapy dog, is charged with prompting admirers to donate toward a $70,000 playground rehabilitation at Fair Haven Park.

He still has $62,000 to go.

Mugs, T-shirts and canvas shopping totes that bear his likeness are selling briskly online, his live-in chief of staff Linda Barker said on Tuesday.

By mayoral request, Barker has dusted off her old sewing machine to crank out and sell hundreds of canine-themed, pandemic-appropriate face masks for the cause.

“Murfee has learned to delegate,” observed Barker: The canine’s job apparently ends after he has drawn and entertained a crowd.

But his administration’s efforts to secure funds for the playground has been challenged by limits on large social events — the Spring Fling, the concerts in the park and so on.

Murfee has relied on sheer charisma, as well as the low likelihood he will either contract or transmit COVID-19.

“He’s allowed to love on the kids and to let them love on him,” Barker said. “Kids are his thing. He’s a goodwill ambassador for the town.”

“He’s enjoying the attention, but I’m getting a little burned out,” she confided.

Last Town Meeting Day, Murfee edged out incumbent Lincoln, the Nubian goat, and K-9 Sammy, a specialist in the town’s police department.

Rumors have surfaced of even more contenders poised to declare candidacy in 2021.

“I’d be a little upset if we had a hamster win next year,” Barker said. “We need a dog mayor.”

Program For Service Dogs

Puppies Behind Bars (PBB) founder and president, Gloria Gilbert Stoga, created a program that trains prison inmates to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders. Additionally, the organization trains dogs to become explosive-detection canines for law enforcement. Today, PBB operates throughout six correctional facilities in New York and New Jersey and has raised more than 1,200 dogs. PBB has earned its thirteenth consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, which indicates that the organization adheres to good governance and other best practices.

When Stoga first opened her organization over 20-years ago, she decided to breed her own Labrador retriever puppies. That decision came from wanting to provide canines that had the best genetic backgrounds and temperaments. All of the dogs enter the program at eight weeks old. Due to the high standards of the program, if a dog is released for either behavioral or physical reasons, the dog is put up for adoption. The explosive detection canine puppies are placed into a one-year program, while the service dog puppies participate in a two-year program.

“They live in the cells with the inmates,” Stoga explains. “The inmates are fully responsible for all of the training, the nurturing, the basic medical, the grooming, and once a week PBB staff goes into each prison for a full day of teaching classes and helps solve problems.” Before starting PBB in 1997, Stoga served as a member of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s Youth Empowerment Commission, whose mission was to secure private-sector summer employment for New York City’s underprivileged youth. She was responsible for developing and securing corporate commitments to provide training and jobs under the Commission’s initiative. Working for non-profits allowed Stoga to figure out how she wanted to operate her organization when it came time. The initial spark that inspired her to start PBB came after reading an article about Dr. Thomas Lane, a veterinarian running a prison guide-dog program in Gainesville, Florida. She subsequently had the privilege of visiting Dr. Lane and spoke with inmates and program staff in three prisons that hosted his program.

Six months later, she quit her job and approached Libby Pataki, who was then the First Lady of New York State. She immediately garnered Pataki’s support to provide education and rehabilitation for prison inmates and provide excellent quality working dogs for the public. Late 1997, she started her program with five Labrador retriever puppies at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York State’s only maximum-security prison for women.

In the beginning, Stoga and her team faced challenges with the unions and was not welcomed at her second prison opening, a men’s medium-security prison. “I wasn’t welcomed by security staff,” she shares. “To show them that I wasn’t just a well-meaning lady from New York City who was coming upstate to say, ‘you should give these inmates something positive to do,’ I went into that prison every single day, Monday through Friday for six weeks. I’d run to the women’s prison for half a day, three days a week, and I’d come back. For six weeks, I more or less lived in that prison…Very slowly, I start talking to some of the corrections officers. I’d always bring my two dogs in, and they’d see how well behaved they were, how friendly they were. I got across to people that I was serious, that the dogs were of high quality and that I wasn’t going anywhere.”

