Puppies Being Their Adorable Selves

 

 

Lockdown is tough.

It now feels quite a lot like Groundhog Day as all of the days blur into one.

But, of course, staying at home means we are doing our bit to slow the spread of coronavirus.

And if you’re Netflixed out and looking for some light relief, we may have found it.

Because online you can find adorable online streams of a puppies.

They are in the USA, so the time difference means it’s best to log in later in the day when they’re awake and enjoying themselves.

Those behind it say: “WCC’s programme not only creates valuable service dogs, it harnesses the healing power of the warrior ethos and the human-animal bond.

“The program is designed to trigger powerful mind/body effects in our warrior trainers that reduce the symptoms of combat trauma.”

Dogs Trained To Detect Oak Wilt, Invasive Species In NY

Dogs in Corsica in COVID-19 Emergency Service Detection Trials

 

Dogs in Corsica are being trained by the emergency services to try to detect people who may be infected with coronavirus.

Firefighters in Ajaccio are doing this by using sweat samples from COVID-19 patients who’ve agreed to be part of the trial.

Corporal Mar Anto Costa, a firefighter based in Ajaccio, said: “Dogs are known for their capacity to recognise other diseases including cancers, such as breast and prostate cancers and even diabetes, although it has not been officially proven.

“What remains to be proven is whether the COVID-19 molecule emits a particular odour.”

The samples are placed in particular places to see if the dogs can then detect them.

“It’s simply a plastic tube by which the smell is placed, leaving the smell-emitting molecules. And then, with these plastic tubes, we train the dogs.”

If this test is successful and the results are confirmed, it would allow rapid and massive screening of the population.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Offers $1K For Information In Wisconsin Dog, Coyote Poisonings

WISCONSIN — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in teaming up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate several dog poisonings in northern Wisconsin.

Four domestic dogs have died since April 1 while walking on U.S. Forest Service land in the Town of Alvin in Forest County. Now, the DNR and Fish and Wildlife Service are offering up a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and/or charges being filed against a responsible party.

Two of these dogs passed away rather quickly after eating something along the gravel roads near the Michigan border. On April 1, a 4-year-old yellow lab was with its owner in the area when it died. A few weeks later, on April 21, a 3-year-old German Shepherd was on its leash when it ate something off the road and suddenly died.

However, these dogs are not the only animals that have been found dead in this area. Investigators also found dead weasels, coyotes, and wolves. Tests confirmed that these animals all died from poisoning.

According to a press release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Investigators say the poison was found on the ground in rural areas and subsequently was ingested by the dogs. Each dog died soon after ingestion.”

This investigation began in 2019, and is focused on areas in Forest, Marinette and Florence counties.

Anyone with information on the recent animal deaths is asked to call 608-221-1206.

Best Dog Food Delivery Services: Pet Plate, Ollie and more

With most of us on lockdown and doing our best to #socialdistance, #flattenthecurve and not #loseourminds, limiting trips to the store is one of the best moves you can make. But we still gotta eat — and so do dogs — so if you’re a dog owner, you may want to consider one of these convenient dog food delivery services for your pet’s meals during coronavirus quarantine. All the pet supply companies listed are still operating at full force and our recommendations remain up to date. Look carefully as many of them, including Spot and Tango and NomNomNom, have big first-time order discounts — you can get as much as 30% off your total cart.

Humans have gone totally gaga over meal delivery services. Now, it’s Fido’s turn to try one, as pet food is experiencing its own food delivery renaissance. But your furry friend isn’t picky, so how do you choose which delivery service should be bringing fresh dog food straight to your door?

We’re not just talking about getting your pet food delivered from pet food companies. Finding the right meal delivery services for your dog or cat can be challenging, to say the least, as there are so many meal delivery options to choose from and so many opinions on the “best way” to optimize the nutrition, ingredients and vitamins and minerals for both dogs and cats. Do you choose grain-free dog food, raw dog food, homemade dog food or plain old dry dog food? Do you choose dry kibble or wet food for your cat? If you’re struggling to find food that fits your fur baby’s needs (or if you’re just sick of driving back and forth to the pet store every week for your cat or dog’s diet), you might be interested in one of these services, which bring healthy, fresh food right to your door.

