In a US Now In Puppy Love, Labs Still Tops, But Corgis Rise

NEW YORK (AP) — America’s dogs are having their day as the coronavirus keeps many people at home more with their pets and spurs so much adoption and fostering that some shelters’ kennels have emptied.

But while much is changing for people and pooches around the country, here’s something holding as steady as a dog with a favorite toy: Labrador retrievers remain the nation’s most popular purebreds for a record-extending 29th year, according to American Kennel Club rankings being released Friday.

The rest of the top 10 includes German shepherds; golden retrievers; French bulldogs; bulldogs; poodles; beagles; Rottweilers; German shorthaired pointers — and, for the first time, Pembroke Welsh corgis.

Some highlights and lowdown on the canine charts:

RANKINGS EXPLAINED

The rankings indicate the relative popularity of different breeds among the 589,868 purebred dogs, mostly puppies, that joined the nation’s oldest dog registry last year. Registration is voluntary.

The list includes the 193 breeds that the AKC recognizes — no Labradoodles, puggles, Yorkipoos or other “designer” hybrids, at least for now. Breeds sometimes get added over time.

The chart also doesn’t reflect the everyday mixed-breed dogs that make up a vast share of the estimated 77 million or more canines in U.S. homes.

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THE CORGI CHARM

Pembroke Welsh corgis (not to be confused with somewhat larger, longer-tailed Cardigan Welsh corgis) have a long history of herding cattle and sheep in their native Wales.

But Pembrokes have become best known as companions of their most famous fancier, the U.K.’s Queen Elizabeth II. Another Pembroke was California’s social-media-friendly “first dog” for a time during former Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration in the 2010s.

The short-legged, long-bodied breed is known for being spunky and sociable.

“They’re really darned cute … and they’re just fun to be with,” said Bobbe Lord of Boonton, New Jersey, a longtime owner and breeder.

Lord surmises Pembrokes got a boost in recent years from some popular, corgi-focused social media accounts and the Netflix series “The Crown,” which chronicles Queen Elizabeth II’s life.

Lord appreciates the interest in her beloved breed but also worries about inexperienced people thinking they can make big money by breeding trendy puppies.

“If you’re doing it right, that doesn’t happen,” she said.

THE SCARCEST BREED

The English foxhound is the rarest breed in the new rankings. The sizable, high-stamina and vocal hounds have a long history in the U.S. but aren’t often found as purely house pets. Fans tend to deploy the dogs for their traditional, pack-hunting purpose.

“It’s a beautiful breed. I just don’t think people see them enough to know about them,” says AKC spokeswoman Brandi Hunter.

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PUREBREDS, MIXED-BREEDS AND NEW POPULARITY

For years, animal-rights advocates and some humane groups have complained that the popularity of purebred dogs leads people to buy pedigreed puppies instead of adopting mixed-breed pets that need homes.

And for years, the AKC has countered that breeding helps pair dogs with owners who want to know what to expect in a canine, whether the priority is fugitive-tracking acumen or an activity level that matches the household’s.

Now, those on all sides of the debate have something to cheer in common: The coronavirus crisis has prompted more people to seek out dogs, every which way.

The New York-based American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says it has gotten over 1,500 online applications to foster dogs and cats since March 15, six times more than the same period last year. Seventy percent more animals have actually gone into foster homes in recent weeks, compared to last year.

“During this period of great uncertainty, one bright spot has been the incredibly compassionate response from people willing to open their homes to adopt and foster vulnerable shelter animals,” CEO Matt Bershadker said. The ASPCA doesn’t currently need foster homes right now but notes that could change as kitten season continues.

Dog breeders are also getting more inquiries: Lord says she’s been fielding five to seven a day lately, though she has no puppies available.

The AKC urges purebred-seekers to research breeds for the right fit and to plan ahead for pet care for when — someday — people return to more normal routines.

“We are in a very unique situation being at home all of the time,” Hunter notes. “For many of us, that will not always be the case.”

