All dog and cat owners are required to ensure their animals are current on their rabies shots and city licenses; the mandate includes emotional-support and service animals.
Pet Therapy Dog Parade
The Yale New Haven Hospital pet therapy program on Friday held a pet parade for hospital patients and employees.
It was the first-ever YNHH pet therapy dog parade for employees and patients, according to a hospital spokesman. About 20 hospital pet therapy owners and their dogs of all breeds participated.
Adding A Dog To The Family
Tails, slobbery kisses and furry cuddles are some of the joys associated with pet ownership. The healthful benefits of owning a pet have been well documented, and a growing body of research shows the psychological impact pets can have on families.
A recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine found that being around dogs at an early age can lessen one’s chances of developing schizophrenia. Interestingly, cat ownership did not have the same effects. There seems to be something special about the connection humans have with dogs.
Universities, large companies and even airports are introducing dog-friendly environments for people to cuddle with dogs to help reduce stress and anxiety. An examination of 22 studies about pet companionship, which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2017, found that pet ownership can benefit social, cognitive, education and social development.
Families may consider adopting a pet to gain some of these benefits. To better understand the effects of pet ownership, we talked to Dr. Sabrina E.B. Schuck, executive director of the UCI Child Development Center and assistant professor in residence in the Department of Pediatrics at the UCI School of Medicine. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
OCF: What are your thoughts about the recent Johns Hopkins study that found early exposure to dogs may decrease one’s chances of developing schizophrenia later in life?
Schuck: The findings are certainly interesting and warrant further investigation into the role of household pet dogs in childhood on mental health. It is a sound study, but as the authors note, there were a number of limitations, and as such we need to approach a discussion of the results with caution.
While I am an avid dog fan, we certainly cannot take away from this research (or my own) that we should bring a dog into our homes when we raise kids. Caring for animals is obviously an immense responsibility, and the decision to bring a dog, or any pet, into the home is complex.
OCF: What are some of the most important health benefits of having a pet dog during childhood?
Schuck: Research in human-animal interaction has increased in the past 10 years, but there still exists very few well-controlled, randomized trials examining the immediate benefits of pet ownership and fewer still longitudinal studies examining this question.
There is increasing evidence that families who have a pet dog are more likely to regularly walk their pet, and we speculate that this behavior may reduce the likelihood of developing childhood obesity. Colleagues have also found that pet ownership during childhood may decrease anxiety.
OCF: How do exposure and interaction with dogs impact mental health through childhood and beyond?
Schuck: Decreased physiological stress and improved perceptions of stress levels have been found in children and young adults (and adults) who participate in animal-assisted interventions and activities (AAI/AAA).
In our work, we also found improved self-perceptions, improved attention and decreased conflict in childrenwith mental health challenges who participated in AAI with therapy dogs. The finding held six weeks after the sessions with the dogs — and this finding was the same for children who had a pet and who did not have a pet.
OCF: How and why does pet ownership help reduce anxiety and stress?
Schuck: There are studies that describe reduced perceptions of anxiety among individuals when they are in the presence of their pet and reduced salivary cortisol levels in the presence of animals.
Investigators are actively working to better understand the mechanisms by which physiological and perceived stress are reduced. Some speculate that the attachment one develops to their pet acts in much the same way health attachment to our loved ones does. Others suggest the tactile sensations stimulated during pet interaction release hormones similar to those released in social relationships, particularly oxytocin. Still others posit that interaction with an animal elicits emotional and cognitive arousal, thereby calming overactivity or stress.
There is no “one size fits all” for human-animal interaction. And we are all working hard to figure out for whom pet ownership is most beneficial.
Dog Who Needs Patience Gets Adopted
One sweet rescue dog is enjoying his fairy-tail ending in a fur-ever home after receiving “hundreds” of adoption requests.
The spirited German Shepherd Border Collie was left with a “wonky” face and partial blindness after being attacked after birth and was returned to the shelter when his initial owners couldn’t handle his “hyper” personality.
Brodie the pup is officially living his best life after being adopted by Amanda Richter and Brad Ames. The couple said it was “love at first sight” when they saw photos of the “wonky”-faced dog online, and rescued him from Old MacDonald Kennels in Alberta, Canada in September last year.
