THE THERAPY DOG

My wife and I both have been doing therapy dog work for almost 15 years. We adopted a rescue dog probably 12 years or more ago. We’ve always rescued dogs, [but] Choppy, we decided, we would raise from a pup. So we got her from a small breeder in Minnesota, and she’s been a therapy dog now for going on three and a half, almost four years.

Temperament. I always tell people that any dog has the potential to be a therapy dog if they have the temperament. It’s also to do with the way the dog is raised. Once you get through your basic obedience training and they know their commands, their temperament will get them the other 80% of the way. A lot of times it’s just the ability to be able to have that interaction with the dog. When a child is in the exam chair, there are restrictions in mobility because they’re being examined. But I know that just the ability to touch the dog is a good way to distract them. We had one little girl coming in to have some fillings done. First time she was ever going to have fillings, so she was a real nervous, tentative patient. It probably would have been a very tearful appointment—she probably could’ve done it but would have been tearful. Instead, she breezed through the appointment, and I think the difference was having the dog to look forward to and to have that comfort there. To prepare our patients, we send a text blast. Anybody that’s going to be here at the time that Choppy is, they’ve already received a text saying “we’re going to have our therapy dog here.” If there’s someone who has an allergy or anything like that, we would try to make sure that we didn’t have them scheduled. We have enough room in the office in two different areas that we could easily keep them separated. We haven’t had anyone say they’re not going to come in that day, and we’ve had the kids be really excited about it, but if someone did have reservations we could pretty easily manage that. One of the things that we make sure we do is always ask first, “Would you like to see the dog?” or “Would you like to say hello?” Choppy’s very eager to interact, but I restrict her interactions with people until she’s invited. That’s very important because, especially to a small child, Choppy is a big dog. We have to take into consideration the comfort zone; some children might be anxious because of the visit and they don’t want to interact with the dog. The key is that you want the interaction to be natural. Ronald McDonald House. We’re beginning to work with going into the CoxHealth system. I’ll be going out to the Springfield
airport to talk to them about trying to set up a program there—I helped set up the program at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport. I’m working with the Red Cross and helping them set up their animal visitation program here in Springfield. She’s worked in Alzheimer’s units; we’ve been in prisons, mental health units, domestic violence shelters and K-12 schools.

ANIMAL EYE CONDITIONS

At least 2 billion people around the world have vision problems – but how do you know if and when your pet is struggling with its own eyesight? It’s a good question, especially in a year numbered 2020. Dr. Wendy Townsend, associate professor of ophthalmology in Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, has focused her career and research in veterinary medicine on diagnosing and treating eye conditions in animals. “The most common question I get is if we fit animals with glasses,” Dr. Townsend says. “While that’s not what we do, our goal is to help animals see better and improve their quality of life if they’re having issues.” Although her patients span a variety of species, her research is focused on a particular breed of dog that reigns as one of the most popular dog breeds in America: golden retrievers.  Golden retriever pigmentary uveitis is a disease almost exclusively found in purebred golden retrievers. It’s an inherited form of uveitis (inflammation of the uveal tract, which includes the iris). And though the disease is inherited, the onset and diagnosis usually occurs when the dogs are older.

The disease can often result in blindness due to cataracts and glaucoma, and there are no current methods to prevent or reverse it. Mild symptoms, such as redness and drainage, usually don’t appear until the dog is around eight years old and can progress to an advanced stage before dogs see a veterinarian, Dr. Townsend says. The disease affects about 10% of senior golden retrievers.

Dr. Townsend is leading a study that is trying to identify the gene that causes the disease. If the gene can be identified, the disease can be detected earlier, and breeders will be able to identify which of their dogs might be carriers and how they can keep the disease from being passed on to future generations.

“The problem breeders are facing right now is that even if they’re being responsible and making good decisions, they don’t know their dog is affected,” Dr. Townsend says. “They can be several generations down their pedigree before they know there’s a problem.”

