When local readers were recently asked for topics of most interest, one rose to the top: pets. Animal topics can be vast, and varied, in terms of taking care of the furry, feathered, flocked, thick-skinned and scaly members of our families, packs or tribes.
Service Dogs Save Lives
Once a service animal picks its human, the two lose their individual identities and become a team.
For veterans dealing with a PTSD disability, their teammate can be the difference between life and death.
Service dogs can cost tens of thousands of dollars, more expensive than most veterans could afford.
The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act passed the House in February. It would help cut into that cost with federal money.
North Dakota, however, has been providing similar grants for several years.
Service dog Ida likes to hit the ground running, but that wasn’t always the case for her teammate, Sgt. Jeremiah Erickson.
“You come home from work, you don’t ever worry about turning lights on,” said Erickson. “It’s a dark place, both in the mind and even physically in the world. You come home and nothing ever changes. Nothing ever changes, so why do you even turn the light on.”
Erickson did two tours in Iraq.
“I think what really got to me is when I moved back home, not with your battle buddies anymore, not with those brothers, is when life starts catching up to you,” said Erickson.
So he found a new battle buddy at Service Dogs for America.
“She brought back my life to be able to go out in, you know, normal business hours,” said Erickson.
It takes two years of hard work for service dogs to get ready to join a team.
The basic command list for these teams is enormous, but each team has an individualized set of commands including interruptions for nightmares or panic attacks.
With the huge time investment, comes a significant cost.
“Sometimes 500 dollars is hard to come by and I know that’s true with many of our veterans too. So 500 dollars or 20,000 where’s that going to come from?” said Jenny BrodKorb, SDA executive director and veteran.
The state government gives SDA four grants of 12,500 to help cover that cost. Brodkorb says the rest comes from donations. She says the veterans never pay out of pocket.
“I would say that without these grants, it would not be possible for these veterans to have access to their life again,” said BrodKorb.
“For the state to step in and the [Veterans Affairs] to say, no we got your back. It means a lot. It means a lot,” said Erickson.
Erickson said Ida’s presence restored his life.
“It almost ended differently,” said Erickson.
It also two girls their father back. Now, Team Ida works to get other veterans can hit the ground running each day.
“One veteran lost to PTSD or one veteran lost to suicide is one too many,” said Erickson.
Dog Weight Pulling
The benefits of a dog pulling weight is similar to that of a child learning a music instrument or sport. It’s a physical and psychological challenge that will leave both of you feeling Proud. 99% of Dogs LOVE to Pull, it’s not torture, your dog will Love it.
I have modified tires and equipment specifically for this sport. Donation Based or pay nothing but the barter is that I need videos for my website that I’m working on.
The weight is actually low, it’s the resistance that makes it a physical and psychological challenge.
How many of you have working breeds without a job? Dogs have confidence when they have a job, pride and purpose.
I AM FLEXIBLE AND IS BEING OFFERED ON MULTIPLE DATES IN ADDITION THE DATE POSTED ON THIS EVENT PAGE. Feel free to call me anytime.
I have pulling harnesses but you may need to buy your own depending on your dog’s size. I don’t make a penny from that (not my site) & all other equipment is on the house.
Social Distancing will be easy because I can stand back while you motivate your dog.
Service Dog Gets Photo In Yearbook
A Louisville family received quite the surprise when they recently picked up their daughter’s yearbook. An unexpected photo printed next to Hadley Jo’s had everyone smiling during such a ‘ruff’ time.
Pandemic aside, Hadley Jo has been on her own roller coaster ride over the last 5 years. With a smile, she’ll tell you she has epilepsy, a neurological disorder where brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures.
“Hadley Jo had her first seizure on my lap at 17 months old,” said her mother, Heather Lange. “It was a very scary time in our life.”
Lange says they’re in a better place now, thanks to one companion who’s been at her side every minute of the day since she was two. Ariel is Hadley Jo’s service dog.
“She has the ability to know when something’s wrong. She’s able to alert us before a seizure happens and we’re able to administer rescue medication in less than 2 minutes in order to stop the seizure, so that’s pretty life-changing for us,” Lange said.
Ariel goes where Hadley Jo goes, and that includes school.
“Most of our seizures are happening at school right now. Fine motor skills trigger seizures. Critical thinking, deep concentration, things like that. So, we’re really lucky to have Ariel because she can go to school with us,” Lange said.
