Retired Military Dog

He’s not your typical war veteran, but Loki’s family says he is a hero.

Loki is a dog. The 12-year-old boxer and rottweiler mix was a military police dog who served two tours in Afghanistan and now is retired, but he continues to give back.

“We didn’t want him to retire and get depressed,” Tina Rockenbach, Loki’s new owner said.

Loki came to live with the Rockenbach’s in February. His previous owner, who was also his partner in the military needed a new service dog and was hoping Loki could retire, spending the rest of his days sunbathing and playing with Rockenbach’s kids.

But Loki had other ideas.

“The first time we took him to the cemetery, we were going to visit my mom’s grave,” Rockenbach said.”The first time we took him to the cemetery, we were going to visit my mom’s grave.. he was just attracted to the veteran’s section… so I took him over there and he just seems to understand.”

This isn’t the only time. Once, when Loki was at the vet, he wouldn’t leave until he greeted a man in the waiting room. Loki placed his head on the man’s lap.

Later, Rockenbach learned that man was a veteran.

“He just has this connection to them that I can’t understand but I can see,” she said.

So Loki is now in training to get his therapy dog certificate. He’s already trained well in commands and has no behavioral concerns, which make him the perfect candidate.

Once that’s done, he’ll visit veterans weekly at care facilities in the area.

“It’s just a gift we can give back to them,” Rockenbach said.

Because Loki knows all too well what it’s like to serve. He’s even earned a Purple Heart.

“”He had alerted to a landmine and went to check it out and someone remote detonated it, he jumped and pushed James out of the way and took the bulk of the blast,” Rockenbach said.

James, who is Loki’s former partner and owner survived the blast and so did Loki. Though he still has scars on his chest.

Tina believes, Loki has some PTSD because of incidents like this.

“He’s seen a lot of things, done a lot of things,” she said.

She says during thunderstorms and fireworks, sometimes Loki is who needs the comforting. But she said it’s all worth it.

“Ironically I think he’s done more for us than anything,” Rockenbach said.

Medical Service Dog

A dog is helping Second Chance Animal Shelter in Selma live up to its name.

One of its strays has gone from shelter dog, to service dog.

“He kept getting out, he kept getting out of the house until one day, he ended up in the shelter,” says Aranda Guerra, an animal advocate who was familiar with the Anatolian Shepherd, then known as Max.

The owners eventually surrendered the dog — and Guerra made it a mission to find him a new home.

She had owned a dog of that same breed, and knew it had great potential.

But, “he looked really sad. Super sad,” says Guerra.

“He was a little shy,” says Rebecca Hernandez, an Animal Control Officer at Second Chance Animal Shelter. “We were being very careful with him.”

Hernandez says the staff, too, was determined to help the blue-eyed pup shine.

“We did spent a lot of time working with him, taking him out, spending some personal time with him to get his confidence up with people and our staff in general,” Hernandez says.

Meantime, Guerra reached out to animal rescue groups and foster homes.

She eventually connected with trainer John Anthony with Redemption Road K9, a working dog company and training center near Lancaster.

“You can just see there’s a light in his eyes,” says Anthony, who was also familiar with the breed of dog.

And, he already had a family in Orange County in mind.

The bond, almost instant, for RJ Estrella and her daughter, Taylor.

The new family, had a new name for the dog: Samson.

“You can see the soul in his eyes and the intelligence in him,” says RJ Estrella, whose daughter has Gastrointestinal Disease and Polycystic Kidney Disease. “He’s proving that every day at this point.”

Anthony will train Samson to be Taylor’s Medical Service Dog.

“Sometimes she has a sudden onset of pain where she can barely walk,” Estrella says. “He can alert us.”

Anthony will also teach Samson to retrieve Taylor’s medication.

“Watching Taylor and Samson bond on the ranch, I got emotional afterwards because that’s the whole reason we started Redemption Road K9,” Anthony says.

“He listens to her at this point better than he does me. He’s a smart guy,” Estrella says.