 

Navy Retires Bob The Bomb-Sniffing Dog After 6 Years Of Service To His Country

Bob, a bomb-sniffing black Labrador who started his military career as a leatherneck and ended it as a sailor is now enjoying civilian life after being honored with the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal last week.

The patriotic working dog’s life of service was recognized during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, presided over by Capt. John Hewitt. Two-dozen socially distanced servicemen and women saluted as Bob, after having a medal pinned onto his collar, walked into the sunset at the end of a leash. He will spend the rest of his years with Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Mike Hausmann, who was Bob’s former handler.

Local Businesses Prepare For Reopening Monday

The new order stated that some non-essential businesses could reopen while adhering to social distancing requirements announced Thursday.

The Columbia/Boone County reopening plan rules differ among businesses.

Matt Jenne, co-owner of Addison’s and Sophia’s restaurants said his employees are working hard to figure out exactly what this new order means for the restaurants, as the order allows restaurants to open dine-in services.

“There’s a lot involved in that we have to bring our staff back,” Jenne said. “We have to train our staff we have to figure out who’s able to come back who’s not, who’s willing to come back, we want to make sure that we’re putting our staff in a position to make sure that they’re doing everything safely.”

The health department outlines occupancy limits for businesses in its reopening order:

• For smaller locations (less than 10,000 square feet), they must maintain 25% or less of the authorized occupancy.
• For larger locations (10,000 square feet or greater), they must maintain 10% or less of the authorized occupancy.

Employees at the facilities are not included in the percentage.

All three of Jenne’s restaurant locations are less than 10,000 square feet, enabling them hold 25% of the fire code capacity limit.

Jenne said that limit is between 40 and 60 people.

Jenne believes that social distancing will not be an issue even if that means allowing fewer people than the capacity inside the restaurants at once.

Addison’s and Sophia’s customers that plan to dine-in will be asked to follow some guidelines for dine-in services.

“We’re going to want to have sanitizer stations set up so that you can sanitize your hands,” Jenne said. “We’re going to provide them with either they can look on their mobile device to go to our website to find our menu or will provide them with disposable paper menus.”

Jenne hopes to open all three locations by Monday but that may not be accomplished due to all the requirements that need to be figured out.

Another business that has been able to remain open as it is considered an essential business is Lizzi’s and Rocco’s Natural Pet Market, but there were a few of its services that were forced to close.

Jessica Schlosser, Lizzi’s and Rocco’s Natural Pet Market Owner, said the business has provided its customers with curbside pick up options, but many people eagerly await another service of theirs to reopen on Monday.

Schlosser said come Monday services like grooming, self-service dog wash and dog training classes will open back up.

Between the two locations, Schlosser said employees have fielded at least 40 phone calls a day from people wanting grooming services.

Schlosser said scheduling already started for next week’s reopening and she anticipates that her groomers will be incredibly busy for the next few weeks.

Schlosser said originally grooming was a service that was allowed to stay open during Columbia and Boone County’s initial stay-at-home order, but after a week the health department said to cease all non-essential functions in the stores.

This meant all grooming and self-service dog washes stopped until officials lifted those restrictions.

Schlosser said how Lizzi’s and Rocco’s conducts grooming would have complied with the original stay-at-home order.

“We have one groomer in a room,” Schlosser said. “They don’t actually really interact with each other they worked themselves and we disinfect between every dog.”

Schlosser said come Monday when Lizzo’s and Rocco’s reopens extra precautions will be in place to keep both humans and pets safe.

“We are taking extra precautions with the entire store,” Schlosser said. “We’re making sure that we have hand sanitizer available at the front doors for customers, and probably throughout the stores as well but our groomers do an amazing job at sanitizing between every dog anyway and so we just plan on keeping up with that.”

Schlosser asks everyone to be patient during the first few weeks as some grooming appointments have already been made for next week and groomers everywhere will be at high demand.

 

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Veteran Hospitalized, Service Dog Gets Care From County

 

 

The Department of Animal Services in Riverside County picked up a service dog for temporary county care on Thursday after her owner was diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized.