PBB has become a goal for prison inmates. Although the program is volunteer-based on top of the inmates’ mandatory prison job, it does not accept everyone. Stoga does not interview sex offenders, anybody with direct child abuse or animal abuse or anyone with a high mental health issue. Additionally, the inmates have to be ticket free for 12-months meaning that they haven’t received any form of disciplinary action in a year. Having something to strive for keeps the inmates focused on the goal.

“You see people [inmates] change literally before your eyes,” Stoga smiles. “The other end of the spectrum is our [canine] recipients. We work with veterans. We also work with first responders, and to hear from our recipients and their families that they cut way back on their meds, or maybe they’re now med free, that they now go out in public or that they now engage with their families is incredible.”

As Stoga continues to grow the organization, she focuses on the following essential steps:

Clearly define your purpose and what you want to do. If you start to veer away from that, you will stretch yourself thin mentally, emotionally and financially, which will not lead to long-term success.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Being honest when you don’t know something will garner better results than faking your way through; it may hurt you in the long run.

Be prepared to work hard, especially when pivoting. You will work harder than you ever have before. You have to give it your all if you want to achieve your goal.

“When I first started working in prisons,” Stoga concludes, “I was totally completely black and white. There were good guys in the world and there were bad guys. That was that. Very soon on, the inmates taught me there’s gray; that people can do bad things, but they’re not necessarily bad people forever. There are some bad people forever; I’m not naïve. However, some people are gray.”

New K-9 Member

The Carlsbad Police Department announced the retirement of one of it’s officers.

Alf, a police dog, was a member of the Carlsbad Police Department since 2017, said Carlsbad Police Chief Shane Skinner in a news release.

“He has been diagnosed with a degenerative bone condition and has been suffering from a lot of pain due to the rigorous physical regiment they have to maintain through training and normal service,” Skinner said. Support local journalism.

He added Alf had a proven history of narcotics detection.

“His wonderful demeanor and outstanding work will be missed,” Skinner said.

While Alf is retiring with his current handler Cpl. Chris Chacon, a new service dog named Alex is set to join the team, according to the news release.

A donation of $20,000 from Chevron along with contributions from residents Wayne and Sara Ballard, Ray and Karen Westall, George and Nancy Brantley, Valerie Murrill and several donors who wish to remain anonymous, the press release read.

“Chevron has a philosophy of giving back to the communities in which the company operates,” said Beverly Allen, community affairs representative for Chevron-Mid Continent Business Unit.

She said Chevron has donated to the Carlsbad community through various nonprofits, including the Carlsbad Community Foundation and the Carlsbad Boys and Girls Club.

“Our collaborative approach to partnership enables us to work with the organizations to determine what is needed and how Chevron can help,” Allen said.

The City of Carlsbad’s K-9 program was reestablished in 2017, under the direction of Carlsbad Dale Mayor Janway, the release read.

“This year the Mayor of Carlsbad and Chevron discussed options for our social investment funding to the City and that is how the K-9 police dog option came forward,” Allen said.

“Following our internal processes, we submitted the funding request and expect the City to receive it sometime in early or mid-July.”

Alex is expected to complete several months of coursework with Chacon he will join Aris and Nia, two other members of the K-9 unit.

All three dogs are Belgian Malinois, per the news release.

“Chevron’s assistance to this community has always focused on safety,” Janway said. “We know we can count on them to help us and always will be able to do so.”

Organization For Service Dogs

Honoring America’s Warriors, an Oklahoma City veteran organization, was awarded a portion of a $10 million dollar federal grant to provide placement and training of service dogs for disabled veterans.

The Wounded Warrior Service Dog Grant will be funded by congressional appropriations to the Department of Defense and the program is administered through the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

“It is heartbreaking that 20 veterans take their own lives each day,” said retired USAF Major General and HAW board president Rita Aragon. “We must do more to help those with physical, mental, and other service-connected forms of trauma”.

The service dogs are trained to help the veterans with things they may not be able to do because of a disability.

The dogs are able to pick things up, guide veterans with vision impairment, or help if they fall or lose balance easily.