• Spot and Tango: Fresh dog food delivery, small-batch and ready to serve
• Nom Nom: Fresh, preportioned meals for dogs and cats
• Pet Plate: Ready-to-serve meals for dogs
• Chewy: Autoshipping and unbeatable customer service
• The Farmer’s Dog: Human-grade food, tailored to your individual dog
• Smalls: Freshly cooked food for cats
• PetFlow: Autoshipping your pet’s favorite foods
• Ollie: Meal plans tailored to individual dogs
• BarkBox: Monthly themed collections of toys and treats for your dog
• Super Chewer: BarkBox for dogs that are tough on toys
• Bully Bundles: Monthly delivery of low-odor bully sticks
• PupJoy: Healthy treats and toys delivered each month

Farm-fresh, ready-to-serve

Delaware Nonprofit, Rescue Dogs Find Home With Veterans In Need

 

Life hasn’t been easy for Mark Harris since he retired from the Ohio National Guard in 2018.

Though he is proud of his service to his country, problems with his back and post-traumatic stress disorder have plagued the 46-year-old as a result of a year-long deployment to Afghanistan in 2013.

An animal, he thought, might help ease both the mental and physical pain he endures nearly every day. Though ample programs exist to help connect veterans with furry companions, Harris said he applied to several — and heard nothing.

It wasn’t until he came across the Delaware County-based Veteran Companion Animal Services in January that Harris received the response he had been awaiting: approved.

Now Harris — who lives with his wife and adult daughter in Brookville, a suburb west of Dayton — is eagerly awaiting the arrival of what will be the first dog he has owned since well before his military service began in 1993 with a seven-year stint in the Air Force.

“I’m hoping that when we finally get him or her that it’ll help me with my mental health,” said Harris, who now works as a plumbing supervisor at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. “It’ll help me deal with my emotions a little better.”

Veterinarian Heather Lane founded Veteran Companion Animal Services in 2015 with the mission of providing ex-military members with companionship by connecting them with rescue dogs in need of a home.

“Often, when returning home, the camaraderie, structure and purpose of the military is gone,” said Lane, 33, who attended veterinary school at Ohio State University. “When a veteran receives a dog, it brings back the friendship, structure and purpose that many men and women lose after returning from service.”

The dogs they pair with veterans are not registered service animals or therapy animals. Instead, Lane partners with regional shelters and rescue organizations — including the Humane Society of Delaware County — to find pooches who are just as in need of companionship as the veterans.

Army veteran Damon Wright was the first to receive a dog through the program. He said the 3-year-old Bandit, a border collie and Australian shepherd mix, helps to keep his depression and anxiety at bay as the pair embark on near-daily outdoor walks and runs.

“He adds a lot of structure. He makes me happy,” said Wright, 48, of Chillicothe. “A dog’s important, in my opinion.”

St. Jude Music Therapists Organize Backyard Jams For Kids

 

Amy Love had to leave the Memphis hospital where she brings music to severely ill children — she and other support staff couldn’t take the risk of spreading COVID-19 to these frail patients.

But she was determined: The music must not stop.

So her house became a recording studio, and Love, fellow music therapist Celeste Douglas and intern Abigail Parrish became video stars for kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital who feed on their energy, their melodies, their love.

They play guitars and little drums, shakers and tambourines, and Love’s dog joins in on the fun — even as a lawn-mowing neighbor seems a bit puzzled.

“We’re really excited to be with you today, even if we can’t be there in person,” Douglas tells their early childhood group from afar.

No instruments? No problem. Love urges their viewers: “Just move around with us!”

The familiar tunes they choose to help the kids with fine and gross motor skills, body awareness and other trouble areas they’d usually take on in the hospital include “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.”

For older patients, Love left behind some ukuleles with easy instructions and song selections from Twenty One Pilots and Selena Gomez.

Entertainer Danny Thomas opened the pediatric treatment and research hospital for children with catastrophic diseases in 1962. Care is free for all. Since many of the patients are immune deficient, Love and other support staff are working remotely.