It will take over a year to train Samson.

But first, the pup will receive some much-needed TLC and medical care.

Estrella is keeping Hernandez and Guerra posted on Samson’s progress.

“The fact he can help out a little girl makes me so happy,” Hernandez says. “In this case, Max did very well get a second chance at life.”

Willow Brings Joy To Students

A 1-year-old black Labradoodle named Willow helped brighten the lives of St. Marys Catholic Elementary School students this year, and is still doing so for some during the coronavirus closure.

Kim Sloff, inclusion coordinator at the school, is an avid animal lover. Her son was diagnosed with autism at 2 years old, and the family looked into a therapy dog then, but found it would be costly.

Sloff’s background includes working as a preschool aid and in mental health and case work, she said. Since the school doesn’t have a special education department, her position was developed to better serve children with special needs.

In February 2019, she attended an inclusion conference, visiting a school with a therapy dog in action, where the idea of securing one for the St. Marys school was inspired.

The Sloff family got Willow when she was a puppy. She’s classified as an emotional support dog, and was officially certified in February of this year.

“She went into the school every day as a puppy and walked around with me,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how she took to the process at just five months old. She became a fixture immediately, and the kids loved her.”

Sloff’s responsibilities include tutoring, testing and reading to children, she said, many of whom have extreme test anxiety or struggle with behavioral issues. Some children will sit and pet Willow for comfort and for others she is part of a “reward” program.

“If a student comes in upset, by the time they leave us, they’re laughing and smiling,” Sloff said.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sloff says she has been doing tutoring sessions via video chat, and Willow will sit next to her. She has sent a video of herself and Willow to a boy struggling at home during the closure.

“It made his day,” she said.

Willow is such a part of the school that she is even pictured in the yearbook under faculty, Sloff adds.

Not just during quarantine, but all the time, Willow brings so much comfort and unconditional love to Sloff and her family’s life, she said, referring to her as her “kindred spirit.”

“I have an absolute connection with her I’ve never had with any animal,” she said.

RCMP Service Dog

RCMP say they were conducting a training session with a service dog before an officer shot an “aggressive” dog that was off-leash in the downtown area of Yellowknife.

In a news release Thursday, RCMP say around 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, the police force’s Police Dog Services — which included a police service dog named Hoss and his handler — were training near 49th Avenue and 44th Street. RCMP dog training sessions can often happen in public areas, like back alleys, the release says.

During the training, police say Hoss and his handler had “an interaction with two aggressive unleashed dogs.”

They say a police dog services member was injured, as was Hoss. The release says the interaction continued and the member then discharged his fireman. Police say as a result, one of the off-leash dogs was injured and taken to a veterinarian for treatment.

Hoss and the handler were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

RCMP say they’ve initiated an Independent Officer Review of the incident — which will be conducted by a commissioned officer of the inspector rank or higher — who was not involved in the incident. The officer will determine if the RCMP’s policies and procedures were followed in the given circumstances of the incident.

RCMP Investigation Update

Today (Thursday, June 4th) Yellowknife RCMP released an update on the investigation into the incident yesterday where a police officer discharged his firearm at an aggressive dog.

The release says NT RCMP has initiated an Independent Officer Review (IOR) of the incident to determine if the RCMP’s policies and procedures were followed in the given circumstance.

The review will be conducted by a commissioned officer of Inspector rank or higher, who is independent of the involved incident.

The release also included a correction to the time of the incident, originally 11:30 am, to approximately 10:45 am.

According to RCMP, on Wednesday Police Dog Services (PDS) were conducting a training session in the area of 49 Ave and 44 St in downtown Yellowknife.

PDS training sessions may include urban public areas, such as back alleys.

During the session, Police Service Dog Hoss and his handler had an interaction with two aggressive unleashed dogs. The PDS member was first injured, with PSD Hoss also sustaining an injury.

As the interaction progressed, the member discharged his firearm injuring one of the two unleashed dogs as a result. The injured dog was taken to a local veterinary office for treatment, and both the PDS handler and Hoss were treated for non-life threatening injuries and released.