Dr. Townsend grew up owning golden retrievers and was completing her residency in veterinary ophthalmology when the disease was first recognized.  “It was bizarre because nobody could understand why it was happening in this specific breed,” Dr. Townsend says. “But since I loved golden retrievers and had a passion for ophthalmology, it seemed like a natural fit.”

And although the disease presents itself primarily in purebred golden retrievers, Dr. Townsend explains that it can appear in some crossbreeds – especially Labrador and golden retriever crosses.  “That becomes a concern because Labrador and golden crosses are frequently used as seeing-eye dogs,” Dr. Townsend says.  “And because the disease doesn’t show symptoms until these dogs are older, they could be struggling with their own vision and you might not even know.”

That’s why Dr. Townsend says having dogs screened – especially service dogs – is critical.  “The earlier you can catch something, the better,” Dr. Townsend says. “That goes for all vision problems with any animal.”

As a veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Townsend says it’s not uncommon for her to see dogs from across the country affected by golden retriever pigmentary uveitis. In addition to those patients, she commonly sees animals with corneal ulcers (scratches on the eye), cataracts, and glaucoma. Her patients include mostly dogs, horses, and cats – but she also has treated penguins, tigers, and other exotic species.

And although she doesn’t fit animals with glasses, she has fitted a dog or two with contact lenses. They’re usually dogs that participate in agility and have trouble focusing or struggle with nearsightedness.

“Sometimes animals struggle with the same eye problems that people do. They’re just not as good at telling us when something is wrong,” Dr. Townsend says. She consistently encourages pet owners to be cognizant of their pets’ eye health for that very reason.

“Animals are good at compensating when something isn’t working right. So if one eye is bothering them, they’ll just rely more heavily on the other eye,” Dr. Townsend says. “And most of our pets don’t need to have super-sharp vision to lead normal everyday lives. But in some cases – like with dogs that participate in agility – being able to focus both near and far is important.”

As Dr. Townsend continues her mission to solve the mystery behind golden retriever pigmentary uveitis – in addition to seeing her patients – she hopes she can build some awareness around the field of ophthalmology. “The eye might be small, but it’s a powerful organ that we all use and it allows me to work across a wide variety of species,” Dr. Townsend explains. “I frequently have clients tell me, ‘I had no idea this was an option,’ or, ‘I didn’t know there were eye doctors for dogs.’ The impact this field can have on our patients and their quality of life can be significant.”

DOGS ENTERTAIN RESIDENTS

The Middletown Home Activities Staff has created ways to entertain residents while adhering to the CDC safety guidelines.

A recent surprise for residents was a special visit from Rosie and Lenny, two horses that came to The Middletown Home and went window to window to visit each resident.

Lenox, “Lenny,” is a rescue horse owned by Samantha Horn. And Rosie, once labeled an untameable mustang, is owned by Olivia Bort who adopted her through the Bureau of Land Management. Both Rosie and Lenny live at Justamere Farm in Middletown. The Middletown Home also hosted a Puppy Parade featuring three service dogs from Susquehanna Service Dogs who visited residents at their windows. Residents were visited by Safari, an eleven-month-old golden retriever; Guinness, a year and a half old black lab; and Blanche, the Middletown Home’s Facility Dog, a five-year-old golden retriever.

The Middletown Home started a Family Video Call program to help connect residents with their families. The facility says residents’ faces light up when they see their family members on the screen talking with them, sharing stories, and asking them about their day.

They have also been keeping busy with activity packets which include word searches, crossword puzzles, poems, stories, coloring pages, and much more. Pastors have also been meeting with residents daily and spending time with them, talking and reflecting on truths and encouragements found in the Bible.

“We hope that this quarantine will be over soon, but we certainly have learned a lot about the strength there is in community, the importance of connection, and the love that can overcome any distance,” says Louis Vogel, III, Chief Executive Officer at the Middletown Home.

