Blue The Therapy Dog

Blue the therapy dog and his handler Judy Bailey usually spend their days visiting nursing homes, schools and hospitals in Beauregard and Vernon Parish to bring a little tail wagging joy to everyone they encounter.

However, coronavirus has impacted Blue and Judy’s ability to visit the residents that see Blue as their own dog, a friend and sometimes he and Judy are residents only visitors.

The Today Show interviewed Judy Bailey about how social distancing is affecting service dogs and their ability to do their jobs, and their service to the community members who look so forward to their visits.

The Today Show interviewed Bailey, noting her and Blue’s travels to over 400 hospitals and nursing homes in and around DeRidder, through the nonprofit Alliance of Therapy Dogs.

The coronavirus caused Bailey and Blue to have to get creative as a way to let Blue’s friends and “other” owners know that he was thinking of them and missing them.

Bailey began sending texts and photos of Blue to the leaders of several facilities for them to share with the residents who were even more isolated due to Covid-19.

Sending in photos with captions about the activities in the life of Blue to activity directors has given Bailey something to take her mind off of the virus, and continue to serve her community with the help of Blue.

“I’ve put little messages saying, ‘Blue really loves you,’ and ’Blue is waving hello,” she told TODAY.

“I’ll let them know, ’We’re doing great. We really miss you. We hope we get to see you soon.”

“It has been a real blessing,” said Bailey

“It breaks my heart to see these people who are so isolated as it is and now even more isolated with COVID,” said Bailey.

Blue, who was dumped in a field near Bailey’s home, came to Bailey by chance, but she says she knew that he was special from the moment she saw him.

“We kept him, he was meant to be doing something for other people. I knew that there was something unique and special about Blue,” said Bailey.

“It’s such a ministry to help people just smile and feel better and forget about their problems,” Bailey said of volunteering with Blue.

Blue is also in the process of working with the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office as a certified Therapy Dog to help with child victims of crime.

Service Dogs Get Picked Up

For all the parts of everyday life that the ongoing pandemic has brought to a crashing halt, COVID-19 didn’t stop the Pacific Assistance Dog Society from getting their latest litter of puppies to trainers on Friday (May 22).

PADS, which has existed in the province for more than 30 years, breeds, raises, trains and supports certified assistance dogs, before partnering them with people living with disabilities, and with community care professionals.

Dubbed the “Hollywood Litter,” the society had registered trainers come and pick up their newest four-legged trainees drive-thru-style in Burnaby on Friday.

One by one, trainers would drive up to a tent outside the PADS facility and have their temporary companion placed in their arms.

Each dog is eight weeks old.

Now, the dogs will get trained to do tasks such as: open and close doors, turn lights on and off, retrieve a telephone or other objects, pick up dropped objects, pull manual wheelchairs, carry items like groceries, retrieve medication and provide balance and stability to clients with mobility issues.

Service Dog In The Yearbook

An elementary school in Kentucky saved a special spot in its yearbook for one very good girl — Ariel, a service dog.

St. Patrick Catholic School in Louisville surprised 7-year-old Hadley Jo Lange by including a photo of the Labradoodle among its kindergarten class. Hadley Jo suffers from epilepsy, a neurological disorder that causes seizures.

Without Ariel, Hadley Jo might not be alive.

“This dog has really saved my daughter’s life,” her mom, Heather Lange, told CNN. “I don’t know how I could ever thank Ariel as a mother. She goes with her everywhere, to school, rides the bus with her, goes to her dance classes and soccer practice. She always has her eyes on my little girl. It’s a huge sense of security.”

At school, Ariel watches over Hadley Jo constantly. The 4-year-old pooch, who bonded with Hadley Jo when she was just a puppy, is able to recognize when the up-and-coming first grader is having an episode.

When these episodes happen at school, Ariel alerts teachers that something is wrong by barking. During seizures, the dog also lies down next to Hadley Jo and moves her body under the child to cushion her fall.

“It’s important for us to do all we can to foster our relationship with families and do what we can to support students,” Nathan Sturtzel, principal of St. Patrick Catholic School, told CNN.

