Puppies Bring Stress Relief To COVID-19 Fighters
The troops are returning the favor with belly rubs.
The dogs are courtesy of Puppies Behind Bars, a New York City nonprofit organization that pairs inmates in regional prisons with puppies to be trained to become service dogs.
The group brought the dogs to hotels where guardsmen and medical providers were staying, as well as the alternate care facility at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, to give those responding to COVID-19 a stress break, according to Gloria Gilbert Stoga, the program coordinator.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard Masci, a New York Army National Guardsman assigned to the 104th Military Police battalion, first suggested the idea April 10 when he was talking to the unit’s rear detachment.
“The National Guard was asked by Sergeant Masci in Kingston if they needed anything, and their answer was, ‘Service dogs?’ half in jest,” Stoga said.
“There’s something about a dog that people love and they gravitate to and let their guard down,” Masci said.
The idea was raised up to the governor’s office, Stoga said, “and they recommended Puppies, so here we are.”
“As soon as we were asked, I said that of course we would help, and one week later [Friday, April 17], we started,” Stoga continued.
Puppies Behind Bars began in 1997 and has almost two dozen years of breeding and training experience to prepare dogs for service or therapy duties.
It was a perfect fit for the current military missions in New York, Stoga said.
“The amount of stress that the military and medical personnel serving in New York City are going through is extraordinary,” Stoga said. “The fact that our dogs can provide some comfort makes me prouder than I think I have ever been of them.”
The dogs are raised and trained in seven different correctional facilities in upstate New York. About 140 prison inmates raise the service dogs and with support of the Puppies Behind Bars staff, train them for wounded veterans and first responders.
To prepare them for the work, the dogs receive some 100,000 hours of socialization during their two years of training.
“We’re set to do eight shifts a week, two hours each, and the idea is that this is a way for the young soldiers of the Guard to decompress, to just pet a dog and have a dog lick them and kiss them.”
The dogs live in prison with “puppy raisers,” inmates who are matched with them for the mutual benefit and bonding the training brings.
“Our dogs learn, instinctively, to help people who need them,” Stoga said.
Stoga discovered that the efforts have reached further than the uniformed responders in New York.
“The Guard is also taking the dogs to meet with the nurses when they come back from the hospitals around the city, and what I’ve found out that I didn’t know is that the nurses are literally coming from around the country,” Stoga said.
“They don’t know anybody, they’re working 12 or 20 hour shifts and they’re coming back [to their hotels] and the National Guard is there with service dogs, and the nurses get to pet them and love them.”
The dogs are doing amazing work out in the world and at this particular moment in time, are bringing a tiny bit of joy and normalcy to people for whom joy and normalcy seem almost impossible to remember.”
Gloria Gilbert Stoga, program coordinator, Puppies Behind Bars
The ability to hug and pet a dog during a time of social distancing is what makes the difference, said Army Capt. Yvette Valle, the headquarters detachment commander for the 104th Military Police Battalion.
“The experience here is quite surreal and unlike anything I’ve experienced in the military,” she said.
With the long hours and the stress of the unknown, the missions for soldiers during the pandemic has been unlike any other disaster response effort, Valle said.
“The biggest thing I promote within my company is a positive mental attitude during this crisis, and their attitude has been more than I expected with everyone willing to do whatever is needed,” Valle said.
Bringing in the dogs has certainly made a difference.
“Coordinating the dogs has definitely boosted morale with the soldiers and with the nurses,” Valle said.
“It gives them a piece of family, a closeness that we can’t experience due to social distancing,” Valle added. “They can get that through the dogs. It gives them love and warmth that they are sacrificing being here for this cause.”
“The dogs are doing amazing work out in the world and at this particular moment in time, are bringing a tiny bit of joy and normalcy to people for whom joy and normalcy seem almost impossible to remember,” Stoga said.
The dogs, trained to work with veterans, wounded warriors and first responders, are a natural fit for supporting the National Guard response effort and can make a real difference for soldiers, said Army Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York’s military forces.
“I am sure this means the world to all those who get to spend time with the puppies,” Shields continued.
“I went twice last week with two dogs,” Stoga said. “One was raised in Fishkill and one in Bedford Hills.”
Serving as a stress relief, the visits are now a regular part of the working shifts for military and medical responders at the Javits Medical Station and hotels in Manhattan.
Stoga spoke with one off-duty soldier during a visit on April 18, and asked where he was from.
“A small town in Dutchess County,” he replied, “Fishkill.”
Pointing to one of the dogs, Stoga said, “This dog was raised in the Fishkill Correctional Facility!”