The release then states that PDS handlers and Police Service Dogs are highly trained, valuable members of the RCMP, and PDS handlers understand the unique bond between an owner and a dog and share a concern anytime a dog is injured.

In normal circumstances, RCMP would not give details on an ongoing investigation however, due to the nature of the incident, and within the restrictions of the ongoing investigation, RCMP deemed it necessary to provide some context to the incident.

The IOR is ongoing, and no further details will be released.

RCMP Police Dog

In a statement that amended some earlier information and contained new detail, RCMP said both an officer and a police dog were injured before any shot was fired.

The RCMP account of what took place contradicted several elements of the account provided by Lawrence Mantla and Lori Dashney, who own Rocko, the pitbull shot in the encounter.

On Wednesday, Mantla told Cabin Radio his dog had been bitten by a police German shepherd first before reacting in self-defence. Mantla said he had been holding on to his dog and asking police not to fire when Rocko was shot.

The pitbull, said by his owners and several other residents to be gentle in nature, received a gunshot wound to the throat.

Neither Mantla nor RCMP, in their first statement, had mentioned the presence of a third dog.

However, in a second written statement on Thursday, RCMP said a police dog named Hoss and his handler “had an interaction with two aggressive unleashed dogs.”

Police said the handler had been conducting a training session near 44 Street and 49 Avenue at the time – 10:45am, a revision to Wednesday’s statement, which had placed the incident at 11:30am.

While RCMP said such sessions often take place in downtown back alleys, police did not directly answer a question from Cabin Radio regarding whether the incident had taken place on public or private property.

On encountering the two dogs, RCMP said their officer “was first injured” and the police dog was also hurt. Neither injury had been reported by police in their Wednesday news release.

“As the interaction progressed, the member discharged his firearm. One of the two unleashed dogs was injured as a result, and was taken to a local veterinary office for treatment,” Thursday’s statement continued.

“Both the handler and Hoss were treated for non-life threatening injuries and released.”

Rocco, a pitbull owned by Lawrence Mantla and Lori Dashney, is pictured after being shot during an incident on June 3, 2020.

RCMP said the incident was now the subject of an independent officer review, meaning a commissioned officer of inspector rank or higher will examine whether RCMP policies and procedures were followed.

“The [review] is ongoing and no further details will be released,” Thursday’s statement concluded.

Mantla could not immediately be reached for comment.

On Wednesday, he had described holding Rocko’s chest at the moment the dog was shot.

“That dog bit my dog twice, then my dog turned around and bit him on the lip, hanging on to the lip,” Mantla said in his account of the same incident.

“He shot my dog point blank. Their dog attacked my dog and now they’re blaming us.”

Rocko had a suspected ruptured esophagus, Mantla said on Wednesday evening, and may require surgery in Calgary.

“Police Dog Service handlers and police service dogs are highly trained, valuable members of the RCMP,” police said in Thursday’s second statement.

“Handlers understand the unique bond between an owner and a dog, and share a concern any time a dog is injured.”

Let’s Love Our Pets

When spring semester started, I headed home to Las Vegas for a semester-long school project for my parent’s pet harness business. Because of the business, I get to see all kinds of dogs, cats, pigs— I kid you not — goats, guinea pigs and more wearing my parent’s product. I also see the smiles on pet owner’s faces when showing off their pets to others.

Pets, with their adorable mannerisms, do things that not a lot of people do— provide a great distraction for our troubles. Of course, they could never replace family , but they sure make a wonderful addition to them.

We at Scroll believe that pets provide great support in trying times.

Although pets have been helpful many times in people’s normal lives, they have been especially helpful during quarantine. According to the New York Times, The Best Friends Animal Society saw a nationwide increase in adoptions due to quarantine giving people more time at home. Living in isolation can be stressful for many, even inside a family setting.

Buddy, my parent’s French bulldog, has been a stress reliever for us during quarantine. He always finds a way to put a smile on our face even though he cannot say a word — unless you count his barks.