“We love Ariel. She’s part of Hadley Jo’s family so she’s a part of our family too. Finding a place for her in our yearbook was an easy decision and it was a lot of fun to include her. We loved it.”

Ariel is also special for reasons beyond the love and protection she provides Hadley Jo. The Labradoodle is the only service dog in the archdiocese of Louisville, according to Lange.

To many, Ariel’s inclusion in the yearbook is just a sweet story about a little girl and her adorable dog. But to Lange — and other parents of children with epilepsy — it’s a story of victory.

“When I got the yearbook and saw that they included our service dog, that was one of the most touching moments of my life. The inclusiveness meant so much,” Lange said.

“It proved that we may not all look the same, we may not all learn the same, we have differences but it’s OK. We can still be kind and inclusive and accept each other. This yearbook is a huge reflection of that.”

Hadley Jo had her first seizure when she was only 17 months old. It came on suddenly while the family was dining at a restaurant.

“She was on my lap while I was eating, and out of nowhere my baby fell into my arms and her eyes rolled back into her head and she was jerking,” Lange said. “She was having a seizure right before my eyes, it was terrifying. She stopped breathing, and there I was, a mother who thought she was about to lose her child.”

Since then, seizures have become a normal part of Hadley Jo’s life. But with her puppy by her side, she hasn’t let it affect her happy nature and kind spirit.

The Lange family knows how lucky they are to have Ariel. Service dogs can cost anywhere between $20,000 to $60,000. They were able to afford Ariel through community fund raising, but not all families have the same opportunity.

That’s why Lange partnered up with the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana to launch Hope for Hadley Jo, a non-profit organization that provides funding for families whose children need service dogs.

Lange has also become a strong advocate for children with epilepsy, encouraging other schools to be welcoming and accommodating to them.

“It’s very comforting knowing my daughter has a home at her school where she is loved and accepted, even though she may not look like everyone else,” Lange said.

“St. Patrick made a choice to accept my child and her service dog. The acceptance and inclusion is a true sign of kindness and compassion.”

Life With A Service Dog

Riley Alberson is excited for graduation — and that her service dog is also being recognized.

The McAlester High School senior has juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes her joints to dislocate, constant pain, and daily seizures.

Multiple seizures each day can result with her losing consciousness without anyone around to help.

She suffered a seizure and passed out in a bathroom at McAlester High School earlier in the school year and the door was too heavy for Tango the service dog to open it.

So Tango pushed Riley onto her side to help keep her air way clear until someone found them.

“The door was too heavy for her to do her job so she got behind her and pushed her on her side so she could do her job,” Riley’s mom, Amber, said of Tango.

Amber said the school district has worked to help accommodate them and prevent similar situations from happening in the future — adding “I feel like she has been very supported at the high school.”

Tango is a mixed breed dog and was trained at Therapetics, a nonprofit organization in Tulsa.

She can open doors, turn off lights, take off socks, get medicine, and even sneaks the TV remote away from Riley’s sister when needed.

Tango is by Riley’s side at all times — and on every Walmart trip she gets to pick out a toy that she proudly carries around the store.

The family said anyone is free to ask questions about Tango to learn more, but they hope others learn proper etiquette around service dogs.

Riley said people not used to seeing service dogs will often try to pet and talk with them — but they should resist trying to interact with them.

“People don’t realize that they’re working,” Riley said of service dogs. “Tango can’t help me if I have a seizure and she’s being distracted.”

“They get excited because you don’t usually see a dog in a restaurant or something,” Amber said.

Amber said doctors couldn’t figure out why Riley was in pain as an 8-year-old before development of scoliosis at age 11 led to blood testing that revealed the other disorders.

Riley said she avoided the pain as a child by spending recess sitting and talking with teachers instead of playing with the other kids.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t have friends, I just didn’t want to go and do anything and join the activities because it always hurt and I couldn’t always do them,” Riley said.

Riley still spends time with friends and reads lots of books — including some favorites such as the Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings series.

She also likes to draw, spending more time recently depicting nature.