Story Of Daisey

Daisey, a golden retriever, began showing signs of osteoarthritis in her hips when she was six years old. She would limp after some of her favorite activities including fetch, running at the dog park, and playing with her dog sibling. She started having trouble walking up stairs and would yelp in pain. Upon examination, it was determined that Daisey has bilateral hip dysplasia which led to osteoarthritis in the joints.

After ruling out surgery to repair Daisey’s malformed hips, her owners decided to investigate stem cell therapy. Her veterinarian, Dr. Rob Landry of Colorado Center for Animal Pain Management, determined Daisey was a good candidate for Vet Stem Cell Therapy. To begin the process, Dr. Landry collected fat tissue from Daisey’s abdomen in a non-invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was shipped to the VetStem laboratory in Poway, California. Once received, VetStem lab technicians processed the fat to extract and concentrate Daisey’s stem and regenerative cells. Three injectable stem cell doses were shipped back to Dr. Landry. Daisey received one injection into each hip and one intravenous injection approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection.

After her stem cell treatment, the first thing Daisey’s owners noticed was she was able to get up from lying down with less difficulty. Climbing stairs also became easier. Eventually her playful side began to emerge and she began playing with her canine sibling. She is also able to take long enjoyable walks with her owners. Her owner stated, “There is a contented look on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. So far life is good.”

Like Daisey, many dogs suffer from pain associated with osteoarthritis, which can greatly affect their quality of life. According to surveys answered by owners and veterinarians, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy for orthopedic conditions. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types, reduce pain and inflammation, help to restore range of motion, and stimulate regeneration of tendon, ligament and joint tissues. In a peer-reviewed study of dogs with chronic osteoarthritis of the hip, it was found that stem cells reduced lameness and pain.

About Dr. Robert Landry DVM, DAIPM, CVA, CCRP, CNPM
Dr. Robert Landry received his DVM from Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. He went on to complete an internship in medicine and surgery. In 2007, he received his certification in veterinary acupuncture and also became a Diplomat of the Academy of Integrative Pain Management. In addition, he is certified in canine rehabilitation and nutritional pain management. Dr. Landry has been treating patients with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy since 2008.

About VetStem Biopharma, Inc.
VetStem Biopharma is a veterinarian-led Company that was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the profession. This privately held biopharmaceutical enterprise, based near San Diego, California, currently offers veterinarians an autologous stem cell processing service (from patients’ own fat tissue) among other regenerative modalities. With a unique expertise acquired over the past 15 years and 17,000 treatments by veterinarians for joint, tendon or ligament issues, VetStem has made regenerative medicine applications a therapeutic reality. The VetStem team is focused on developing new clinically practical and affordable veterinary solutions that leverage the natural restorative abilities present in all living creatures. In addition to its own portfolio of patents, VetStem holds exclusive global veterinary licenses to a large portfolio of issued patents in the field of regenerative medicine.

Therapy Dog Joins Team

A private practice in Forest has added a new partner to help those coping with everything from PTSD, to autism, or physical abuse.

Advanced Psychotherapeutics and Center for Neuroplastic Research says they offer complete psychological evaluations to include cognitive, social/emotional/personality, and neurological. They offer counseling, tele-health, Christian counseling, and Psychological/ Neurological/ Educational Testing.

Along with their clinicians, counselors, psychologists, and therapists, Advanced Psychotherapeutics has added a new certified therapy dog.

Stella, a 6-month-old Australian Labradoodle, joined the team a week ago.

Dr. Tim Barclay is her main handler and clinical director of Advanced Psychotherapeutics said Stella is certified in multiple areas and can even accompany people in court to provide support.

“With the right temperament, it brings an emotional and behavioral calm to the individual,” Dr. Barclay said.

Her bio on the website shows she went through a tough vetting and selection process before going to ‘school’ and received the highest scores where she was then trained in Indiana. Stella trained to work with children and adults with PTSD, physical/sexual abuse, emotional and behavioral problems, and also individuals with autism.

If you would like to use Stella in therapy, just tell the receptionist when you call to make an appointment.