Hong Kong Therapy Dog

 

To help students release stress and learn about animal care, protection and welfare, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology introduced a dog therapy programme last summer. Students said spending time with the dog regularly helps them unwind and relax from school work.

Therapy Dog Healing Virtually

A therapy dog isn’t letting coronavirus pause her mission to help others. “Laney the golden retriever” and her owner are taking their visits virtual. Alexa Liacko looks at the free sessions helping children, veterans, and families cope with COVID-19.

Laney the golden retriever is used to being loved on.

This therapy dog is part of the “paws for patients” program at the Osbourne Head and Neck Foundation in Los Angeles.

Aimee Galicia Torres, Laney’s owner shared that “patients need some sort of distraction if they’re feeling a lot of pain, so Laney is a great way to distract themshe was getting ready to visit sick patients around the world but because of COVID-19, we had to put a hold on that”

So, Laney’s owner, Aimee, brought the world—inside their home.

“Instead of putting a pause on the ‘paws for patients’ program, we decided to offer it virtually there are people who need a smile in their day it’s not just patients Laney visits. She’s a mutt!” Anyone can make a zoom appointment—for free.

Some kids just want to see the dog but Laney, as a therapy dog, her main skill is to provide compassion and empathy and be in tune to people’s needs and Laney knows just how to show off for the camera. “As soon as she knows the lights go on and I’Il have a camera, she stands behind the backdrop and sits and smiles, she’s very sassy and poses.”

Some visits are filled with dress-up costumes but for veterans like Jimmy Harris the calls are a powerful release.

Jimmy Harriss is a veteran and Laney’s client who served in the Army National Guard in Egypt and Romania for a year. “Vets you know, they see horrible things in the military, in combat, and it can mess with someone’s mind, so i think the connection with an animal really brings a calmness to someone’s mind.”

That escape–sorely needed by so many right now.

Aimee Galicia Torres explained that she’s able to help people build those connections up they might have lost touch with because of COVID-19, but even when this pandemic ends Aimee says she and Laney will continue this new kind of healing—a healing Aimee has felt firsthand.

I lost my dog a year and a half ago and I got Laney last year. “Dogs have always given me help and have given me hope during difficult times, and i wanted to be able to bring that to people because their mission is like a good chew toy–too precious to ever give up.” “If we can just bring hope to people then we did our job.”

Meet Sir Winston

Sir Winston Furchill is the poodle puppy who has become the newest and furriest member of the Rainbow House Advocacy Center in Columbia.

Although Winston is only undergoing basic puppy training now, he will eventually have the training to become a certified therapy dog for the center.

Children go to Rainbow House to be interviewed by forensic interviewers about their experiences with severe and sexual child abuse.

Brenda Porter, Rainbow House Program Director, said therapy dogs are great to aid in potentially stressful environments.

A few of the staff members picked up Winston on Thursday, May 21, and Friday, May 22 was his first full day at the Center.

Hilary Eustace, a Forensic Interviewer at Rainbow House, said with proper training Winston will be able to calm children down in the interview process.

“Sometimes when children talk its really raw emotions and so you know they show all different types of upset and crying and anxious,” Eustace said.

The staff at Rainbow House were also excited for his arrival.

Micah Moore, Family and Child Advocate, said he will be a calming presence in a sometimes stressful environment.

“He’s going to serve a purpose for our whole team and not just the families and the kiddos that we serve,” Moore said.

“I think he will provide therapy for all of us in a way and a nice distraction from the tougher content that we work with every day.”

Rainbow House had to cancel their annual fundraiser on April 4 due to the coronavirus but their annual golf tournament is still on for Monday, August 3.

Can Guide Dogs Social-Distance

Guide dog Leo, a 2-year-old black Lab, helps his visually impaired owner, Samantha Ambrico-Custer, get around and navigate daily life.

He performs extraordinary tasks for her every day. But one thing Leo and other guide dogs can’t do: judge 6 feet between other humans.

Amid the pandemic, owners say their guide dogs have had trouble finding the end of a spaced-out line of people at stores, and obviously, they don’t understand the meaning of designated arrows on the floor.

“They are not trained to stand 6 feet apart from people and cross the street if someone is coming at me,” Ambrico-Custer said. “The situations I’ve been running into since the pandemic kind of set in are more related to people kind of getting frustrated that I can’t see. … My dog knows to avoid the person, but doesn’t know how to stay 6 feet apart.”

