Future Service Dogs

Three volunteer pilots left California’s Sonoma Jet Center on March 28 with precious cargo in tow: puppies.

The planes were safely transporting golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, and mixed puppies to their new, temporary homes. It was each puppies’ first step in becoming an assistance dog.

The pilots were helping Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit that provides trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities free of charge.

With the help of the volunteer pilots, the nonprofit has brought 108 puppies to southern California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Texas. The nonprofit connected with Martyn Lewis, Josh Hochberg, and Jeff Stewart, three private pilots who fly out of a nearby airport in Sonoma, California.

“Not only are they giving their plane, but their time, their fuel,” Michelle Williams, the public relations and marketing coordinator at Canine Companions, told Insider. “They’re going out for full days … it’s just incredible.”

Hochberg, the owner of Sonoma Jet Center where the planes fly out of, had never flown with puppies before.

“Once they get into the plane, they require less attention than my daughters,” he told Insider.

His two daughters will often ride along during the puppy flights. They play with the puppies an hour before takeoff, which wears them out. Once they’re on the plane, the puppies usually sleep the entire ride, Hochberg explained.

He said this work has created some positivity for his family in these challenging times.

“It’s more fulfilling than I could have possibly imagined,” he said. “So fulfilling that I actually got a puppy of my own.”

Hochberg’s family added a new member, Charlie, an American Brittany, which he fully attributes to his work with Canine Companions.

The biggest challenge now is finding volunteer pilots with planes that have the capacity to travel farther east.

“We’ve got the West Coast covered,” Hochberg said. “The challenge is the dogs need to go all the way across the US.”

The dogs are bred at Canine Companion’s headquarters in Santa Rosa, California. At the nonprofit’s breeding center, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, and mixes of the two are bred for traits like calm temperament.

The 8-week-old puppies are then placed in temporary homes where families and individuals will raise the dogs. The volunteers will socialize the dogs and teach them about 30 commands. Once the dogs are about a year and a half, they’ll be placed in professional training centers, where they’ll learn more advanced commands.

“Disability doesn’t disappear in times of crisis,” Williams said.

Canine Companions currently has 400 people on its waiting list for a service dog. “If we were to put everything on hold, those people are going to wait longer for their assistance dogs,” she explained.

Luckily, the work hasn’t paused, and now the puppies can begin their road to becoming a service dog.

Veteran Services Has A New Employee

Animals have the ability offer a great source of comfort and support. While on the surface, the COVID-19 pandemic has been horribly tragic, there is a silver lining there. At least there is when it comes to Lincoln County Veteran’s Services. The director of Lincoln County Veteran’s Services, Alex Patton, is constantly looking for ways to better serve the county’s veteran population. This time, he’s not only found a way to help veterans, but also animals available for adoption at the county’s shelter.

In an effort to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus, Lincoln County shut their offices down to the general public the middle of April. While they opened back up on April 27, many offices have reduced traffic. The veteran’s services office is no exception.

“Most of our cliental are a high-risk group,” Patton said. “They’re older and sick and wouldn’t be coming to see me if it weren’t to file a claim. We don’t want to put them at risk. I’m not going to completely open until June 1. If they need forms, I either send them by email or drop them off on their doorstep and call them and tell them they’re there. I don’t want someone to say they got sick coming to my office or sitting in the lobby. Believe me, I want people back in here, but I don’t want anyone to get sick.”

Last year, a joint program between Lincoln County Veteran’s Services and Lincoln County Animal Services was developed so that veterans could adopt a shelter animal for no fee, but Patton wanted to take this relationship further.

“We were thinking about potentially going to the shelter and bringing a dog here and letting them spend the day and then take them back,” he said. “But you don’t know every dog’s personality or who would be a good fit and who wouldn’t.”

Patton has had Lucy, a rescued small mix-breed dog for about five years. A pregnant Lucy had been left on the side of the road. She also had temperament issues that led rescuers to believe she had been abused in the past.

About a year ago, Patton started having church-related home groups at his house.

“There was a little, bitty girl who was less than a year old that her parents would bring,” he said. “She’d play on the floor while we had our meeting. Lucy and that little girl took up together. She could pull Lucy’s tail and do just about anything to her and she just let her. My grandson is four and they’d chase each other around the house. That led me to think that we could promote animal rescue and have her here for emotional support.”

When the county offices shut down, Patton would bring Lucy with him to the office as he answered emails or telephone calls to see how she’d do. Lucy has fit in like she was made for the job. Before Patton started bringing her to the office, Lucy didn’t like to ride in a vehicle, but that’s all changed. She races him to the car now.