GLOBAL DOG TRAINING SERVICES

The research report on the global Dog Training Services market offers an in-depth and extensive analysis that includes a complete view of the global market comprise the recent trend as well as the future amplitude of the global market with respect to service & products. In addition, the Dog Training Services market report offers an overview of the Dog Training Services market with the comprehensive segmentation by end-user, type, application, as well as region through the complete traction analysis of the overall Dog Training Services market. Moreover, the Dog Training Services report offers qualified research about the market to assess the major vendors by combining all the related products and services to know the positions of the leading market players in the Dog Training Services market. In addition, the global Dog Training Services market also offers a comprehensive analysis of the cutting-edge study of the competitors as well as emerging market trends with the market drivers, challenges, restraints, and opportunities in the Dog Training Services market to provide accurate insights and recent scenario for the precise decisions. Moreover, this research report offers a complete analysis of the top players in the global market with comprehensive SWOT analysis, key developments, as well as a financial overview of the Dog Training Services market. The ‘keyword’ report also provides a precise outlook of the Dog Training Services market with the help of the competitive landscape of the major players and aids the companies to gain the revenue by knowing the growth approaches. Furthermore, the Dog Training Services report is designed with qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Dog Training Services market. The report offers an estimation of market forecast and market segmentation according to regions such as Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and MEA. In addition, the report emphasizes the extensive PEST analysis and comprehensive market dynamics over the forecast period. The report comprises major findings as well as recommendations highlights and significant market trends in the Dog Training Services market, thus enabling market players to design efficient strategies to gain market revenue.

NEW COMFORT K-9

Officials with the Williston Police Department announced the addition of a new comfort K-9 this week — Duke.

After joining the department on May 3, he will be its only service dog and will be overseen by an officer. Duke was donated from Boonefield Labradors in New Hampshire.

The puppy will have to undergo a series of training exercises before he will become officially certified, however the department said it will provide updates of his progress along the way.

K9 Duke was very generously donated to our department by Boonefield Labradors to work as a Comfort Dog, and after he’s gone through his training will be a certified therapy dog. He’s got a lot of training ahead of him, but we’re super excited to share his journey with you. He has his own page K9 Duke VT where can you follow him, but he will also be featured on our page from time to time. 

PAWS FOR PETS

PET ADOPTIONS IMPACTED BY COVID-19

People have shown an increased interest in fostering rescue animals since COVID-19 has prompted many to stay at home.

Deann Shepherd is the director of marketing and communications at The Humane Society of Utah, a private nonprofit located in Murray. She said so many people have applied to take in an animal that the Humane Society had to start referring them to other shelter rescues. Her group is a private nonprofit located in Murray.

The foster program focuses on placing animals into a healthy home environment and is ideal for animals who are recovering from an illness, taking medication or going through post-surgery recovery.

“The shelter is not a place to house animals for a long time. They’re at risk for being exposed to illness or behavioral decline,” Shepherd said. “Our foster department is vital to getting them in a home environment where they can rest, recover and grow.”

Lisa Dixon is a BYU senior graduating this month from the School of Family Life. She and her husband, Bradley Dixon, recently adopted their foster cat, Zamboni, from the Best Friends Animal Society in Salt Lake City.

“Our foster ‘failure’ as we call her, is named Zamboni because my husband and I really love hockey,” Dixon said. 

The term “foster failure” is used to describe animals that are originally taken in as fosters and turned into adoptions. Zamboni was taken in as a foster alongside another cat named Sassy.

“As soon as Zamboni got acclimated to our home, we knew we wanted to adopt her because of how playful and chill she was,” Dixon said. “In regard to the other cat they gave us, Sassy, she ended up not getting along with Zamboni, so we actually had to take her back.”

Dixon said fostering is great because it gives the potential owner a “test run” before committing to an adoption.

Having Zamboni while being in self-isolation has benefitted Dixon’s mental health and emotional well-being.