The dog’s owner was admitted to a hospital in Ontario, but later transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center. The service dog couldn’t join its owner in the new hospital, so animal services officer John Hergenreder was called to the Ontario hospital to pick up the service dog.

Animal Services took the 7-year-old female Shepard mix and put her in a kennel at the City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley. A Youtube video posted by the Department of Animal Services shows the dog comfortably taken care of until she is able to return to her owner.

According to Animal Services Director Julie Bank, the department had already planned out the procedures for this type of situation and was well-equipped.

“We were already prepared to handle situations, such as this, by creating kennel spaces specifically designated for COVID-19 patients’ pets,” Bank said. “Our team members are also following strict guidelines to stay safe with personal protection equipment.”

The dog’s owner is 70 years old and does not seem to have any family members in the area. The man applied with the Riverside County Animal Services for a service tag in 2018. He is also a veteran.

“He served our country and we take pride in serving him in his time of need,” Bank said. “We certainly hope that he can fight this virus successfully. We look forward to the day he can reunited with his beloved dog.”

Legal Rights When Living In A Condo With Your Emotional-Support Animal

In British Columbia, the Strata Property Act governs the relations between stratas and their owners/tenants. This law says very little about what a strata may or may not do in relation to pets. All it says is that if you live with a pet in a condominium at the time a pet prohibition/restriction is passed, you and your pet will be “grandfathered”.

Common problems between stratas and owners/tenants include demands to remove pets by a certain date, owners/tenants being targeted because of the size or breed of their dog (especially “pit bulls”), and certain pet owners being picked on while other pet owners in the building are left alone.

An increasing number of disputes are about the keeping of emotional-support animals when the bylaws restrict or prohibit animals.

Section 8 of the B.C. Human Rights Code prohibits stratas from enforcing or applying their bylaws in a way that discriminates against a person based on, among other things, a disability.

In a recent decision of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, the tribunal clarified the law correctly and progressively when it ruled in favour of a young girl to keep her emotional-support dog despite the strata bylaws containing a pet prohibition.

It is up to the person claiming the disability to prove that (a) they have a disability, and that (b) not having her companion animal would have a negative effect on her because of that disability.

In order to prove a disability, it is critical to have a doctor’s report confirming the disability and explaining what that disability entails. The individual’s own testimony about their disability is also considered.

It is also critical to have a doctor’s report that confirms that keeping the emotional-support animal can, and does, improve the individual’s disability. It is also a good idea to have the doctor explain how the animal helps with the disability—for instance, reducing stress or blood pressure. The individual’s testimony about how important the animal is to them is also important.

It is then up to the strata to raise a defence that shows there is a reasonable justification to impose the pet prohibition despite any negative impact on the individual.

The bad news is that pets are still considered chattel (i.e., property). The good news is that even though pets are “property”, tribunals and courts are recognizing that pets are a special kind of property.

In the context of condominium living, courts have recognized that the law and societal attitudes have evolved to give rise to new concepts as to what are reasonable rules for community living and to a greater appreciation as to how pets can appropriately fit into a closely knit community.

Some people believe that they are entitled to buy into a pet-free environment and that it is reasonable to expect every purchaser to obey those rules, including a rule that prohibits pets entirely.

Courts have recognized that life, particularly in today’s society, is not always that simple. There may be changes in circumstances of unit owners in which it might be reasonable for them to keep a pet. A person becomes older and may lose a spouse and, for the first time in his life, begins to live alone. Should that person be forced to give up his condominium if he tries to avoid depression or loneliness by acquiring a four-legged companion?

Or a unit owner may have an accident or illness and becomes housebound or wheelchair-bound and, at that time, begins to feel a need for comfort that can be provided by a companion animal. Should this person be penalized for now having a companion animal?

Supporters of pet-prohibition bylaws also rely on the allergies argument (i.e., some people are allergic to pets). This argument can be met by reasonable restrictions rather than by an outright prohibition. This is particularly true where the ventilation system is a modern one that precludes the spread of antigens from one unit to another or when the animal has not interfered with the use or enjoyment of others in the condominium complex—all of which has been recognized by courts.