The soldier couldn’t believe it, he got down on his knees to meet a new hometown friend, she added.
“It’s been a great success,” Masci said. “Everybody is thrilled to see them.”
“For Puppies Behind Bars, all of our service dogs go to wounded war vets or first responders,” Stoga said, “So these dogs being able to help in this way before they are placed is just phenomenal. We’re just thrilled to be able to work with the National Guard like this.”
Training Service Dogs
When Thatcher discovered the Ipswich-based Service Dog Project, Inc., she knew she had found a perfect fit for her passion — and helping others in need.
The organization is located on a farm surrounded by fields, where dogs run, play, and learn. Once trained, the dogs are matched with those who may need them in accomplishing basic tasks.
Preference for service dogs is given to military veterans, first responders, and their families, according to the organization’s website.
Thatcher recently shared her experiences of helping dogs — and helping them help humans. Service Dog Project breeds, trains and then donates great dane service dogs to people with balance and mobility challenges to assist them in achieving greater independence. George, one of our dogs, was named American Kennel Club’s Service Dog of the Year, along with his partner, 12-year-old Bella, in 2015. There are many tasks that I do at the farm. Duties range from cleaning kennels, walking dogs, scooping poop and the best part, caring for newborn pups and helping with their first learning experiences as they grow. There are often 60 dogs on the farm that need care as well as donkeys, goats and other animals. Time spent there is never dull! Seven years ago, I saw a post online that mentioned Explore had seven cameras on the farm with viewing 24 hours, seven days a week.
COVID-19 has changed Service Dog Project, as they have to comply with the rules set out by the state of Massachusetts.
What happened is, all of the youngest dogs needed to find temporary homes as caring for them while social distancing would be impossible. Twenty eight homes were found quickly; primarily with volunteers.
Chip is now part of my home and a big, happy pup of eight months old joining my own two dogs.
There is no better reward than seeing a dog you have known from birth grow to become an incredible partner for one who has mobility issues — no matter their age or needs.
Some share stories on our Facebook page, and I feel a sense of pride in reading them.
Many pairings return to the farm to visit, and it’s such a treat to see the bonds between dog and recipient. The dog is life-changing for recipients and their families.
New Therapy Pup
Pets Providing Peace During The Pandemic
People and families throughout the region are continuing to adjust to a new normal of physical distancing guidelines, stay-at-home orders and other developments of the coronavirus pandemic. Since the global health crisis can cause added stress, some people are finding comfort in the companionship of their pets.
Marie Haigh, of Pottstown, homeschooled her three children before the pandemic so she didn’t have to adjust to virtual learning, but her family has found it challenging to adapt to the other circumstances caused by COVID-19.
“I’m used to hanging out with my kids all day. This part is true but the whole not being able to do our normal round of going out to field trips, just getting out of the house, and visiting friends, that part of it has been hard,” Haigh said.
She said except for her 5-year-old son Malcom, who is a homebody, the rest of the family has found it necessary to spend time outside of the house and in nature. Haigh’s Golden Retriever named Clover has been a motivator when it comes to getting fresh air.
“She drags us outside, even on days when we’re like it’s raining and I don’t want to go out,” she said.
Haigh said once her family is outdoors, they are happy to enjoy time in nature.
“There’s just some days when we all just need a mental check and we just need to get out of the house. We just call it a health day,” she said.
Haigh said she and her children enjoy gardening in their yard but must venture throughout the neighborhood and area trails to do activities that require more room such as walking, running and cycling. The family often visits Pottstown Riverfront Park to use the Schuylkill River Trail.
“The trees are kind of overtop of you. It (the Schuylkill River Trail) is beautiful. You just feel more connected to nature and you just breathe deeper,” Haigh said.
Her dog Clover enjoys the regional trail as well and celebrated her eighth birthday there on March 15.
“In my mind I was thinking today is Clover’s birthday, so we have to do something for Clover. What would Clover want to do?” Marie said is how the family ended up on the trail for the celebration.
The family rode their bikes on the trail while Clover ran alongside them.
Haigh said Clover is also a comfort to the family inside their home.
“She just helps us to relax as well. We call her our lazy dog inside the house,” she said.
Haigh said Clover especially comforts her 9-year-old daughter Brooke. She said Brooke has found the restrictions particularly challenging because she doesn’t like to talk on the phone so she’s found it difficult to not be able to play with friends. Haigh said Clover allows her daughter to have a “constant friend” during this time.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that around 38 percent of households in the United States have one or more dogs.
“Dogs can have many positive effects on the lives of their owners. They influence social, emotional, and cognitive development in children, promote an active lifestyle, provide companionship, and have even been able to detect oncoming epileptic seizures or the presence of certain cancers,” states the CDC Website.