“I think the whole ‘emotional support animal’ deal has been kind of made fun of and trashed in the media lately, but think of how much joy it brings you when you see a dog or cat?” Dixon said. “I personally have really bad anxiety, and with everything basically hitting the fan in recent weeks because of the pandemic, having a pet to refocus my attention to has been extremely beneficial.”

Not all animals have been as lucky as Zamboni in finding a permanent home. According to Shepherd, the number of pet adoptions have decreased since the onset of the pandemic.

“The one thing that has affected us with the pandemic is needing to be socially distant, which means we can’t allow people in our facility,” Shepherd said. “We’ve had to go to appointment-only services.”

The Humane Society also had to cut down their selection of available animals because so many were unable to meet the requirements for adoption. According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), “dogs and cats must be sterilized before adoption, or adopters must enter into a sterilization agreement.”

Since the governor’s order to preserve personal protective equipment (PPE), the Humane Society has not been able to do elective spay and neuter for animals in the community.

“It’s definitely hurt the animal welfare industry because we’re generally used to helping hundreds of animals a week,” Shepherd said. “We’re just not able to take in those animals and do those services.”

Salt Lake County Animal Services has also experienced drawbacks but has been able to continue functioning because of the community support it has received. Callista Pearson, the organization’s marketing and development manager, said the shelter has been operating at almost full capacity despite all the changes to their procedures and protocol.

“Since March 13, 91 pets have been returned to their owners, we’ve adopted out over 50 pets, we currently have 80 pets in foster homes and over 100 animals have been sent to rescues where they will be adopted out,” Pearson said. “The outpouring of support from our community whether it be fostering or sending enrichment supplies for the pets living in the shelter has been amazing.”

While adoptions are limited, they are still happening. Interested individuals can start by calling their local animal shelter or going online to view a list of available animals and filling out an adoption profile.

Dixon has enjoyed the company of her adopted cat but also wants potential fosters and pet owners to be prepared to take on extra responsibilities like cleaning the litter pan, feeding the animals and making sure they get sunlight and exercise.

“In my opinion, the benefits definitely outweigh the not-so-glamorous aspects of owning a pet,” Dixon said. She also advised people to be open-minded about the type of pets they’ll be taking into their homes.

“Zamboni is a full-grown, two-year-old cat, which is not what I expected as my first pet with my husband,” Dixon said. “We, like most, wanted a kitten or puppy. But she needed a home and love, which is what we have given her.”

Reward offered for information on dog, wildlife poisonings

Wildlife officials continue to ask for the public’s help in solving a series of dog deaths that may be connected to the poisoning deaths of other dogs and wildlife.

• DNR reports another dog poisoning, may be connected to other cases

In this month alone, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said four dogs have died under similar circumstances. According wildlife officials, a 4-year-old yellow Labrador was with its owner when it suddenly died April 21 while recreating on U.S. Forest Service land in the Town of Alvin, Forest County. A 3-year-old German Shepherd died in the same area on April 1 while being walked on a leash.

There’s More To Muncie! PineAcre Kennels and Roo’s Holistic Pet Supplies

Muncie, IN—There’s More to Muncie! We have all heard that phrase by now on the radio and the special #MoreToMuncie campaign.

But what does that mean?

To Hailey Perkins and Amber Corduan, it means there is more to this community than you might see. There is a whole community of pet people that make Muncie an interesting, well-known, and diverse city!

For example, Pine Acre Kennels is one of the many hidden gems of Muncie. PineAcre has been a staple in Muncie for over 80 years now. We even found newspaper articles and advertisements from 1941 with information about PineAcre and its previous owners. Previously, Phil and Jane Gray owned PineAcres for 27 years. In 2007, Amber Corduan bought the kennel and has owned it since, joined in 2014 by Hailey Perkins. The kennel offers boarding, grooming, daycare, behavioral training, and nutritional guidance.