Ariel even rides the bus to St. Patrick Catholic School, unleashing some puppy love on her favorite teachers. This month, she took part in the school’s kindergarten graduation celebrations.
“She’s always watching. She’s always got her eyes on her. She’s always there,” Lange said.
Ariel’s the only service dog in the Archdiocese of Louisville, so it was quite the surprise when the Labradoodle was recognized as a classmate alongside Hadley Jo in the yearbook.
“That was pretty unique and pretty special to pick up our yearbook and see our service dog featured with our daughter. It’s very heartwarming and touching, that you see this inclusiveness where not everybody looks the same,” Lange said.
If it weren’t for Ariel, life could have looked very different for the Lange family.
“I think we’d be in a very scary place,” Lange said. “Because there’s a sense of security when I go to sleep at night. I know there’s eyes and ears on my daughter when I’m not there. There is nothing else I can think of that can do what she’s doing for our family. She truly saves my daughter’s life and I don’t think I could ever thank her enough for that.”
The family fundraised throughout the community in order to get Ariel when Hadley Jo was first diagnosed. Service dogs can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000. It’s a cost they hope to lessen for other families in similar situations.
They created the Hope of Hadley Jo Project and teamed up with the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana to raise funds for families needing service dogs.
Importance Of Pets
After receiving this assignment, I immediately started jotting down pet-related topics ranging from oral health, to diet, to exercise, to seasonal needs, to safety to pet first aid. I am looking forward to writing about, but also learning much more about, the many aspects of pets from veterinarians, technicians and rescue professionals. I will be reaching out for expert input, advice and opinions for every column.
May is National Pet Month, a fitting month to launch a column on pets. Now well within the pandemic, the year 2020 may also be a year of increased gratitude for our pets as many of us are now spending a LOT more time at home.
Ryan and Lisa Cole of Napa shared that it is proven that pet owners are happier and healthier individuals. “It only makes sense that during this crazy time when we are in social isolation our pets provide meaningful social support for us,” said Lisa Cole, an RN at Queen of the Valley Hospital.
Along with her husband Ryan Cole, a newly-retired Napa K-9 police officer, the family has three dogs, Sophie, Zeke and Claire. “They mean the world to us! We both have worked in high-stress jobs and our dogs are a huge sense of comfort,” Lisa Cole added.Napa Valley musician, educator and pianist Dave Ruane and his family cohabitate with their Labrador retriever Mozzy (legally named Mozart, appropriate for the pet of a piano teacher).
Ruane recalls that before shelter-in -place was initiated, Mozzy would greet every student at the door with a toy of his choice. “Many of my students will never have a dog, so Mozzy gets to play the surrogate. I am sure he misses everyone and his interaction with them.”
Ruane who now teaches his piano students live via FaceTime or Zoom added, “Mozzy has been a great source of comfort for us during the pandemic. He is getting a lot more walks than usual. I am gaining weight and he is losing weight! SIP has been good for him.”
Pets are definitely integral members of families. Wine marketing pro and blogger Raquel Royers lives with her cat Simba who she rescued from a farm several years ago. “He was just a little wild kitten. He has been with me through half of college, moved to multiple towns, and has now lived in every area of Napa,” said Royers, “He was most fond of Coombsville as you can imagine and loves living the Napa Valley life!”
For Royers, her cat too is family. “I was already close with my pet, but it’s been nice to have him here with me during quarantine, although I think we may both be getting on each other’s nerves,” she laughed, “I have noticed that he’s been more cuddly and now follows me around everywhere, even if I just walk to the mailbox or to take out the trash. I think he’s happy with the change of circumstances. There’s something he does every day that makes me laugh or smile, which is much needed during these times. He’s my best friend!”
Two boxers and a labrador/border vollie mix round out the family of Kimberlee and Mark Foerder who also share three grown children. “We love our fur babies and we look forward to seeing them as they are always excited to see us,” said Kimberlee Foerder who added that she thinks that the SIP has been positive for pets, “Ours are much happier, because they have one of us here all of the time. When we finally go back, it is going to be sad, I think that they are going to experience separation anxiety.”
In addition to companionship, and living a good life, some pets have duties. “Mozzy is a family member and is very spoiled and he deserves all of the attention he gets. He dutifully brings in the paper every morning, the Napa Valley Register of course,” reports Ruane, “Yet he doesn’t quite understand why people can’t pet him right now with all of the social distancing. We are all looking forward to getting back to some sense of normal, whatever that may be.”