Jessie Wickersham, a veterinary emergency nurse who resides in Pottstown, owns two Pit Bull mixes. The dogs’ names are Meatball and Bubbles and Wickersham said her family loves them.
She said the pandemic has been difficult for her three-year-old son who doesn’t understand why their routine suddenly changed.
“Everything is weird. He can’t see his nana,” she said.
Wickersham said her dog Meatball has been her son’s “shadow” and the two are always snuggling together. She said her son appreciates the physical connection.
“Meatball loves him, and he can just snuggle right into him,” she said.
Dogs aren’t the only pets that Wickersham owns. She also has chickens and they provided comfort in a different way than the dogs. Wickersham said when grocery stores started running low on eggs, she was able to just go out to her coop. She has also made contactless door egg deliveries to her family in the area.
Audra Hammer Ross, of Pottstown, has two cats and two guinea pigs. The cats are Butterscratch and Peekaboo.
She said all her pets are getting more attention because everyone is at home all the time.
“Especially the guinea pigs because they’re in the cage all day and the girls are usually not home. They’ve been out of the cage playing a lot more and probably don’t know why they’re getting so much exercise,” Ross said.
Ross said her 9-year-old daughter Fiona has become more attached to the cats since spending more time at home. She said her daughter feeds the cats every day and it has helped them form a deeper connection.
“Peekaboo always comes right up to her in the morning,” Ross said.
Ross said another way the pets are helping her daughters during this time is by teaching them responsibility and giving their day structure. The girls have chores such as feeding the animals and cleaning up after them.
“It makes them feel a little more in control because they’re in charge of that,” Ross said.
The CDC website states that about 40 million U.S. households have pet cats.
Guide Dogs Need Your Help
THE Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind’s Guide Dog Day (Friday May 8th) enables the charity to raise much-needed funds and is a day to celebrate the difference dogs make to those who are vision-impaired and the families of children with autism who can lead more independent lives.
This year’s fundraising efforts have been taken online and to the airwaves with the charity urging the public on its social media platforms to donate what they can to lessen the impact of Covid-19 on its services.
All community fundraising cancelled since March and now on into the summer months against a background where it costs €5m per annum to run the charity and €53,000 to train one Guide Dog.
Ther are 35 Guide Dog clients currently awaiting services and 45 dogs are currently in training.
Cole The Deaf Dog
Celebrity chef Rachael Ray issued an invite to Cole the Deaf Dog suggesting he pup over to the studio and appear on her show.
Cole and his human sidekick, Chris Hannah, fired up the Colemobile. The duo headed to New York City to spread their message of acceptance, a mission they launched two years ago at Mennies Elementary School.
The show taped just before Thanksgiving, but its air date continues to get shuffled with breaking news broadcasts cutting into the daytime television viewing schedule, Hannah said.
The segment is tentatively scheduled to air at 2 p.m May 7 on WPVI Channel 6.
Hannah, a music teacher, adopted Cole from the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter. He said he didn’t see the puppy’s deafness as a disability.
He saw Cole’s possibilities.
Now a certified-therapy dog, Cole is a classroom regular and motivated Hannah’s 250 students to collaborate on a writing assignment.
They transformed Cole and Hannah’s deaf nephew, Kevin Guinan, into comic book superheroes who join forces to encourage all students to be kind and accepting of others.
It’s usually Cole providing the comfort, but he got to enjoy some of his own during the two-day trip that included a swanky over-night stay in a hotel.
Before taping the show, they took a walking tour of the city and visited Macy’s, where Hannah carried Cole up the escalator.
“About 200 people whipped out their cellphones,” Hannah said, noting Cole attracted attention.
Book About Beloved Therapy Dog
Mascot Books announces the release of The Adventures of Gunner the Poodle Pony: Gunner Meets Stella written by local author Lynne McGlothlen with illustrations by David Gnass.
Review for The Adventures of Gunner the Poodle Pony: Gunner Meets Stella:
Meet Gunner, the most amazing poodle you’ll ever see! Not only can he do tricks, he also comforts others when they are sick or sad. Follow Gunner as he meets Stella and helps her feel better when her grandmother is sick.
Ms. McGlothlen is a lover of poodles. Gunner was a therapy dog for a few years before tragically passing away, she is using this book as a way to honor his memory and all the people he comforted during his short life.