“It shows that a pet can calm you down and offer you emotional support,” Patton said. “It also shows that you can go to a shelter and get a good pet. People have a perception of what you can get from the ‘pound’ and that’s so far from the truth. Lucy had some issues when we first got her, but she’s worked through them. She’s turned into a good lap dog.”

People that share Patton’s office are enjoying Lucy’s company as well.

“It’s been a win-win situation,” he said. “If someone comes in and is having a bad day – well, you can’t pet Lucy and have a bad day for too much longer. I’m fortunate that I work for a good individual. Kelly (Atkins) has been adamantly onboard with this. He allows me to do a lot of things that other people may not be able to do to help veterans. This helps animal services too. There’s no downside to it.”

Free Pet Food

Every local business has been hit by the pandemic. Queenie’s Pets in Mount Airy, is no exception. “We lost 80% of our dog walking business,” said owner Adina Silberstein. What Silberstein, 44, hasn’t lost is her dedication to the community and her love of animals.

“We understand that many people are unemployed and afraid they cannot afford to keep their pets. So starting on May 7, we launched Queenie’s Kibble Kitchen, a no-contact, drive-thru, free food pantry for dogs and cats,” Silberstein said. “Every other Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m., pet owners can drive to our West Mount Airy Street entrance, remain inside their car, tell us what kind of pets they have, and Kibble Kitchen volunteers in masks and gloves will load food and litter directly into your car.”

The service will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Walk-ups are not permitted in order to maintain safe social distancing.

“The goal is to provide food and supplies for the dogs and cats that provide crucial emotional support during this time of crisis,” said Silberstein.

Queenie’s Kibble Kitchen is funded by online donations from the community.

“We set up a Venmo account at @QueeniesKK,” Silberstein said. “We have received donations ranging from $5 to $500. Before the end of the first week, we had raised $1,000.”

This effort reflects her company’s mission: “Making the lives of pets and their humans better.”

For Silberstein, this is an opportunity to give back to the community that has supported her since she first launched Queenie’s Pets from her home in 2006, now located at 7174 Germantown Ave., next door to McMenamin’s Tavern.

“I attribute my success to the community,” she said. “When I first started my dog-walking service, I had eight clients. Now I have 18 employees.”

Previously a middle school teacher and manager of catering services at Cresheim Cottage Cafe, Silberstein traces her love of animals back to her childhood.

“I grew up in Mt. Airy and have always been obsessed with animals,” she said. “When I got married, I vowed to love my husband as much as I loved my cat.”

These days, Silberstein is the owner of a Rottweiler-Scottish Terrier mix named Melodrama and four cats, all rescues.

What started as a dog-walking and pet-sitting business has evolved into a full range of services designed to meet pet owners’ needs at every stage. Queenie’s Meet-n-Greet is a prerequisite to all services they offer. A store manager and a potential walker or sitter come to the client’s home for an hour to meet the pets and “sniff” each other to make sure they are a good match.

Their Wedding Bells Package transports your furry friend to and from the wedding venue, plus an overnight for up to two pets. They also offer Labor & Delivery Packages to make sure your pets are in good hands while you are making your own special delivery. Plus a Newborn Relief Package for sleep-deprived new parents who would like to be relieved of morning dog walks.

Queenie’s Pets opened their storefront in 2015, carrying just a few items like leashes and some toys.

“It wasn’t until last summer that we added pet food, including brands such as Verus, Acana, Fromm’s, Blue Buffalo and Taste of the Wild. We can also get big brand names like Purina and Royal Canin,” said Silberstein.

“We also offer a crate rental program for those fostering dogs or who aren’t sure what size they will end up needing, and we do harness rental programs for growing puppies.”

Don’t see what you want? Queenie’s will custom-order for you. They also stock flea and tick protection and can make I.D. tags in their shop.

Among the many advantages of buying from a local business is their ability to deliver faster than corporate companies.

“Chewy is behind three weeks in deliveries, and we are not,” said Silberstein.

“Queenie’s is a great neighborhood resource,” said Ann Mintz, of Mt. Airy, who donated to the Kibble Kitchen. “I’m proud to help launch an initiative that will enable our neighbors to take care of their beloved pets.”

Mintz, who has four dogs and three cats, has been using Queenie’s for almost 10 years.

“Our dogs adore their Queenie’s caregivers,” she said. “They go ballistic with joy when we run into one of them in the park.”