Riley goes to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Shreveport, Louisiana, for treatment and only had to go once since restrictions were put in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Her parents work at essential businesses so they’ve been concerned about potentially bringing the virus home with them.

Now Riley is preparing for graduation as MHS is set for a June 6 ceremony at a location and time to be determined if Oklahoma enters Phase 3 of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Open Up Recover Safely Plan by then.

She has been accepted to Oral Roberts University and plans to become an anesthesiologist.

Soon To Be Service Dogs

On Friday afternoon, a plane touched down at the Sunport with a handful of adorable yellow Labrador puppies inside – each destined to be a service dog to those with disabilities. The pilot, Jeff Stewart, lowered the plane stairs before his 7-year-old daughter Emma delivered the 2-month-old furballs – Tucker, Taz, Rosco and Rabbena – to their “puppy-raisers,” who will care for them until training time.

The operation is one of many being done through a partnership between Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit that provides service dogs free of charge, and private pilots like Stewart around the country.

“During a time of such great challenge, it’s wonderful to be involved in something so positive,” Stewart said.

When the pandemic presented a problem for the organization, which typically relies on commercial airliners, Stewart and a handful of other pilots stepped in to make sure the pups get where they’re needed.

“It’s a much more pleasant travel experience than being put in a crate,” Stewart said.

So far, they have delivered 100 of the 160 pups from the nonprofit’s headquarters in California to puppy-raisers in Southern California, Colorado, Washington and – as of Friday – the Land of Enchantment.

After spending the better part of two years with the puppy-raisers, the dogs will head back to the headquarters for formal training and, eventually, be paired with combat veterans, victims of abuse and people with a variety of disabilities.

The puppy-raisers all gathered around the plane as each affectionate puppy was placed into their arms. Squeals of joy could be heard over the drone of plane engines with every reveal.

Last in line, first-time puppy-raiser Sandy Stulberg shook with excitement.

Finally, it was her turn and Emma carried a jetlagged Rabbena from the plane and placed her in Stulberg’s arms.

“We are so lucky to have you,” Stulberg said, putting her nose up to Rabbena’s. “It feels like heaven.”

Even behind the cloth mask, there was no doubt that Stulberg was beaming as she held Rabbena in the crook of her neck.

“My heart is singing,” she said, seemingly on the verge of tears.

The happy kind, of course.

Service Animal In Training

Mia Federico was on her way to eat waffles in the kitchen of her Georgetown home when her mom, Ellen, approached her with an idea: Would she like to train a puppy to become a service animal?

Ellen said she saw the ad online and immediately thought of her dog-loving daughter.

Then 13, 14-year-old Mia did some research and was immediately on board. She would receive a puppy, and through about 18 months, she would care for it and train it so that it will one day be donated as a service animal for another in need.

It was not long until they met Mochi, a black Labrador-golden retriever mix, on Sept. 27, 2019.

“I love training him,” Mia said of the experience so far. “He’s such a sweetie, and he’s a really good dog.”

The Federicos are volunteering through Canine Companions for Independence. Ellen said they liked the organization the best because it offers the trained dogs for free to an individual with disabilities in order to enhance their life—a gift that could easily cost $10,000-$15,000 through other organizations, Ellen said.

Canine Companions offers highly trained assistance dogs for children, adults and veterans with disabilities, according to its website. The nonprofit also partners with Baylor Scott & White Health to offer seamless patient care and therapy experience through expertly trained assistance dogs.

Each day, Mia cares for Mochi by brushing his teeth and grooming him. She also conducts two training sessions—about 30 minutes each—a day, she said. Mia is also responsible for socializing the dog and keeping up with his vet care as part of the volunteer agreement.

Mochi graduates in February 2021. Once Mia turns in Mochi to Canine Companions, he enters professional training at a regional training center for four to nine months, the website said.

Mia said only about 55% of trained animals actually go on to be service animals, but she is determined to make Mochi one of them.

And while Mia—and her family—have fallen completely in love with the dog, which will make saying goodbye harder, Mia knows when Mochi graduates it will all be worth it.