Ambrico-Custer is asking the public to be patient and understanding to the blind and visually impaired and their guide dogs.

“You can just say, ‘Hey, you’re coming at me and we are not 6 feet apart,’ or really anything to that matter, just to let me know that you are there and I’m not going the right way,” the Havertown resident advised. “I would prefer you letting me know than me continue on and continuously walk toward people when I should be going in the opposite direction.”

She said speaking up is the best way to keep everyone safe. However, never grab onto the person without asking if they need help, and don’t pet, feed or distract the animal in any way.

“Especially in this (COVID-19) situation,” Ambrico-Custer added, “where I don’t know where your hands have been and you don’t know where my dog has been. I think it is just really important to remember that if you see a service dog, they are working and they shouldn’t be distracted in any way, but specifically, don’t touch them.”

Teacher’s Therapy Dog

A new therapy dog might welcome Furry Elementary students back when school reopens.

At a recent virtual public meeting, Furry Elementary teacher Pam Shirtz asked officials about having her golden retriever, Charlie, available to students needing support during the pandemic. Charlie completed rigorous testing through the Pet Partners organization to become a certified therapy dog. He’s also privately insured, so Perkins Schools wouldn’t have to insure him, Shirtz said.

“We know that students will be returning with many anxieties that dogs have been proven to calm and help them focus,” she said in an email. “I have witnessed this in the classroom, accelerating students’ learning and confidence in reading and other subjects.”

In recent years, Shirtz’s students have read to Stein Hospice’s Paws Up therapy dogs in Furry Elementary’s library.

School board president Jason Dulaney said he believes therapy animals are useful.

“For that reason, I would advocate for one dog per building used by our counselors because they’re most equipped to address those needs of our students,” he said. “I’m open-minded and flexible to change that stance if there’s data that shows otherwise.”

Superintendent Todd Boggs agreed with Dulaney’s idea but wants to research it more.

“I know that it has a positive effect, but I know there’s a lot of concerns that we have to take into consideration,” Boggs said. “Especially now, I’m not a doctor — we would have to look at cleanliness with COVID-19 and if dogs are carriers (of the virus). But I know they have a positive effect on kids.”

Board member Brad Mitchel said Perkins Schools should have a policy for therapy dogs going into schools.

“When something is new and innovative, it’s good to do research and have a policy,” he said. “What we don’t want to see is every teacher have their dog trained, and it would be a free-for-all to bring their animal into the schools. I don’t have anything against animals — I think therapy dogs can be vital to some kids, but I don’t think they should be used in a random manner. There has to be limits on everything. Some kids are afraid of dogs, so we always have to consider that. It’s something we’ll look at in the future, see what the demand is and go from there.”

Recognizing Perkins’ class of 2020

Switching gears, board member Ted Kastor proposed dedicating a plaque to Perkins’ Class of 2020, who, like all graduating seniors, couldn’t finish their last year of high school normally due to the coronavirus crisis. He wants to donate money for it, too.

“The seniors were robbed of memorable events and traditions by this pandemic,” he said. “I’d like to have something where people can remember 2020 and the graduates that endured this hardship and (have it) displayed in the high school for everyone to see in years to come.”

Dulaney also liked the plaque idea.

“I would like to donate to that as well,” he said.

Paws For Life Rescue Program

Crazy Dog, a brand of Whitebridge Pet Brands in St. Louis, recently donated 12,960 bags of its Crazy Dog Train-Me! treats to Paws for Life K9 Rescue (PFL). The treats will support the rescue group’s COVID-19 Operation Pandemic and Paws for Life Prison programs.

Operation Pandemic was launched to encourage people to foster a shelter dog during the COVID-19 pandemic. Treats will be sent to people who are fostering dogs through the Operation Pandemic program to help them meet the costs of caring for a pet, according to Kati Garrido, director of operations for PFL. The treats are being shared with two food banks that assist low-income pet owners in the Los Angeles area. PFL will also use the training treats in their Paws for Life program. PFL works with inmates in the California State Prison system to care for and train shelter dogs that later become service dogs for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“We are incredibly fortunate to be able to offer our dogs excellent training through our prison programs,” Garrido said. “A trained dog has better chances to have a successful adoption. Our trainers rely on treats to reward the dogs. Treats are such a vital part of our program, and a donation this generous really makes a positive impact because we are able to use the funds that we would have spent on treats on other things our dogs might need.”