Brave Brodie has grown up with severe cranial and facial injuries after being attacked by his mother at just 13 days old, news agency South West News Service (SWNS) reports. After the incident, part of the dog’s jaw fused together as he grew, leaving one side of his face “slanted” with partial blindness in one eye.
The adorable border collie spent just five months with his initial adoptees, and his first owners returned him because he had “too hyper” of a disposition.
Richter, meanwhile, said she was instantly “drawn” to Brodie and his resilience through his difficult start in life.
“I looked at his photos every day and even cried a few times. We felt drawn to him for some reason,” the 30-year-old woman said. “We met him, took him for a walk and hung out with him for a few hours and ended up bringing him home the same day because the rescue really felt we were a great fit.
“He’s definitely hyper but he is so intelligent,” she explained. “His brain is perfectly fine and he learns tricks within 10 minutes usually which tells me he is a smart boy.”
“He just needed patience and someone to be consistent. He gets better every week.”
As Brodie grows up, Richter and Ames, 23, have big dreams for their precious pooch. The proud owners hope to train him as a therapy dog for people with special needs while raising awareness for other disabled dogs.
Though other medical complications may arise as he grows, Richter said she’s simply thankful her dog is “healthy and happy” right now.
“It’s actually funny because when we go to the dog park everyone notices how he is the happiest pup there and just wants to play and run,” she said. “Dogs are resilient and he has no idea he looks different so he enjoys his life just the same as any other pup.”
CBD Oil For Dogs
Do you think kidney disease is commonly only to humans? If yes, there’s news for you! It can happen to your pet dog as well. Kidney ailments are also known as renal disease and takes place when the usual kidney functions get limited. If left unattended, it can prove to be fatal. However, today, with the advancement of medical science and alternative therapies, there are treatments available for the same. One of the best ways in which dog owners can enhance their dog’s life is by adding CBD oil in their diet. The latest trend in alternative medicine and therapy is to use CBD for pets. CBD oil has successfully treated several human ailments and bodily discomforts, like neurological issues, sleep disorders, cancer, inflammatory conditions, chronic pain, and anxiety. The preliminary and anecdotal accounts also confirm these advantages, though there is a need for increased scientific testing. Today, CBD oil works on your pet dog favorably because of the endocannabinoid system. Today, the endocannabinoid systems get investigated continuously as a therapeutic element that impacts the mammal physiology! It regulates the immune system, neuroprotection, regulates sleep, metabolism, and many other neural procedures. Also, the primary function of this system is to retain body homeostasis levels. It indicates that it enables a living body (humans and animals) to regulate its internal environment, for instance, the water balance, temperature, pH, chemical balance, and many more. The first and foremost aspect that you need to ensure is to use a good quality CBD oil for your dogs. CBD isn’t known to cause any harm. Going by that principle, it’s worth to check out CBD oil and how it helps your dog fight its kidney ailment. Today, several pet owners use CBD oil and other products, for leveling down the symptoms of other severe diseases. According to the latest study, vets reported that proper use of CBD oil in dogs led to better pain management, lesser anxiety, and reduced seizures. Today, provisions are made to facilitate studies and clinical trials, to understand how CBD oil can further help pet dogs to ease renal disease symptoms. The study outcomes will be beneficial to everyone.
Kidney disease often leads to acute pain! And if your dog is in pain, CBD oil can help to lessen the pain symptoms. It can impact humans having this disease in the same way. If there is more scientific evidence pertaining to dogs, vets and other doctors can prescribe better treatments using CBD oil. Presently, with the available facts and medical evidence, CBD oil can minimize the pain associated with renal disease in dogs. It will help your pet dog to feel more comfortable and respond better to the medical treatments.
CBD oil also helps to ease other ailments and its symptoms in dogs, such as cancer, glaucoma, anxiety, excess inflammation, and the like.
Pets Are Family
Since the first phase of the pandemic reached Los Angeles, many animal shelters have had a high volume of adoption and fostering applicants as many people needed a way to get through this disheartening time.
The initial stages of the pandemic saw many animals fostered and shelters beginning to be emptied, which was rightly seen as a total win for all furry friends.
With all this time at home and the recent extension to stay-at-home orders, many Angelinos find themselves with a seemingly infinite amount of time to spare, but what happens when all the comfort is stripped away from you within a blink of an eye?