The hospital’s two resident therapy dogs are on hiatus off campus, as well.

“What we’re doing is finding new ways to support our kiddos and keep them safe at the same time,” Love said.

In the hospital, the team holds the early childhood music group once a week for kids up to 3 years old.

“That’s one thing I’ve really missed,” Love said. “We’d all get together and play tons of music and were super loud.”

Switching gears was a bit of a learning curve, she said. Like the ukuleles. Asking kids to teach themselves the instrument could have gone either way, but Love was optimistic.

“It’s a really easy instrument to feel really successful with,” she said. “You can mark up different parts of the ukulele and play it pretty easy. Even with one finger you can be successful and play a chord.”

Love can’t wait for the day she can return to the hospital. In the meantime, she has a mission.

 

Strata Can’t Force Family To Give Up Disabled Teenager’s Support Dog, Tribunal Rules

VANCOUVER — A strata bylaw banning residents from having dogs can’t be used against a B.C. teenager who uses her pet to manage her disabilities, the province’s Human Rights Tribunal has ruled.

In a decision that was posted online this week, tribunal member Devyn Cousineau found the strata’s bylaw to be discriminatory because losing the dog would have “a significant adverse effect” on the 14-year-old’s condition.

The teenager and her parents, who represented her at the tribunal, are not named in the decision for privacy reasons.

The family told the tribunal they purchased the dog last year in the hopes of helping their daughter with worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety, which were mounting into problems at school and even thoughts of suicide.

“She had panic attacks in the middle of the night, where she would wake up crying. She had frequent stomach aches and threw up. She refused to go to school,” Cousineau wrote in the decision. “She would either get very little sleep or would come home from school and fall asleep immediately until the next day.”

The daughter also has Type 1 diabetes, and her mental health struggles were affecting her ability to manager her illness, according to the decision.

The family eventually bought her a dog on the advice of the teenager’s doctor, who advised them that owning a pet could improve her condition. And it apparently did – the parents said they noticed a positive impact “almost immediately.”

“Whereas previously, she had been reluctant to leave the house or do much of anything, the daughter was taking the dog to the park, playing with her and laughing. She was cuddling with her and confiding in her. Her spirits were uplifted,” Cousineau wrote.

The teenager did not appear at the tribunal, but offered a written statement explaining what the dog meant to her: “Sometimes if I am sad or crying in my room she looks at me and leans on me… This dog has helped me through the tough dark time of my life when nothing else was motivating enough to keep going and I cannot imagine my life without her.”

Before filing a human rights complaint, the family appealed to the strata to make an exception to its no-dogs bylaw. The council presented two motions to owners at its 2019 annual general meeting: one would allow residents to have a single dog, and another would let the council grant exceptions to its bylaw for medical reasons.

Unfortunately for the family, both motions failed.

To the strata council’s credit, Cousineau said it did not actively defend against the family’s complaint or enforce the bylaw pending the outcome.

“I commend the strata for the compassionate and pragmatic approach it has taken to this matter,” the tribunal member wrote.

The Results Are In: Officer ‘Sully’ to Report For Duty Later This Year

Stay-at-Home Orders Halt Some Service Dog Training

Eric Caron, a retired guidance counselor who has been blind since birth, recently moved to a new home. He soon noticed that his guide dog, a yellow Labrador retriever named Ryan, was having trouble leading him across a busy intersection that Caron must cross regularly.

Caron knew what that meant: It was time to retire Ryan, at 9 a near-senior citizen, to pet status and get a new guide dog.

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

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

Like many people with disabilities, Caron relies on a service dog to help him navigate not just the world, but also his own home and property. The dogs are trained to do specific tasks such as guiding people in public, opening doors and interrupting anxiety attacks. That training can last up to two years, and it is now on hold nationwide as the coronavirus crisis continues.

The handoff of already-trained service dogs to people like Caron is also paused, because it has to be done in person and with instructors and clients standing close together. That means people whose current dogs are ready to retire, as well as people who have been on waiting lists a year or longer to get their first service dogs, are all stuck in limbo until the COVID-19 crisis resolves.