Stacey Luna, a spokesperson for Crazy Dog, said that they are very pleased to make the donation.

“Paws for Life has quickly and effectively responded to the current crisis, and we are happy to be able to support their causes,” Luna said. “We know that well-behaved dogs are more likely to be successfully adopted, and training is important to get dogs out of shelters and into caring homes. Crazy Dog Train-Me! treats have been successfully used by thousands of professional trainers. I use them with my own dogs, Kerby and Myles, and I’m happy that they can play a role here.”

Dogs Adjusting To Social Distancing

Brian Hare, Ph.D. professor of evolutionary anthropology and director of Duke Canine Cognition Center, discussed how dogs help people to adjust to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. I want to understand how different types of cognition evolve, including in our own species. Dogs have provided a powerful way to test ideas about how selection can shape psychology. We have applied what we learned to help working dogs. Like people, we have found individual dogs have different cognitive strengths that give them their unique personalities. Currently, we are raising service dog puppies to examine how different socialization experiences might enhance their cognitive abilities. Our goal is to increase the chances they will grow up to be successful working dogs. The pandemic has forced many people to stay at home. This means that people are spending a lot more time with their animals. How do you think that this affects how people cope with the stress of the pandemic during this period? What do we know about the impact of animals on stress and anxiety during challenging times like we are currently experiencing?

First, I love that my dog is here to help the kids and grown up kids cope. Our dog does this in so many ways: He gets us out on walks, makes us play and hug, is always happy to see us and finally makes us feel good just by needing us. We know that for many people, dogs can be a powerful way to reduce stress and anxiety. Overall, I think that most dogs do a great job in a similar way with most families. In extreme cases, a dog becomes even more. For some, a dog becomes one of the most important, if not most important, social relationship. This is common in older individuals who have the greatest need to physically distance themselves. Their dog is a place of security, solace and love. These dogs are essential citizens right now. Luckily, in most cases, the dogs are also winning big, since they would always prefer to be with their human family. Other pets are playing a similar role, too—although I am sure there is more than one cat in all of this that is ready for their humans to go back to work!

As a scientist, I also know the story is much more complicated because the relationship between a pet and human is an interaction. Like any relationship, expectations can be too high, mismatches are frequent, and even good relationships age as novelty turns to duty. While many pets, and especially dogs, are known for reducing stress and bringing joy, pets can increase stress, too. Sheltering in place can make charming behaviors unbearable problem behaviors (e.g., constant singing, barking, walking on keyboards). Take time to include your pet in the daily plan. Sharing responsibility for care has become more critical than ever. Seek veterinary advice about how to prevent or address new problems caused by more time at home. Everyone may need a hug—even your pet. Many people are considering getting a dog or a new pet during this time. Being home offers a great opportunity to care for a new or young animal, but a new pet can be a blessing or curse depending on so many factors. One of the main difficulties physical distancing will present is how to properly socialize dog puppies during their critical developmental window between eight and 24 weeks. During this time, they need to experience as many places and people as possible to build up their confidence. This experience is critical to preventing fear and aggression as adults. They also need to spend time on their own so they do not develop separation anxiety. Many people may be able to come up with strategies to work around these problems, but another idea is to foster an adult dog instead of getting a new puppy. Fostering means you host a dog in your house from a rescue. Fostered dogs tend to have higher adoption rates and success once adopted because they have the chance to learn or remember all the appropriate skills they will need as part of a human family. Finally, avoid purchasing exotic pets or keeping local wildlife as pets—it may be illegal, and the pet trade threatens many species with extinction.

Police Welcomes New Recruit

The Moose Jaw Police Service has a new recruit, but he’s of the four-legged variety.

“Merc” passed his validation testing last week and he is now the fourth dog to join Moose Jaw’s K9 Unit.

“Usually, that’s the proper protocol is that when an old dog retires a new one is brought in or when the service is increasing say dog power or canine handlers they will bring in other dogs and begin training from there,” said Cst. Jim Biniaris, who is Merc’s handler.

In many ways, this dog holds special meaning to Biniaris. The dog is named in honour of Cst. Jason Mercer, an 18-year veteran of the Moose Jaw police force who died on March 23, 2016.

Biniaris said he was very close to Mercer.

“Jason was actually my field training officer for the majority of my career and so we found it fitting that I’d get Merc as my police service dog,” he said.

Police dogs go through rigorous training and Biniaris and Merc just finished training and Biniaris said he’s looking forward to getting back into patrolling with his new partner.