The Cole’s dogs, which are all large and range from 45 to 70 pounds, still think that they are lap dogs. “Claire is a certified social therapy dog and has been trained to comfort individuals with PTSD and so during the pandemic and other stressful times in our careers,” explained Lisa Cole, “she has picked up on our increased stress and will automatically, without asking, come up and do her ‘lay on’ command where she lays on our chest. This has given us such a sense of calm during this stressful time.” Bringing an additional and unanticipated splash of happiness during the pandemic, Lisa Cole said that their Golden Retriever girl Claire delivered a litter of eight puppies on March 27. “Having puppies during a pandemic has been great! It has given us something to do while sheltering in place and has given us so much joy during these uncertain times. Having eight little balls of fur rolling around and playing warms our hearts and puts smiles on our faces.”
Grandmother And Therapy Dog
A great grandmother has been using her daily dog walk to clean up her local area while raising money for Guy’s and St Thomas’. 82-year-old Diana Mukuma from Kennington volunteers at St Thomas’ Hospital with her five-year-old greyhound, Dido.
They usually visit staff and patients on the wards as part of the Pets As Therapy programme but had to stop attending at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Diana, who has volunteered at the hospital for eight years, said: “The extraordinary staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ are pulling together to care for patients so I wanted to give something back to them.
“I’m not into doing press ups or running, nor am I handy at sewing or baking, but I thought we could take on the 30in30 fundraising challenge together, which involves completing 30 miles of activity within 30 days.
“We’ll be picking up a minimum of 30 pieces of rubbish every day for 30 days along Lambeth’s streets and parks come rain or shine.”
Diana, who has 19 grandchildren and five great grandchildren, added: “If you should spy an elderly lady, with bright red hair, walking an elegant greyhound whilst picking up odd bits of rubbish with a grab stick and a black bin bag – that’ll be me and Dido.”
So far the duo have raised more than £850 for Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and are hoping to reach £1,000 by the end of May.
Money raised by the 30in30 Challenge will support the wellbeing of staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ throughout this crisis. From opening rest and recharge areas for staff to take some time out in a peaceful and relaxing environment, to providing vital training and educational support for those treating patients with the virus.
Catherine Hart, director of gundraising at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “We want to say a big thank you to Diana and Dido, and everyone supporting Guy’s and St Thomas’. We love following Diana and Dido’s updates with their challenge.
“We are truly inspired by all of the creative 30in30 virtual challenges that are taking place, along with all the wonderful messages of support for staff, the generous donations and gifts in kind.”
Face Of Hope
A pit bull mix suspected of being used as bait in a dog-fighting ring was found abandoned on a street with severe injuries. Four years later, this canine has not only fully recovered but is thriving and has made it to an upcoming Disney plus series.
In November 2016, the founder of Love is Fur Ever Dog Rescue was horrified when she came across a photo of a pit bull mix at Miami-Dade Animal Services in Florida. The dog had been picked up as a stray and brought to the shelter.
“Her whole entire side of her face was missing,” Frazier told The Dodo. “Her skin tissue was hanging. Most of her ear was gone.” Additionally, Frazier said that her ear had been ripped right down under her eardrum.
At that moment, Frazier knew she had to step in to help the poor dog and immediately contacted the shelter. A day later, Frazier and her husband brought the dog, later named Abigail, to Pets First Wellness Center for treatment by veterinarian Dr. Thomas Jackson. According to him, Abigail was one of the worst cases he had come across.
“She had multiple bites all through the top of her head, her ear was missing, the muscular holding the side of her face was chewed out,” Dr. Thomas described the injuries to Fox 4. He and his team performed several surgeries and skin grafts to save Abigail, though her right ear couldn’t be saved.
The story of Abigail’s rescue soon gained international attention as people started following her recovery journey on the Facebook page Bonnets For Abigail.
However, there is another very special reason for her newfound fame—the pooch is always seen wearing fanciful headbands. Frazier has been taking care of and fostering Abigail following her surgeries. Once, when Frazier was changing the dog’s head bandages, she happened to see the gauze forming the shape of a bow. This prompted Frazier to put headbands over the bandages to make Abigail “look cuter,” according to Abigail’s story on her Facebook page.