“We’re under orders, depending on what state you live in, not to do activities that are not deemed as essential. Because this is considered education, it’s not deemed essential,” said Ben Cawley, director of training at Guiding Eyes for the Blind. “A guide dog-user would argue that it is essential, but we can’t be putting our staff or volunteers or applicants in an irresponsible situation.”

When New York ordered a statewide shutdown, Guiding Eyes for the Blind had 178 dogs in its Yorktown kennels, as well as puppies in a second facility. Those dogs went home with staff and volunteers who are keeping them happy, but who can’t go out during the pandemic to train them to walk in grocery stores or down crowded sidewalks.

Canine Companions for Independence, based in Santa Rosa, Calif., faced a similar situation. Its six nationwide campuses are now closed, some 420 of its dogs in training are living with staff and volunteers, and the 400 people with physical and hearing disabilities on its waiting list are going to have to wait for the program to resume.

“We would love to be able, during this time, to continue to train the dogs at home and then perhaps look at doing some virtual training,” said Jeanine Konopelski, national director of marketing at Canine Companions, “but still, that in-person connection, the person meeting the dog, that still has to happen, and we can’t do that right now.”

Michelle Barlak, a spokeswoman for The Seeing Eye in Morristown, N.J., said a class to pair dogs and clients was in progress when the state shut down most businesses. The organization accelerated the training, got the dogs into homes with clients and has been following up by phone, Skype and email, she said.

An immediate challenge, Barlak said, is that the organization’s in-house veterinary clinic also was forced to close. That means local veterinarians end up handling any problems, a more costly option that is eating into existing funding.

Another concern is making sure essential workers who rely on guide dogs can keep doing their jobs, said Thomas Panek, chief executive of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. If for some reason such a worker needed a replacement dog, he said, handoff could be tricky — and their critical work put in jeopardy.

“Right now, there are people who are blind and on the front lines in this crisis,” he said. “I know four people who work in the federal government. They have to go into places like the emergency response centers. They’re using their service dogs to get to work. They’re part of the crisis response team; they just happen to be blind.”

How quickly future cohorts of service dogs can be ready remains an open question. Training programs are run on schedules, and those schedules are being set back every day that the pandemic goes on. Dogs living in foster homes may be safe and content, but some are quickly losing skills.

”Many of our dogs need to learn how to work around adaptive equipment like wheelchairs,” said Sarah Birman, national director of training and client services at Canine Companions. “I don’t have a wheelchair in my house to practice with. I don’t have the special light switch to practice with, like the one that’s specially constructed at our center.”

The longer the crisis persists, Barlak said, the harder it will be for the dogs to get back on track. For now, she said, “I think our dogs are going to be able to catch up quite easily. If we’re all still sitting here a year from now? Then, I would be concerned.”

Teal Morris, a family caseworker for the Indiana Department of Child Services, is waiting out the worry with her golden retriever-Lab mix, Phil. She got him through Canine Companions in 2011 to help with her lifelong spina bifida. Phil picks up things that she drops, and she uses his leash to maintain balance if she stumbles or trips.

But Phil is 11 and due to retire. Morris was supposed to meet his replacement in May. Now, the earliest possibility is August.

”There’s just so many unknown factors,” Morris says. “I’m trying to take it one day at a time. I have a little girl who is 2½, and with her, things are changing every day about regulations and schools being opened and closed.”

Caron, in Vermont with his guide dog Ryan, is also waiting out the crisis as his wife picks up extra 12-hour shifts. She’s an emergency-room nurse treating coronavirus patients.

“I know that Guiding Eyes is trying really hard to keep everything flowing. When they know what the virus is going to let us do, they’ll get back to me,” Caron added. “I don’t even know which dog would have been mine, but in my heart, I’m picturing this dog just waiting.”

For now, he’s focusing on Ryan.

“I still have to go to Tractor Supply to get dog food. I still have to do things,” Caron said. “Right now, I need him to stay healthy so we can go for walks and stay connected to the world.”