Pets are great for emotional support buddies that will always keep you busy and give you something to look forward to when you get home.
These pets, however, should not be seen as coping mechanisms to manage not being allowed to go outside and do the regular everyday things you did before the stay-at-home order.
Of course, there are certainly families who can just no longer afford the expenses of an animal.
Many people who own pets will be faced with (or already made) the hard decision of taking their family pet into the shelter because they face financial hardships due to the pandemic making it nearly impossible to find a steady, and possibly safe, job able to support their family and their pet.
Yes, the pandemic has affected almost every single person throughout the county but this should not be the cause to return your family pet to an overcrowded shelter.
Returning the animal will only stress it out and may eventually push it into a depressed state, hoping to reunite with its original owners.
Then again, there are some of those people who just go through life not realizing that these animals have feelings. The unaware may simply use them for cruel, petty and short-term entertainment.
This attitude towards pet stewardship is completely backwards and irresponsible. To brazenly use an animal and “return” it like an inanimate piece of clothing with a receipt is a shocking show of apathy towards sentient life.
These animals create a bond with their owners and people never truly understand how much a pet can love their owners.
If you are one of those people who has returned a pet because now things are “getting back to normal” or are contemplating doing such a thing, then shame on you, you detestable cretin! How dare you use an innocent animal for your personal emotional well-being without considering the emotions of the animal?
There are also those who do not even care to take an animal to a shelter where they can at least receive a modicum of support. Some find it easier to abandon the animal or let the pet run away from home, letting that pet wander around in the streets with no food or care.
It is actually a crime in most states to abandon a pet.
Taking away the privilege of a pet to have a loving home and abandoning it causes the pet to suffer from mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
If you think that mammals don’t have emotions, you are tragically wrong. Animals experience some of the same emotions we humans do, like sadness, happiness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust.
Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist at Emory University, does brain scans to study decision-making in humans and he trained dogs to stay still in an MRI scanner while awake.
“When you start looking at their brains and you see that they react the same way in many ways that humans do it causes me to question how we treat dogs and animals in general, specifically as property,” Berns says, “Currently under all codes of law something is either property or a human being (a person) and there is not really another category so it made me question where do dogs belong, ‘Are they closer to people?’, and I see them closer to people.”
Berns acknowledges that many of his finding in dogs probably holds true for pretty much any mammal.
Pets are innocent and provide unconditional love to owners and it is the owner’s responsibility to provide the best loving environment in return.
Before you adopt, please understand that the pet is your responsibility for the rest of their lifetime.
Keeping Tabs On Pets
The Mason City Police Department issued a statement reminding residents to keep their pets’ records and vaccinations up to date to prevent a trip to the pound.
The police department also warns that pets should be secured and supervised at all times, noting that an animal who bites someone, or an animal at large, may be impounded as well.
Once a pet is impounded, ownership must be proven by the resident and any applicable fines must be paid in order for the animal to be released.
Owners may also be issued criminal citations.
Pet licenses may be obtained at the Mason City Animal Shelter and City Hall. Some veterinarians also provide licensing services.
Stanley Found A Loving Foster Home
An 8-year-old chihuahua, who’s since been named Stanley, was rescued after being locked inside a crate and left on the side of Route 80 in New Jersey.
The dog spent a week at Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge in Oakland, New Jersey, and now has a foster mom who is helping him lose weight so he can improve his mobility.
When Stanley was was originally found, he was “frozen in fear,” said Megan Brinster, the refuge’s executive director.
Community members are chipping in to buy the dog a wheelchair and physical therapy services.
At the end of April, an overweight chihuahua was rescued after being found locked inside of a small crate on the the side of New Jersey highway Route 80.
When the dog was originally found, he was “frozen in fear” inside of the cramped box, Megan Brinster, the executive director of Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge in Oakland, New Jersey, told Insider. After spending a week at an animal control facility, the 8-year-old chihuahua – who has since been named Stanley – found a safe haven at the refuge, Brinster said.
Brinster explained that the dog weighs 21 pounds, which is about twice what he should weigh at a healthy size, which makes it difficult for his short legs to help him move on his own.
Now, the dog is being fostered by an owner who has experience caring for dogs with disabilities and medical complications, which Brinster said is a “game-changer.”
“He is challenged mobility-wise, and he needs someone who can help him get around,” Brinster said. “He also needs to be on a carefully monitored diet.”