According to ABC News, some Zoom classes use therapy dogs for students to relieve stress and teach social and emotional development. Some might think this is too distracting for students, but the children in the ABC News’ report say therapy pets help set an example of good listening.

It is important to understand that pets are only as good as they are treated. As great as they are to have around, they require a lot of attention from their owners. Who has not had a moment where their cat or dog pooped or peed on the floor, broken something valuable, or barked nonstop at something passing by the window? Pets do a lot of dumb things, but for most, it ends up being moments to laugh at.

Personally, I believe they solve more problems then they create. Pets help us to think outside of ourselves. When we take good care of our pets, we are spending more time helping them with their problems instead of thinking about our own. Many people learn this message through their own children, but pets help remind us of that fact.

God created all living things not just for food, but to be helpful companions. Many animals have been pets for mankind since Paleolithic times, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Cats were even universally worshiped during ancient Egypt — which makes sense since my sister’s cat, Apricot, is always demanding my attention whenever I come to visit.

I love how the Encyclopedia Britannica also mentions the relationship between owner and pet to be a symbiotic one, meaning that the love they have for one another is mutual. It is something that differentiates them from just mere cattle. The time we spend and the love we give to our pets defines that relationship.

Quarantine has given us more time in our homes than most of us care to have, but with that time, we have found ways to appreciate things we thought we did not have time for. For any new or veteran pet owners out there, please take care of your animal family members. They will teach us to think outside of ourselves, on top of many other benefits. They may be tedious and needy at times, but the benefits outweigh the time required.

Medical Services Dog

Are you a veteran or do you know someone who is a veteran and would be interested in a medical service dog?

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is working with the community to help pair medical service dogs with vterans experiencing PTSD, mobility issues, seizure disorders, and/or diabetes.

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs mission is to raise, train and donate medical service dogs to veterans, first responders and individuals to mitigate the challenges of both permanent visible and invisible disabilities.

The program reports it has had zero deaths by suicide among its recipients in its 10-year history compared to a devastatingly high statistic for veterans around the country – on average 20-22 veterans commit suicide in the United States each day.

The nonprofit reported 92 percent of veterans with PTSD have reduced or eliminated medications after receiving a service dog (*According Medicine Study.)

Although Guardian Angels is headquartered in Florida, the organization has donated over 330 dogs spanning 24 states in the past decade.

Police Dog Service

An Albertan was arrested and facing several criminal charges after police from in Revelstoke, Sicamous, Salmon Arm and Vernon teamed up June 3.

At around 1 p.m. Wednesday, an officer with Trans Canada East Traffic Services (TCETS), based in Revelstoke, failed to stop a vehicle for speeding on Highway 1 near Malakwa.

The lone occupant of a black BMW fled westbound toward Sicamous. The traffic officer didn’t chase the vehicle for public safety reasons, BC RCMP Traffic Services said, but he called ahead to warn officers in the neighbouring regions.

The driver of the BMW evaded Sicamous RCMP and continued toward Salmon Arm.

Officers patrolled the secondary roads between the two communities and located the vehicle abandoned.

At around the same time, Salmon Arm RCMP located a person on the same highway not far from the BMW.

Following questioning, RCMP found the Alberta man in his late 30s was the driver of the BMW which was determined to have been stolen from Calgary a month ago.

The Police Dog Service from Vernon was used to track the driver’s path from the recovered BMW to where he was found by police. Several items belonging to the driver were found along the way.

The Integrated Forensic Identification Section was utilized to gather evidence from the vehicle which will be used to connect the car to the driver.

A police helicopter was also deployed, providing support from above to officers on the ground.

“This investigation is an excellent example of seamless teamwork and communication among various Units and Detachments that brought this file to a successful conclusion without injury to any members of the public,” BC RCMP Traffic Services said in a statement.

The Alberta man was taken into custody without further incident and was later released for a future court date.

He is facing several charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police and possession of stolen property.

Paws Puppies