Ms. McGlothlen likes to say that Gunner picked her when he crawled into her lap and instantly fell asleep. Just like beautiful Anya, Gunner took to everything quickly. He passed the Therapy Dog Exam easily and with flying colors (twice!) and earned a prestigious, “Best Dog of the Day” recognition. Ms. McGlothlen and Gunner spent many years traveling to hospitals and Hospice Houses to comfort sick and grieving children where Gunner would perform his amazing tricks.
The Adventures of Gunner the Poodle Pony is registered with the American Wholesale Book Company, Baker & Taylor, Follett Library Resources, and Ingram, and available online with the following retailers: Amazon.com, Books a Million, Barnes and Noble and Mascot Books.
Vermont’s First Police Therapy Dog
This week, the Williston Police Department introduced black Labrador Duke as Vermont’s first Comfort K9 — in training. He arrived in Vermont on May 3 at just eight weeks old, ready to begin his journey to becoming a certified therapy dog.
Duke was donated to the department by Boonefield Labradors in New Hampshire. This brave pup arrived at Officer Matthew Cohen’s home, where Duke will live. Officer Cohen was chosen to be Duke’s handler, and he is documenting Duke’s journey on Facebook.
According to a “letter from Duke” on his Facebook page, Officer Cohen, in collaboration with the Williston Schools, brainstormed names for the new recruit and put the best of those names out to the school kids so they could vote for their favorite.
Therapy Dog Up For Hero Dog Award
Nine-year-old Great Dane Bandit has been nominated for the 2020 American Humane Hero Dog Award – therapy dog category for his help comforting Soldiers and their families through Fort Leonard Wood’s United Services Organization.
The annual, nationwide competition “searches out and recognizes America’s Hero Dogs – often ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things,” Bandit is one of 50 dogs in his category competing.
Kelly Brownfield, Western Missouri Regional Operations director of the USO and Bandit’s owner, said he almost never got the chance to thrive as a therapy dog.
“Bandit was rescued just moments before being euthanized due to some health concerns,” Brownfield said. “I happened to be at the right place at the right time and he was brought home at 14 weeks of age.”
Brownfield said she obtained permission to start bringing her new puppy to work with her when she noticed something special about him.
“We started to realize he had this unique ability to read people and sense their needs,” she said. “We would find him rolled up in the lap of a Soldier who had been crying or targeting someone in need within a crowd.”
Retired Sgt. 1st Class and USO volunteer Johnnie Bryant said he remembers the first day Bandit spent at the USO.
“He was an instant hit with all the Soldiers,” Bryant said. “Bandit was a superstar – the way he immediately bonded with them was amazing. He’s always excited to meet and greet the Soldiers and especially the elementary school kids. It’s great to see their faces light up when he enters the room. He works tirelessly and asks for nothing in return.”
USO volunteer Susan Hinkle witnessed Bandit in action on many occasions and recommended he be trained as a therapy dog. At the time, the USO had no therapy dogs – Bandit became a trailblazer of sorts. The USO now has a thriving, nationwide therapy dog program.
“We never realized taking those first steps would lead to an entire program being created that would reach throughout the country,” Brownfield said. “He’s helped lead the way for so many other therapy dogs, both locally and around the country.”
Brownfield said Bandit’s training came easy to him.
“I feel a lot of that is because he was born to be who he is,” she said. “You can’t train the connection he creates with so many – it comes to him naturally.”
Bandit received advanced training so he could stand by the side of wounded Soldiers as new prosthetics were fitted.
“He stands with them at all times in case they lose their balance,” Brownfield said. “He’s their support to keep them from falling.”
He also was trained to endure loud noises, Brownfield said, which allows him to stay stoic and not flinch during a gun salute while escorting children to military funerals.
However, Bandit’s greatest strengths don’t come from his trained abilities, Brownfield said.
“They come from his heart,” she said. “He has touched the lives of service members on suicide watch; he has sat beside children in courtrooms testifying against abusers – one of his favorite pastimes is sitting with children as they read to him to help them work on their reading skills.”
Staff Sgt. Loretta Streichert, now assigned to the 14th Missile Defense Battery at Camp Zuma, Japan, said she’ll never forget the comfort Bandit gave her during her time stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.
“When I just needed some comfort or was stressed, I knew I could go to the USO and he would be there for me,” she said. “Even now, thousands of miles away while I’m in Japan temporarily, I seek out his pictures and posts on Facebook to feel that sense of relief and compassion to get me through tough times.”
After a long day at the office, Bandit enjoys playing as much as any other dog.
“As soon as you get him home and take his vest off he loves to run around with his siblings: Maverick, Apache and his favorite sibling – his cat, Lola. Even at nine years old he still has a lot of spunk left in him, especially when he pulls out his rope toys. He loves running around the house, playing tug-o-war with the other dogs.”