Brinster added that Stanley’s new caretaker is “the most kind, loving foster mom.”
“We know that [Stanley] is just being showered with so much love and affection,” Brinster said.
The New Jersey animal refuge is used to taking in pets who have medical or mobility challenges or who need to gain or lose a substantial amount of weight, Brinster said – but she said Stanley’s case was especially moving. Supporters of the refuge have been rallying around the dog and his traumatic story, from asking the organization how to help and chipping in to buy Stanley a wheelchair and physical therapy services.
“Stanley’s story is really about the power of transformation,” Brinster said. “It comes from love and care and believing we can make a difference.”
Harley Spreading Joy
Harley, a one-eyed pug dressed in a fluorescent green raincoat, yellow boots and goggles strolls across the hallways, providing much-needed stress relief to exhausted doctors at a hospital in Mexico fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The three-year-old dog has quickly gained popularity online and now he even has his own Facebook page with regular updates.
In a recent post, the dog shared drawings that were sent to him from two young children in London, thanking them for being his fans.
According to digital publication Mexico News Daily, Harley’s owner, neuropsychologist Lucia Ledesma Torres, calls the pug her “co-therapist,” and says the dog’s two-hour daily visits have helped alleviate the “psychological, affective, and psychic stress” of healthcare personnel treating COVID-19 patients at the National Medical Cen ter 20 de Noviembre located in Mexico City, an epicentre of the virus in the country.
Harley has been providing therapy to Torres’ patients with psychiatric and psychological conditions for years, she says, interacting with people and drawing out feelings of empathy as they play with him.
Now, the pug is providing relief to medical staff as the hospital’s team enjoy taking a few minutes out of their day to pet and cuddle the affectionate pug, giving them support as they treat patients and spend time away from their family and friends.
The Way Of The Dog Episode
The Simpsons end season 31 with one of those Christmas presents people give their pets. This is fair because they carved out a horror episode for Thanksgiving this year. “The Way of the Dog,” is cute as a puppy dog’s ears and it is no turkey.
“The Way of the Dog” begins without opening credits or a couch gag. It jumps right in with Santa’s Little Helper’s POV. We’ve seen through the family dog’s eyes before, and it is both refreshing and foreboding. It usually means he’s sick or running away or, in one episode while in the care of Mr. Burns, being released along with the other hounds on Bart. In this case we begin in his dream, which will become very important because the episode hangs on Santa’s Little Helper getting Dognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the first part of owner-training is dogs see with more than their eyes. They can “smell ya later,” as Nelson might say. The dream actually focuses on another simple creature. Ralph Wiggum, who we first see happily chasing butterflies, and next see fearfully running from them. Santa’s Little Helper and Ralph aren’t very different. They both have very simple views of the world, and even more simplistic ways of interpreting it. The Simpsons put a spin on the Far Side “blah blah Ginger” joke. The words “Santa’s Little Helper” never actually come out of any of the Simpsons mouths while they corner him and try to get him to obey. But Grandpa, whose own complaints have been labeled gibberish along with everyone else’s, remains gibberish when the episode changes to people talk. In the meantime, the problem has been mimed as a problem Santa’s Little Helper has with a Santa hat.
In the meantime, the underlying premise is mostly plainly foreshadowed when Marge declares “dogs love dressing in people clothes.” There is a failure to communicate. Marge also gets to exhibit one of her master-of-the-obvious jokes when she complains about wasting digital photographs, which are actually, virtually, endless. Homer gets to do his improv version of “Jingle Bell Rock,” which is far more entertaining than the original lyrics. He tries to impress a Pay-Per-View operator by ordering a fight in HDTV like a big shot. He also snorts Candy Crush debris, but only because he’s already brushed his teeth.
Mr. Burns doesn’t have much screen time but his oppressive influence over Homer is in extreme view during the episode. In an early scene, we see his card on the back of the Christmas tree advising his employees to think of work during the holiday. Towards the end of the episode, Bart hires Homer’s boss to be Homer’s boss so he can do what Bart wants him to do. If only Bart would use this power for evil instead of good. Burns actually advises, well, commands Homer to do the right thing and let Bart sleep outside with the dog. It’s sweet, in a suitably twisted way.