“I can imagine that the most rewarding part would be [the dog] graduating and seeing them with their new person,” Mia said. “All the hard work you put in and seeing them with the person that they’re going to help … I’m sure that’s the most rewarding part.”

Therapy Dogs Helping Kids

Burnaby kids may soon get a chance to read to therapy dogs to boost their skills and confidence, as a pet therapy group kicks off a year-long pilot program this summer.

Currently, BC Pets and Friends works with universities, hospitals and seniors homes to bring volunteers with pets and offer a “dose of warmth and love” for those who need it. Now, the non-profit is looking to expand that service to work with groups of children.

Volunteers would bring their pets – mostly dogs, but they also have volunteers with cats and rabbits – to libraries or other similar facilities where they would work with a group of 25 children aged 12 and under. Through those groups, children who might have a hard time reading could read aloud to therapy dogs.

“A therapy dog is completely non-judgemental, so it’s a safe environment and low-stress for them to improve their skills,” said pet therapy coordinator Katie Oster.

Oster said studies have shown reading aloud to dogs may improve learning outcomes through the emotional support they offer, helping to develop skills and boost children’s confidence in those skills before they try reading in front of their peers.

A 2016 review out of the U.K.’s Lincoln University, which looked at 48 studies, found the practice “may have a beneficial effect on a number of behavioural processes which contribute to a positive effect on the environment in which the reading is practised, leading to improved reading performance.”

That review, however, also called for more studies of a higher quality to draw more solid conclusions from.

Oster added the group will also look to work with children in hospitals.

“It might, for them, provide a distraction, something else for the children to focus on because the hospital can be really scary,” she said. “The therapy dogs give their unconditional love and acceptance without expecting anything in return. We might see smiles and laughter, even if it’s just for a short bit.”

Oster said it would also give the kids something to talk about after the visit, since dogs might be a surprise for them to see in the hospital.

German Shepherd Rescued

A local organization called “Medical Mutts” rescues animals with potential and trains them to become service dogs for people with medical conditions like diabetes.

That includes Sly, the German Shepherd.

Sly was rescued after being left in the cold, starving, and frostbit with another dog who passed away in those conditions.

Jennifer Cattet, the executive director of Medical Mutts, found Sly at Indianapolis Animal Care and Control and tested him.

“He was still very resilient. And super loving and playful and still loves people even after what humans did to him,” Clint Adams, a service dog trainer, said.

“Despite all of that, he’s just a really really good, sweet boy, really friendly, loves to learn, great in training, and we are so happy today that we are finally going to be able to place him as a service dog,” Cattet said of Sly.

Sly has become a service dog with a young woman named Paige, who suffers from a medical condition. She drove from Maine to Indiana this week to work with Medical Mutts before taking him home.