As ranking old timer, Bandit has been semi-retired this year – his days of traveling for work all over the country are over – though Brownfield said he’s remained very healthy for his age and size.
“We want to be mindful of the impact long hours of traveling can have on his body,” she said. “We look forward to letting him fully retire and enjoy what time he has relaxing and enjoying as much frozen custard as he wants, and taking long naps with his sidekick, Lola. He has given so much of himself and we only hope he realizes the impact he has had on so many around the world. He has forever changed the footprint of the USO for the better.”
The results of the top-three finalists for the award will be released May 28. At that time, anyone may vote for him by visiting https://herodogawards.org/dog/bandit-5/. If Bandit receives the most votes and wins the award, he’ll then go to Hollywood, California, for a televised awards ceremony. Brownfield said it would be a wonderful way to thank him for his service to the nation.
“We want his work highlighted in the hopes that people will see how you can take a rescued animal and change the world,” Brownfield said.
“Over the years, he has served as the model for all therapy dogs to follow,” Bryant added. “He has been and will always be an amazing friend to all who meet him.”
Lil Bub And Beyond
Three weeks after Lil Bub died, her owner, Mike Bridavsky, sat disheveled in his recording studio listening to his audio archive of the cat’s meows, purrs, “chirpy purrs,” snorts, and snores. “No other cat makes sounds like that,” he said with unabashed pride. “There’s like, syllables and stuff.”
Bridavsky started building his collection of Lil Bub’s noises after adopting her from a feral litter near his home in Bloomington. The cat’s sounds have been used in stuffed animals and bobble-heads, and on a full-length electronic music LP record.
And that’s just a small part of Lil Bub’s legacy. During their eight years together, the cat and the man built a small empire. Bridavsky and his wife, Stacy, run an online store, manage endorsement deals, and produce a slew of Bub content. The Bub business gives work to friends and local artists, and a cut of all proceeds goes to Lil Bub’s Big Fund, a charity for special-needs pets.
Bridavsky was devastated after his best friend’s death. “I could not really believe it; I wasn’t ready for it yet,” he said, as he began to cry.
And amid the fresh grief, he faced a secondary crisis as well: what to do with the business and charity she inspired.
Loni Edwards, founder of The Dog Agency, sees pet influencers’ owners face this conundrum often — and she experienced it herself when her own celebrity pet, Chloe the Mini Frenchie, died in a veterinarian accident.
“Losing a pet is really hard whether it’s a pet influencer or just your personal fur-baby,” Edwards said at the agency’s New York headquarters. “When it’s a pet influencer, it has this added layer of — not only the emotional hurt — but also the financial hit, because you’re losing this business partner.”
But Edwards, who represents more than 150 pet influencers, said that for many owners, adopting another pet can be a way forward. “I think as long as the brand and the identity of the account stays consistent, it is possible to evolve.”
At PetCon, a star-studded pet expo where fans can meet their favorite famous pets, several of Edwards’ clients explained to us how they pulled off a postmortem pivot.
When blind therapy dog Smiley died, his owner Joanne George knew how to fill the void for his devoted audience. After a period of mourning, she adopted another dog with a vision impairment, Sunny, to take over the page. “Not for the social media aspect — I was good at it,” said George, a veterinary technician who rescued Smiley from a puppy mill.
Others, like Jessica Hatch of Gone to the Snow Dogs, have solved the problem by focusing their accounts on a pack rather than one animal. “It’s kind of like a lifestyle brand,” says Hatch, who has lost three of her huskies and adopted several more puppies over her brand’s 10 years.
But for Bridavsky, such a transition would be harder, if not impossible. Lil Bub was famous for her very unusual “perma-kitten” appearance, a result of feline dwarfism, and the hope and motivation she inspired among her fans. The cat’s outgoing personality and undaunted spirit in the face of her limited mobility was a tonic for many facing their own obstacles.
Many of the more than 75,000 comments on Bub’s Instagram memorial post are a testament to that. “She helped me persevere and push through tough times in a difficult relationship,” wrote Chanelclaire.co on Instagram. Another, candicemargo, commented that Bub “reminded me to keep going, to always stay kind, and that pure love does exist.” Flowerchildabbi said Bub inspired her to help special-needs animals.
“That’s, like, the whole spirit of Bub — to pay it forward,” Bridavsky said. “I didn’t know, ever, what to expect — how it would feel after she passed. But from the messages, people care about her even more now.”
So Bridavsky committed to keeping Bub’s memory alive through his business and charity. Now, he even has Bub-print face masks. “So BUB can protect you and others with her undeniable magic (and cuteness).”