“Her bonnets just make her personality. She’s just so bubbly and jumpy and giddy and happy,” Frazier told WINK news.
People around the world who were touched by Abigail’s rescue soon started to send her bonnets. She had hats for almost all seasons.
Eight months after being with Frazier and her husband, Abigail was ready for a new home. Hundreds of people came forward to apply for the adoption of this sweet dog. However, Frazier wanted to choose a perfect family for Abigail’s forever home. The dog was then adopted by Jason and Megan Steinke in July 2017. The couple has another rescued pit bull named Tala.
After the adoption, the couple signed Tala and Abigail for therapy dog school, and the two siblings successfully graduated in September 2017. In the same month when Abigail became a certified therapy dog, she was also named the American Humane’s hero of of the year.
On Abigail being named the “hero dog,” the Fraziers and the Steinkes were equally excited.
“Honestly, I can’t describe the feeling,” Frazier told TODAY. “I’m proud and excited for her.”
“She’s just happy,” Steinke said of Abigail’s reaction. “It was definitely a magical moment. And she knew.”
Needless to say, Abigail was dressed to the nines for the ceremony, with a special red headband made just for the event. The colorful headbands have now become Abigail’s signature look, and a symbol of hope, love, and change.
“We really hope that people look at Abigail, this pit bull, and see that she has defied the odds,” Steinke said.
Now three years later, Abigail is continuing to touch hearts like she previously did and is again making headlines. According to her Facebook page, Disney reached out to Abigail’s family to share her story on Disney+ latest series, “It’s a Dog’s Life!” hosted by Bill Farmer, who is often recognized for his voice of Pluto and Goofy.
Announcing the wonderful news on Facebook, the post read: “Former bait dog to Disney princess! Abigail and her Cinderella story are going to be featured on the newest Disney+ show, It’s a Dog’s Life!”
According to the Facebook post, the 10-week show will feature dogs around the country that have done amazing things at their canine jobs.
The brave and amazing Abigail will be featured in the episode due to air on May 29, 2020.
Dogs Program
When he was born, Tigger had to learn how to walk.
The American Staffordshire terrier mix was born with ectrodactyly, a deformity that manifests as lobster claw-shaped paws.
He escaped death as a puppy, rescued by a neighbor, and braved a trip across several states to land a home with Eve Good.
Then the surgeries started.
Tigger has had four surgeries in three years, which has meant learning how to do everything again — from walking to running to playing.
And now, Tigger is learning to use Zoom.
“We knew he had to be a therapy dog,” said Good, who fostered Tigger with the hopes of getting him through his surgeries but ultimately fell in love with the dog she’s now had for five years. “He’s a ham and loves people too much. If we take him anywhere and there’s people, he will just stop and assume the people are there to see him.”
Good signed Tigger up for the R.E.A.D. to Dogs program hosted at mid-valley libraries as a way to get shy children out of their shells. Children having trouble reading aloud can visit their local library to pet, lounge on and otherwise love on a dog while reading out loud.
“If you bring a dog in,” Good said, “it lowers their blood pressure right away. Maybe they were having trouble reading in front of the class, but they can read to the dog.”
Athena Lathos is the librarian responsible for coordinating the program at the Albany Public Library.
“The program began in November 2017 and is part of our Wednesday programming at the library, which is geared toward families and elementary-aged children,” she said. “The in-person program is so popular that our sign-up list fills up to capacity every single month.”
In other words, the program, Good said, was made for Tigger.
Then COVID-19 came to the mid-valley.
“He never actually got to do it the right way,” Good said of Tigger’s involvement in the program. “But he still loves it.”
A few times a week, Good and Tigger turn on the computer, log into Zoom and listen to stories read by a handful of children with a librarian on standby.
For about an hour, Tigger lies beside Good and listens to children — 10 minutes at a time — tell stories of green eggs and ham, teenage detectives and faraway lands.
“Tigger gets the screen,” Good said. “I pet him to keep him focused, and he’ll look at the screen, but eventually he falls asleep. He loves it.”
The plan is to continue using Zoom through the summer if the libraries remain closed due to social distancing measures.
And while Good said Tigger would do better being close to children, he’s made Zoom work — mostly.
“Once he was distracted by a rabbit or feral cat or something and he jumped out and was out the dog door,” she said. “The librarian grabbed her cat and I grabbed our other dog and sat him in front of the screen while we went and chased Tigger. Other than that, he’s listened and fallen asleep.”