A Pet Is Good For Emotional Health

During this current period of quarantine and social distancing, you may have found yourself worrying not only about your child’s physical health but their emotional health as well. You may have shied away from getting a family pet in the past because you weren’t sure if you were ready for a pet and you weren’t sure if your kids were prepared to help you care for one too. If you’ve been on the fence about whether or not your family is ready to welcome a new animal into your home here are a number of reasons why a pet isn’t just a wonderful addition to the family but why they’re also really beneficial to the mental and physical health of your children. Anyone who has ever had a pet knows that the unconditional love they give their owners is one of the best feelings in the world. Having a pet like a cat or a dog that needs to be walked or played with regularly can be beneficial to one’s health too. Not only is being active with your pet beneficial to your physical health, but the CDC notes that pet ownership can also help alleviate and manage symptoms of loneliness and depression. With children out of school and having to practice social distancing and self-isolation, having a pet that can keep them company is priceless. Many families avoid getting a furry friend out of fear of asthma and/or allergies, but Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta writes that getting a family pet when your children are little might actually be beneficial. “Recent research has indicated that newborns who live with dogs or cats are less likely to develop pet allergies and asthma when they get older,” they write. “Being around pets may also lower an infant’s risk of coughs and sniffles during the first year of life.” It’s hard not to love a pet, and when children grow up with pets it allows them to learn and practice their social skills. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has found that having a pet can help kids form bonds with others and can also help develop non-verbal communication, compassion, and empathy, which are all traits we want our kids to have. They also found that in addition to giving kids love, loyalty, and affection, pets really can become your child’s best friend. Having and caring for a pet also teaches children about responsibility, especially as they’re tasked with things like feeding the pet, taking the pet for a walk, or making sure their cage is clean. Therapy dogs have been used in many different situations, including the classroom to provide comfort, support, and even alleviate stress. News In Health reports that therapy dogs have been used to help children with ADHD be more focused while helping with their social skills and alleviating behavioral problems. They also cited a study that found that children who are on the Autism spectrum benefitted from playing with guinea pigs in their classroom by exhibiting lower levels of anxiety. “Animals can become a way of building a bridge for those social interactions,” explained Dr. James Griffin, a child development expert at NIH. Jackie King, Executive Director of the Pet Care Trust stated that “teachers have shared with us story after story about how their classroom pets have helped shy kids open up, struggling readers build confidence, aggressive children develop nurturing tendencies, and apathetic students gain a new desire for learning.” Pets aren’t only great for a child’s mental health, but for their physical health as well. If your child has a dog that needs to be walked regularly or a horse they can ride the physical benefits are many. The CDC notes that owning a pet can help decrease blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels while encouraging physical activity and exercise outdoors. Pets are amazing additions to a household, but you have to make sure you pick the right one. Not only can pets provide emotional support to your child but they can also encourage physical activity if you have a pet that needs to be walked or played with regularly. You need to factor in which sort of pet is best suited for your house, whether you choose a dog or cat, a fish, bird, reptile, or any variety of animals your child has shown interest in. You need to consider their life expectancy because animals are a commitment that shouldn’t be taken lightly and once you choose to welcome a pet into your home you need to be prepared for it. You also need to consider if the animal needs to be walked often and how big it will grow and whether you can afford the food and supplies it needs regularly. Once you factor in the financial and time expense of a pet you can decide if it’s the right fit for your family.

Pets aren’t for everyone but if you’ve been debating getting one for a while, now might be a perfect time. Take the time to speak openly and honestly with your child and set the expectations you have for them with regards to care and agree on what type of pet works best for your family. Their companionship and unconditional love truly adds to the family dynamic and teach children so many valuable lessons about responsibility and compassion that will make you happy you decided to add an animal to your family.

If you’re still on the fence about whether or not your family is ready for a new pet, contact your local humane society or animal shelter and inquire about their foster care programs. Fostering an animal is a great way to see if you’re ready to care for a pet full time without the long term commitment.

Are Therapy Dogs Stressed

“I know that you think you are doing something good, but all of you people who are associated with therapy dog activities are actually engaged in a form of animal abuse!”

That startling statement was made to me by a colleague who is a clinical psychologist. She went on to justify her conclusion, arguing, “I know the scientific literature says that animal-assisted therapy using dogs improves the mental state of people, but you are ignoring the stress that is imposed on the dogs that are providing the emotional support.

“Look at it this way—you are a therapy dog and suddenly this stranger is reaching out to touch you, perhaps awkwardly or roughly because of their state of anxiety or physical infirmities, and you have to allow it. Don’t you think that that might be stressful?

“Furthermore, you are put in unfamiliar environments and exposed to all sorts of unfamiliar items, such as wheelchairs, crutches, and unusual flooring such as tile or metal grids. Then there are the sudden unexpected noises around you caused by medical personnel—or if it is a group therapy session, there may be many people all talking at the same time. That kind of chaos will certainly be stressful for a dog.

“When we are training human therapists to deal with nervous and uneasy people, we recognize that the task of the therapist involves more than just relieving the anxiety and negative emotions of the patient. Individuals who are under stress radiate their negative emotions like an aura. Their negative halo is like a cloud of contagion and can raise the stress level of anyone around them—including their therapist. That means that we must train clinical psychologists in techniques that they can use to minimize their own negative emotions during therapy sessions. We know that dogs can read human emotions and they do react to them, but unlike human psychologists, therapy dogs are not trained to use methods to reduce the stress that they may be feeling. In effect, animal-assisted therapy is simply a procedure where the stress in the human is reduced at the expense of raising the stress level and emotional distress of the dogs. To my mind, it is just another case of humans deriving benefits from activities that abuse animals.”