Another issue a person should consider when faced with a strata problem about their companion animal is whether the strata board followed its own bylaws when deciding what action to take against the pet owner. Review the bylaws to see what type of procedures the strata board must follow. Were minutes of the meeting taken? Was there the appropriate quorum when making the decision in relation to the “accused” pet? Was the vote recorded? Courts can strike down a strata’s decision based on procedural grounds, such as a strata board not abiding by its own bylaws.

Pet owners also wonder about meeting with the strata board to give their side of the story. Sometimes it is best to wait to be invited to speak to the strata board—either in writing or by attendance at a meeting. According to the Strata Property Act, a strata board must give the owner or tenant both the particulars of the complaint, in writing, and a reasonable opportunity to answer the complaint before imposing a fine or requiring a person to remedy a contravention (i.e., removal of a companion animal). Otherwise, a court may set aside the strata board’s decision.

The bottom line is that companion animals are part of the family. A strata owner and/or tenant should familiarize themselves with the strata bylaws before they move into the condominium.

If there is a total pet prohibition or a breed-specific restriction, consider whether moving into such a community would be the right fit for you and your beloved furry companion.

 

Pet Care Businesses

Before the pandemic, the pet-service industry had just come off a successful decade, doubling in size from 2007 to 2017. With adoptions high during stay-at-home order, Twin Cities pet businesses hope owners will resume their former habits as time goes on.

Dog walkers are mostly sidelined by people doing their own dog walking. Pet day care and overnight boarding needs have dried up as people are staying home.

Local pet-care services are feeling the pinch, but are being creative by expanding to offer new services and products to help them stay afloat until regulations to slow the spread of COVID-19 are lifted.

They are also preparing for a possible surge in new business as the economy begins to reopen, thanks to a recent increase in pet adoptions. Adoptions at the animal rescue organization Pet Haven are up 30% compared to this time last year.

Hardship periods in the past have led to more adoptions, said Sitania Kerkinni, co-owner of City Paws Pet Club. “Pets are a safe haven,” she said.

About half of the households in the Twin Cities metro have a pet, according to the 2017 American Housing Survey, on par with the national trend.

Before the pandemic, the pet-service industry had just come off a successful decade, doubling in size from 2007 to 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Pet care, excluding veterinary services, was a $5.8 billion industry that year.

Last year, there were about 2,800 people employed in pet-service industries in Minnesota, up 55% from four years earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 200 pet-care businesses, excluding veterinary services, were in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area during the first quarter of last year.

Before the March 28 stay-at-home order, Red Rover Pet Care used to take between 25 and 30 walks with pets a day. Recently, it’s gone down to about four.

To help offset a 60% decline in business, Come, Sit, Stay, a Twin Cities pet-care business, is selling cat-themed work-from-home shirts on its website.

City Paws Pet Club, based in downtown Minneapolis, has had a drop-off in clients using its boarding kennel program and had a large reduction in its day-care service. Many clients have paused their memberships due to financial hardships.

To make up for lost business, City Paws is developing a personalized training and behavior modification program to make up for lost business. The program will be rolled out after the government stay-at-home order is lifted, and down the road, the business hopes to expand into group classes as well.

Some businesses, like K9SF Dog Training, are continuing their services by offering video-training sessions.

Customers have been stepping up to help these businesses, with some buying gift cards to use once they go back to work. Others are continuing to use dog-walking services, even if they may not need it.

“Clients want us to stay in business. It’s humbling the support we have gotten from our community,” said Rose Schoen, owner of Red Rover Pet Care.

St. Paul resident Barbra Banks now works from home and no longer needs dog-walking services, but she continues to pay Schoen. “For as long as I can afford it, I plan on still paying her even if I’m not getting any service,” Banks said. “I care about her and her business and want to do what I can to make sure her business continues.”

As a result, Schoen has been able to keep paying her employees, which gives her peace of mind knowing they can pay for rent and groceries.