Therapy Dogs Making Virtual Visits
A therapy dog in Los Angeles isn’t letting the coronavirus outbreak pause her mission to help others. Laney, a Golden Retriever, and her owner are taking their visits virtual.
Laney is a therapy dog that’s part of the “Paws for Patients” program at the Osborne Head and Neck Foundation. The organization does free ear, nose and throat surgeries for families who cannot afford procedures.
“Patients need some sort of distraction if they’re feeling a lot of pain, so Laney is a great way to distract them,” said Aimee Galicia Torres, Laney’s owner. “What we’ve noticed virtually is that it’s pretty much the same thing.”
Laney and Aimee were preparing to visit sick patients around the world for their first medical mission trip, but because of COVID-19, they had to put a hold on traveling.
Galicia Torres decided to get creative, and instead of stopping therapy services, the pair took their work virtual.
“There are people who need help,” said Galicia Torres. “There are people who need a smile in their day, there are people we can reach and help.”
Now, it’s not just patients Laney visits–anyone can make a Zoom appointment, for free, to connect with this special pup.
“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,” said Galicia Torres.
Laney didn’t skip a beat adjusting to the virtual visits.
“As soon as she knows the lights go on and I have a camera, she stands behind the backdrop and sits and smiles. She’s very sassy and poses,” said Galicia Torres.
Some visits are filled with dress-up costumes and children reading to Laney, but for veterans like Jimmy Harris, the Zoom calls are a powerful release.
“Some vets, you know, they see horrible things in the military, in combat, and it can mess with someone’s mind,” said Harris, who has served in Egypt and Romania. “So, I think the connection with an animal really brings a calmness to someone’s mind.”
That escape sorely needed by so many more in this pandemic.
“She’s able to help people build those connections up they might have lost touch with because of COVID-19,” said Galicia Torres.
Even when this outbreak ends, Galicia Torres said she and Laney will continue this new kind of healing—a healing Galicia Torres 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,” she said.
Their simple mission of a smile 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,” Galicia Torres said.
New Therapy Dog Becomes Family
St. Marys Area School District Superintendent Brian Toth is undergoing training with a Goldendoodle named Brooklyn who will help bring calming smiles to the lives of students, he says.
Toth recently created a “GoFundMe” page, requesting support to fund the cost of Brooklyn and her training. He contacted “New Hope Assistance Dogs,” a charitable training organization, he said, and has begun the process with Brookyln, who lives with him and his family.
So far, the page has raised $715 of its $5,000 goal.
Keeping Therapy Dogs
The Wahoo City Council amended a request from a local woman who asked to keep two dogs as support animals after authorities had required her to give them up.
The council made their decision during the May 14 meeting, which was held virtually via a teleconferencing platform. Mary Durham, who requested “reasonable accommodation” by a person with a disability or handicap for a support animal, was represented by her attorney, April Cover.
Cover said Durham and her husband, Rick, needed to keep a collie, Lilly and border collie, Duke, their two dogs, as emotional support animals. Cover said Durham was willing to do what was needed to keep them, including installing additional fencing or muzzling the animals when out in public.
“It is these animals that the couple is so attached to,” said Cover. “They’re part of their family.”
However, Lilly had been declared a potentially dangerous dog previously by the Wahoo City Council and had ordered that Durham was an irresponsible pet owner and was ordered to remove the dogs from the residence, which was not done. Also, since the reasonable accommodation request was made, the police department cited Durham on March 23 for an incident where her dog was running at large and approached a person in a menacing manner.
The matter was considered by the reviewing authority, which included Mayor Jerry Johnson and City Administrator Melissa Harrell. The reviewing authority recommended that Durham not be allowed to keep the dogs based on her history of noncompliance and past incidents with her dogs. The authority also recommended Durham chose a breed of animal like a cat or a toy or nonsporting breed dog, which would have to be approved by Saunders County Lost Pets.
Council Member Karen Boop said she knows Durham and understands that the dogs are companions. However, she felt it was best for the dogs to find them another home, given their past history.
“I’m uncomfortable with extending contingencies on this,” she added.
Boop made a motion to follow the reviewing authority’s recommendations to rehome both dogs, and suggested that Durham adopt a small dog from Saunders County Lost Pets as a therapeutic animal. She amended the motion to allow Durham to own no more than two dogs and suggested Durham seek training assistance with the new animals.