It looks like we may have heard the last of Bart’s evergreen catchphrase “Eat my shorts.” Now that he’s gotten a taste of his own medicine he realizes the bite has gotten a little stale. The episode reexamines its past throughout the episode, so this is a compound fracture in the fairy tale. The Simpsons have veered toward a more middle of the road kind of subterfuge in recent seasons. While they know they can’t change whatever sins they may think they committed, they can make revisionist history going forward. It’s not that the Simpson family doesn’t apologize. They have and often. But upon closer inspection, they’ve always been the family which gets things right.
So when the family dog goes wrong, they call in a dog psychologist, the aptly named Elaine Wolff, played by the talented Cate Blanchett. Elaine loves dogs and despises all pet owners as privileged and entitled, something you can’t say about the Simpson family. Elaine is going through problems of her own, mainly because The Simpsons missed hearing the dulcet tones of Michael York pronouncing “exhume.” Ultimately Elaine cannot resist a wagging tail. However, Lisa’s attempt to bully the canine therapist is unexpected and largely effective. “Hold my pearls,” she tells Bart as she puts up her dukes. “There’s only so much poop I can scoop,” says Elaine. Lisa loses the round by forfeit but the dog has his day.
The episode itself is quite wholesome. Even the darkest character, the abusive race dog trainer, has a kind of redemption in the mere fact that Santa’s Little Helper mother is still alive. The threat of being put to sleep comes up on several occasions, however. We don’t quite believe it when the cheapest veterinarian in town brings up having to put down any dog who bites someone. Homer can’t bear to look at the man who wants to put Santa’s Little Helper to sleep, and wears a dog cone on his head on the way out of the office to ensure it. While we may be expecting him to wreak havoc with the equipment, Homer instead turns the gag into a mild tweak of the Pixar logo.
We take it a little more seriously when Chief Wiggum shows up at the door, except we really don’t. As the doggy-deady App creeps closer, and then backs up and makes a U-turn and resumes its approach, we remember Wiggum is the one of the most ineffectual characters in Springfield. He’s the kind of cop who brings a lollipop to a gunfight. Bart brings this to vivid life by calling him a Big Blue Balloon, and Wiggum himself solidifies our characterization by appreciating the analogy until his fantasy gets deflated.
The family’s farewells to Santa’s Little Helper are very sweet until Homer goes overboard by slipping a little tongue into his goodbye kiss. To be fair, and to bring things back to perspective, so does Santa’s Little Helper. Homer says he’s not an emotional guy but is actually nothing but emotion. The Simpson family has their hearts in the right place throughout. They break off a holiday brunch, Lisa reads “Looking for Mr. Good Boy,” a take on Judith Rossner’s 1975 passive sexual thriller Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and they even have a family prayer. Homer prays to Saint Bernard.
The Dognitive Behavior Therapy Institute is like doggy heaven: wet grass, no fireworks and Lambien for those restless nights. Elaine proves herself a capable therapist who goes the extra mile for the dog. She even reads to him and sleeps on the floor to get inside his head. While Santa’s Little Helper doesn’t get to sniff the butts of strangers, he does have a mother and dog reunion. She was only a mongrel away. Elaine ultimately ends the episode as a lone wolf, walking her 20 or so dogs. This reviewer hopes to see her again someday having tea with the Crazy Cat Lady.
“The Way of the Dog” is also the way of one of the creators of The Simpsons. The late Sam Simon donated the majority of his $100 million fortune to causes having to do with animals. The Sam Simon Foundation matches veterans and the hearing impaired with service dogs. He also gave to PETA, vehemently opposed medical experiments on animals, and believed veganism could solve hunger and climate change. Lisa’s disclaimer about the salami she gives Santa’s Little Helper as a farewell dog treat is also testament to Simon’s (and Paul McCartney’s) legacy.
The Simpsons season 31 finale is dedicated in loving memory to Little Richard, and ends on an upbeat. “The Way of the Dog” is a fully developed story, which neither rushes nor skimps. It has more heart than laughs, though they throw us several bones.
Dogs Create Smiles
Therapy dog group, The K-Nine Bandaiders, visited Montgomery Nursing Home recently. Eighteen members and their dogs walked around the building up to the windows so the residents and staff could see the dogs. So many smiles were shared. Social distancing was practiced and only married couples/significant others stood together.