The K9 Unit can be deployed for a number of different reasons. These include alarm calls, violent offences, scenarios where a suspect has fled the scene, searching buildings and vehicles and assisting in missing person cases.

Puppies Helping Firefighters

Hanford Fire Department will have some furry new recruits soon.

The department is partnering with the California Service Dog Academy in Visalia to train two new puppies to help firefighters with stress.

Firefighters Connor Kurtz and Matt Martinez are heading the program and will be the two primary handlers for the puppies that are chosen for the department.

Kurtz said there are several services already available for firefighters coming back from particularly bad or difficult calls, like counselors, therapy sessions or talking to a chaplain, but he thought having a dog around would be a beneficial outlet as well.

He said being able to hang out with a dog can relieve stress and anxiety, as well as raise morale in the fire house.

Martinez then reached out to California Service Dog Academy, which trains dogs to help veterans with their mental health.

“It seemed like kind of a natural extension to help out local first responders as well in the same exact way,” Rebecca Corso, head trainer at California Service Dog Academy, said.

The academy decided to donate two puppies to the department as a way to not only alleviate the mental stress of the firefighters, but also to bring joy to the community.

Working Dogs

We’re pulling for Draco, the German shepherd, who’s in training to become a K-9 law enforcement officer with the police department in Cape Carteret. There’s been some budget debate about whether the town can fund Draco as an ongoing line item.

The “Draco dilemma” was described by reporter Brad Rich in the May 24 edition of the Carteret County News-Times. Let’s hope town officials get it right.

Meanwhile, the South Lyon (Mich.) Herald reminded its readers of the cancellation of the traditional Memorial Day observance at the Michigan War Dog Memorial in South Lyon this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One visit to the park-like setting, and you gain a greater appreciation for the significance of military and law enforcement working dogs and all service dogs throughout America’s history.

The 2.5-acre site at South Lyon was developed as a pet burial ground in 1936 by Dr. Steve Elkow, a new veterinarian in town. He called it the Happy Hunting Grounds Pets Cemetery.

The story connects to one of the bravest military canines from the World War II era – Sgt. Sparks.

A Doberman pinscher, Sgt. Sparks had “enlisted” with the Marine Corps in 1943 and was shipped out to serve as a scout and messenger in the Pacific Theater.

Sgt. Sparks saw battle action on Bougainville Island in New Guinea, at Guadalcanal on the Solomon Islands and at Okinawa, Japan. His final station was on Guam in 1945. Sgt. Sparks was discharged in 1946 and went home to Michigan with his handler.

The dog was one of the “dignitaries” to attend a dedication ceremony later in 1946 for the unveiling of a 16-ton granite war dog monument in the South Lyon cemetery…and the official renaming of the graveyard as the Michigan War Dog Memorial.

After Sgt. Sparks died in 1947, his master requested that the dog “be wrapped only in a blanket,” like so many of his buddies on the World War II beaches…and interred at the base of the new monument.

As time marched on, the cemetery land began changing hands in the late 1970s, and the pet cemetery deteriorated from neglect.

Ownership of the land eventually transferred to Lombardo Homes, a residential development company. In 2013, CEO Tony Lombardo donated the cemetery portion of the property to a newly established nonprofit organization that agreed to take it over.

Its president, Phil Weitlauf, an Army veteran, said his group is financed entirely by private donations and no tax dollars are involved.

The board was committed to “restoring the cemetery to its former grandeur and protecting these hallowed grounds,” Weitlauf said.

The facility is now widely regarded as the “Arlington Cemetery for dogs,” said Jeff DeYoung of Muskegon, Mich., a retired Marine dog handler.

Weitlauf says: “There are about 36 war dog memorials throughout the United States, but only two memorials offer burials, one in Hartsdale, N.Y., and ours.”

Weitlauf’s organization has provided DeYoung’s dog Cena and others with a “full military honors funeral.” The established protocol is:

Bag piper, full color guard, eight German shepherds escorting the remains to the table of honor, invocation, reading of the biography, presenting a folded American flag to the handler, “Taps” by a bugler and “Amazing Grace” on the pipes.

As a finale, the German shepherds have been trained to howl on command, called a “K9 Salute to their Fallen Comrade,” for a full 30 seconds.

The military and public safety working dogs and service dogs “are our companions,” Weilauf said, “and when you bond with a dog, that dog bonds with you for life. It’s totally unconditional love.”