Preparing Your Pets

It is true that pet adoptions have spiked nationwide during the pandemic, one of the few silver linings of this tragic situation. As families have more time at home to transition a pet into their lives, and have greater need for the emotional support and physical comfort of a pet, it makes sense that this trend is occurring. But, as communities begin reopening and people are returning to work, it will be important to make sure your pets are prepared for the adjustment. In other words, as the country reopens people need to make sure animal shelters don’t fill up again from pets you no longer have time, interest or patience for.

The reality is that life during COVID-19 has been really good for many pets. Having our people home more and soaking up the love we have to give has been unprecedented and delightful for many pets. Pets have become accustomed to new routines of sleeping in, daily walks, play sessions, dancing naked in the kitchen and long conversations while cuddling. Your pets are not going to be happy if it all vanishes at once.

If you know your routine is going to change back to work mode, I recommend you begin to slowly shift back to your former routine in advance. The goal should be to maintain some quality time with your pet once your schedule resumes to pre-pandemic times. This may be challenging, but you will need it just as much as your pet does. Trade in the post-work routine of the couch and a beer for a lovely evening walk with your best furry friend or a game of learning new tricks.

For those of you who added a pet into your family these past months it is even more important that you make a slow transition that emphasizes keeping your connection with your pets. And remember that pets are very tuned in to our people’s emotional states, and if you feel guilt or angst about leaving us, we will pick up on that. Don’t make a big deal of it; depart (and return) as though you are going for a quick errand, no stress equals no mess.

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Therapy Dog Helps Students With Stress

There’s a new face walking the halls at St. Xavier High School.

He’s about two feet tall, yellow and covered in fur.

The all-boys Catholic school has been buzzing with excitement to welcome Evan.

The 2-year-old golden retriever is the school’s new therapy dog.

“Seeing him in the hallway brings a smile to our faces and something to look forward to during the school day,” said senior Daniel Baptist.

Along with a few counselros, Jason Ahlers, asst. principal for student services, spent two weeks in training before Evan was introduced to the school last Monday.

“We have to remember that Evan is a working dog and when he has his working gear on, he wears a bandanna that says Circle Tail and has his name, that he’s treated one way. He’s not a pet here,” said Ahlers.

The school said it wants to support the health and wellness of faculty and students.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression and anxiety in children ages 6-17 has increased.

Students said support is imperative.

“It helps to talk about it and understand we all go through it,” said junior Michael Niceley.

Therapy dogs are proven to reduce anxiety and stress and improve self-esteem.

If a student needs time with Evan, a trainer says, “Can you visit?” and the canine stays with the student who may need a moment of zen.

“Evan gives adults and students just the chance to be away from their job. For students, this is a serious job. They’re working hard to accomplish things and Evan gives them a little respite where they see him and light up immediately,” said Ahlers.

This is a pilot program in partnership with the Hamilton County Education Service Center and Circle Tail, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide service and hearing dogs to people with disabilities.

School officials will have conversations at the end of this semester about how things went and the best way to move forward.

The family of a student is acting a host family for Evan when he isn’t working at school.

Support Dog Calms Students

One family’s tragedy turned into a blessing for not only the special needs students at Sunnyslope Elementary School, but for virtually every student fortunate enough to meet Perla, a five-year-old English Labrador retriever. Principal Joe Rivas said the dog’s demeanor and professional training as a service animal can calm any kid down in seconds.

Perla—also known as Perl—spent four years as a companion to Grant Burillo since he was six years old and a student at Escuela Bilingue International in Emeryville. Grant died in a boating accident in September 2019.

Rose Burillo, Grant’s mother, said Perla became stressed when she was no longer working with her son or going to school. Burillo contacted Monkey Tail Ranch, where the dog was born and trained, to determine the best course of action. They decided Perla needed to go back to work.

Since Feb. 27, Perla has been at Sunnyslope Elementary School in Hollister. On March 10, Burillo came to the school to see how Perla was fitting in. As it turned out, Perla has been more than a curiosity to the children; she has been an emotional life saver.

“It was a hard decision to make, as losing Perla was another loss,” Burillo said. “However, being able to see Perla and meet her new owner [Rivas] and her new community was a beautiful moment for me. It is hard to let Perla go, as I have lost so much.”

Burillo spoke of how Perla was able to calm Grant during anxious moments, acting as a buffer in stressful situations.

“Perla also allowed Grant to be more independent and helped him feel safe at night,” she said. “She learned to apply deep pressure on him when he was anxious and could easily redirect him. I know Grant would want Perla to continue to work and to be with other kids. Being able to see firsthand the love Sunnyslope has for Perla confirmed I made the right decision.”