This is not the first time that I have heard such arguments. However, if what my colleague was suggesting is true, that would raise some morally worrisome issues for people and organizations who advocate the use of therapy dogs. It is important to note that the folks involved with therapy dogs have been aware of the potential for their animals to become stressed. Most of the major organizations which certify or monitor therapy dogs provide guidelines so that dog handlers may be able to recognize stress in their canine therapists.

While most of the research involving therapy dogs has looked at the benefits derived by the human patient, recently researchers have begun to study how therapy dogs react emotionally when they are doing their work. The newest piece of research to look at levels of stress when therapy dogs are dealing with patients comes from a team of investigators headed by Stephanie Clark working in the laboratory of Arya Mohabbat at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

It involved a group of 19 certified therapy dogs. These dogs were working in a clinic for fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia is a nasty disorder which is characterized by widespread muscular and skeletal pain that can be accompanied by fatigue, sleep disorders, and mood issues. There is some research that suggests that fibromyalgia actually amplifies painful sensations by altering the way a person’s brain processes pain signals. This means that these patients hurt a lot, and this pain results in stress and anxiety which the therapy dogs seem to be able to help to relieve somewhat.

One of the important features of this newest study is that it involved a number of different physiological measures of stress in the dogs. To begin with, samples of saliva were taken to measure the concentration of the hormones cortisol and oxytocin both before and after each therapy session. Cortisol levels are considered to be direct measures of stress, so elevated concentrations of cortisol are a sign of anxiety and negative feelings. High levels of oxytocin, on the other hand, are associated with positive feelings, and when the concentration of this hormone drops we assume that it indicates that an individual is experiencing a negative emotional state.

Prior to each therapy session, the dogs were also fitted out with a heart rate monitor. A variety of indicators of emotional state can be derived from measures of cardiac activity. The most important of these is simply the heart rate itself, which increases when an individual is experiencing stress. Other measures, such as heart rate variability were also recorded.

In addition, the temperature of the right ear of each dog was taken both before and after each therapy session. This might seem like a strange thing to measure—however, it makes sense because the brain processes emotions asymmetrically. Specifically, activity changes in the right hemisphere of the brain have been observed to increase when an individual is under emotional stress. This increased right hemisphere activity is reflected by a rise in the right ear temperature.

These multiple physiological measures should tell us if the therapy dogs are experiencing stress when they interact with patients.

The results of this experiment do not show any rise in the stress level of the therapy dogs as measured by changes in hormonal levels. There was no significant rise in the cortisol levels of the dogs, nor was there a drop in its counterpart oxytocin. This suggests that these dogs were not stressed by their participation in therapy sessions with patients.

Perhaps the results which would be most surprising to my colleague, and most comforting to the people who work with therapy dogs, came from the measures of heart rate and right ear temperature. Comparing the data from before and immediately following the therapy sessions, the heart rates of the dogs were reduced and there was a drop in the right ear temperature. This suggests that the dogs were actually in a more relaxed state after their interactions with the patient than they were before.

At the very least, these results show that there was no increase in stress in the dogs as a result of their therapeutic activities, and perhaps even that the dogs benefit emotionally from such interactions.

Anecdotally, I can say that my own two dogs, who sometimes serve as therapy dogs with a program in Vancouver, Canada, seem to be quite happy to get a chance to interact with people in a therapeutic setting. The moment that they see me pulling out the bag that contains the special leashes, badges, and halters that are associated with such therapy sessions, they begin to dance about near the door in what appears to me to be happy expectancy.

If my colleague had been correct, and if the data had shown that therapy dogs were suffering from stress because of their contact with anxious and fearful people, this certainly would have presented me with a moral dilemma. Fortunately, however, the data not only suggest that dogs are not stressed when they are called upon to provide emotional support to people, but they may actually feel better while they are engaging in their clinically helpful activities.