Come, Sit, Stay has been having employees take virtual-training classes to ensure they are still working, even if regular business is down. Owner Megan Sellheim said some customers are medical professionals or business owners and they said it’s important to them that the business stay open to provide service while they are at work.

As these businesses continue to operate, they are adjusting to new recommendations and regulations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended this week that cats, dogs and other animals social distance, after a small number of animals tested positive for COVID-19.

Come, Sit, Stay is no longer bringing dogs to dog parks or other crowded areas because of these recommendations.

People had been thinking about adopting a pet before, but the pandemic has been an opportunity for people to decide they are ready to adopt, said Kerry D’Amato, executive director for Pet Haven.

She said they are ensuring people who are adopting have a plan for how to continue supporting their new pets after they return to work and restrictions are lifted.

Besides adoptions, there has also been a jump in fostering animals at Pet Haven, with more than 300 applications for volunteering and fostering last months compared with the normal 10 to 20 a month.

“We’ve not had this before, not with such great demand,” D’Amato said.

The organization has been bringing in animals from shelters around the state to be fostered here.

While Pet Haven remains open, the Animal Humane Society temporarily stopped doing adoptions last month to protect the public and staff from COVID-19. As they were preparing to close, there was an increase in people wanting to adopt. This helped the Humane Society find a home for most of their animals before halting operations.

On one of the last days adoption was available, 90 of the 250 animals still at the shelter were adopted. Typically, about 10% of animals are adopted on a good day.

Service Dogs Adjust To Social Distancing

Wednesday is International Guide Dog Day, and the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind said the coronavirus pandemic has created some unexpected challenges.

“It can’t really be put into words how life-changing (the dogs) are, but they really just help break down boundaries and living life with very few limits,” said Samantha Embrico-Custer.

Embrico-Custer and her guide dog, Leo, have been having some couch time. Like most people these days, she’s working from home.

“It has definitely been really strange because he obviously has no clue what’s going on, so he just is navigating as he always would,” Embrico-Custer said.

Embrico-Custer, who is legally blind, works at a university in Philadelphia and teaches dance. She said not being on the move all the time is strange for Leo.

“He’s used to the routine where we’re constantly going for traveling to work, and we’re not really getting around work or taking public transit, so he has a lot of time to be stimulated,” Embrico-Custer said.

She said the pandemic has created a situation service dogs aren’t trained for: They don’t know how to social distance and they don’t know how to wait in line outside of stores.

“The way that I navigate is by telling him to find the front door. And so he’s going to try to get me inside, he’s not going to know to get in line behind the person standing outside,” Embrico-Custer said. “And also navigating through a store, he’s not going to know to stay 6 feet away from someone, so that could be a little stressful.”

Embrico-Custer said the best advice right now is if you see a service dog in action, let them do their job and have a little patience.

“Encouraging the general public to be understanding when they see a service dog, that that handler is entering a new situation and to just have patience with them,” Embrico-Custer said.

Therapy Dogs Provide Comfort

We could all benefit from a little therapy dog company while isolated during the coronavirus pandemic.

But Jackson, an 8-year-old golden retriever therapy dog for the Angel on a Leash organization, hasn’t been able to make his usual rounds to elderly care facilities and elementary schools.

Instead, his owner, Bob Wharton of Yardley, decided to make virtual visits.

“(Jackson) is loved in all of these places,” said Wharton, “how can I do something to keep him out there for the people? Because he does bring comfort to the people, and they like seeing him and so forth, and there are benefits to it.”

Wharton hosts online therapy sessions with Jackson through photos, video conferencing, and pre-recorded messages for kids and elderly.

“We send videos and we send pictures and we do things with the videos where we do some tricks or we do some obedience type things,” he added.

Wharton even wrote and illustrated a children’s book about Jackson, which was sent home to elementary schoolers to read with their families while quarantined.

Wharton and Jackson were recently recognized by the American Kennel Club for his efforts during the pandemic and awarded the 2020 Paw of Courage.

Students Get Virtual Pet Therapy