Principal Rivas told BenitoLink that Perla came to his home Jan. 21. Before bringing the dog to campus, Rivas was trained on how to work with her.

“She knows everything,” Rivas said. “I had to be trained on the commands, and we did some testing at Target and some in the neighborhood. And then she came to the campus.”

Rivas described Perla as a “repurposed service dog, who is now an emotional support facilities therapy dog” to help children who have suffered any type of trauma, “or general education kids who are just having a rough day.”

“She knows how to make students feel better,” he said, adding that Perla is so mellow that he’s the one who gets nervous when students rush up and surround her. He said when he brings Perla out to the playground, children beg to walk her.

“She’s trained to go with other students to provide that emotional support,” he said. “She’ll walk with any student at any time.”

When not walking around the playground or being with one of the students during an emotional time, Perla stays in Rivas’ office, where students seemingly just happen to drop in and end up petting her. At home, Rivas said Perla magically transforms.

“She’s a completely different dog,” he said. “When her vest comes off, she’s a dog. She’s a little more excitable, runs in circles.”

While Rivas spoke with BenitoLink, students continually came up to pet Perla and ask if they could walk her. Perla is so popular, she even has her own Instagram account.

“She loves coming to the school,” Rivas said. “On weekends, when we’re home, I believe she misses being here. When I walk her here, she almost dives towards the kids, even if there’s a huge crowd, just to get petted and loved. She lives for this.”

Rivas said that after the boating accident, Burillo returned Perla to Monkey Tail Ranch, where she stayed for a few months. He said she was offered first to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office and then San Benito High School.

“It sort of trickled down to us, and I asked Hollister School District Superintendent Diego Ochoa and let him know we had this opportunity for a facilities support dog and he said ‘let’s do it,’” Rivas said. “Now she’s working with our students. She’s calm and doing great.”

When Burillo showed up at Sunnyslope Elementary on March 10, it was obvious that Perla remembered her as she ran to see her former owner. It was both a happy and sad reunion.

Burillo and Rivas, along with Tim and Elise Houweling from Monkey Tail Ranch, took Perla to a classroom where many of the students had met the dog before, yet couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her as Burillo led her between their desks.

Tim Houweling told the students that before coming to the school, Perla once helped another little boy named Grant. He told them how Perla went to school with Grant every day.

“Grant’s no longer with us,” he told the class, “but we have Perl here, and she loved kids so much we had to find her another job. We know from Mr. Rivas this is Perl’s favorite thing. Thank you for giving her all the pets she needs, because that’s what she works for, the attention and your love.”

Therapy Dogs At Home

With kids learning at home, teachers are missing their students.

To stay connected to those at the James Madison Elementary School in Stevens Point, Principal Karl Bancker is using his extra time to write stories about life stuck at home, all from the perspective of his new puppy.

Bancker adopted puppy Mack right before the Safer at Home order was put in place to be used as a therapy dog for students, but now acts as the star of Bancker’s ‘Mack Books’ sent out over email to families.

Bancker’s stories all follow Mack as he navigates becoming a therapy dog, learning kids won’t be back in school, and what life is like roaming empty classrooms as the school year comes to an end.

Through pictures and simple narration, Bancker is hoping to help kids take a break and get some clarity about these uncertain times. He is also looking to introduce Mack to students who haven’t met him yet so that everyone can utilize him once school doors open again.

Bancker said it has been fun writing again as it can be hard to take time to do during the school year. The ‘Mack Books’ have even inspired others to try their hand at writing as well.

“A few kids have written some of their own books. I try to encourage them to do the same thing. Just have fun. Writing should a process that t is fun. Not just school work that you have to do, but something you enjoy doing,” Bancker said.

Overall, Bancker hopes the ‘Mack Books’ help students feel connected to school, and Mack while all are apart.

Service Dog Training

Eric Caron, a retired guidance counselor who has been blind since birth, recently moved to a new home. He noticed his guide dog, a yellow Labrador retriever named Ryan, had trouble leading him across a busy intersection he must cross regularly. Caron knew what that meant: It was time to retire Ryan, a near-senior citizen at 9 years old, to pet status and get a new guide dog.

But as the novel coronavirus spread, Caron’s “dog day” appointment on April 2, at the New York-based Guiding Eyes for the Blind, was postponed indefinitely.

“I had packed my bags a good month before the class date, including some special toys for the new dog,” said Caron, of Brattleboro, Vt. “I had a new pair of shoes for walking and a special shirt for graduation. I was ready. And now, you just have to take that bag and roll it in the closet.”

Gift For A Veteran