The property is located just out of city limits on County Road 400 North, behind Carrington Woods. They have 5 completely fenced in yards, all with security runs and 6 foot fencing, and smaller areas for the little guys! The kennel buildings were built with indoor/outdoor runs that offer the boarding pets their own private area both inside and outside with daily playtime in the yards alone or with others in daycare. The best part – the owners live on site! Peace of mind is a huge deal when trusting your pet with someone and having a house right there provides that. Multiple security features are used as well, with immediate fire response and security cameras.

Hailey and Amber have both been extremely involved in the pet community with the business and on their own. Their own dogs participate in conformation (dog show), agility, rally, barn hunt, lure coursing, dock diving, and service dog work. In addition to these activities, they also volunteer with the Muncie Animal Care and Services to provide evaluations for dogs and training for those that need it, as well as for other pet rescues. Often times they take the shelter dogs home to work closely with them on manners, socialization, behavioral issues, and health issues. They also foster kittens during peak season, one summer specifically helping with over 57 kittens at one time! Boy, that was a lot of work!

The biggest passion for both owners is pet nutrition. In September of 2018, they took the plunge and opened Roo’s Holistic Pet Supplies in Lyndenbrook Plaza in Muncie. The sole purpose of opening this store was to provide nutritional guidance for people and their pets to help them live healthier, happier lives. Their biggest seller is the dog food Blackwood and the Systemic Yeast Kit from Nzymes. This combination has cured over 450 dogs right here in Muncie of their painful, constant skin issues, frequently labeled allergies.

Outside of Muncie they have consulted with and helped cure over 1000 dogs with these issues. They work hard to search for products and companies that are reputable and make great products. Most of this knowledge comes from Phil and Jane Gray and Linda Arnt with First Choice Naturals – another hidden gem right here in Muncie. The process of finding the right food and supplements is never just from hearsay and reading the bag, it comes from private food trials that they do themselves with real clients that show real results. They have advocated against grain free foods for over 12 years even before the recent DCM issues, using the science of nutrition to point out some of the consequences that these diets would have.

They participate in many seminars, classes, educational experiences, and work directly with food companies to find and produce the best products for pets. The future goal of the store is to partner with veterinarians in the area to help provide great service. When customers trust Roo’s because of the great results, they ask for recommendations for other pet care. Hailey and Amber want to be able to partner with reputable veterinarians here in Muncie so their clients have a safe place to go and get great care for their animals. Vet care is extremely important for the wellbeing of our pets, but many people feel weary of trusting anyone when they have had such bad skin issues or other health issues and have gotten no results. By partnering together, Roo’s and veterinarians can break the cycle and work together to make pets healthier!

Breaking through the monotonous routine of health care is always a challenge and they are working hard to do just that. Currently, they work with veterinarians all over the country, consulting on especially complicated nutritional cases and working to help pets. Often times, they take in dogs from all over the United States to treat for horrible systemic yeast cases, as well as treating cases from right here in the Muncie shelter. Again, the goal is to help pet owners give their pets a happier, healthier life.

In addition to nutritional guidance, they also help pet owners understand their pets mental and physical needs, encouraging appropriate exercise and mental stimulation with toys, slow feeders, games, and other great activities. The other staple at Roo’s is selling raw dog food from reputable brands like Answers, Steve’s, Primal, Smallbatch, and other great brands. They have helped many pet owners get their pets on a species appropriate diet to increase the health of their pets!

Neither Hailey or Amber grew up in Muncie, but both of them have made this town their home and love the community. They help put on a dog show every year at the Muncie Fair Grounds. They help teach classes with Paws Up Pups, an agility training facility in Muncie, and they volunteer and foster with numerous pet groups, including Muncie Animal Care and Services, ARF, Grateful Sanctuary, and Action for Animals, as well as starting their own rescue called Roo’s Relief.

PineAcre Kennels and Roo’s Holistic Pet Supplies both work hard to show the community that there is definitely More to Muncie.

Hawk Was Off To A Great Start—And Then Came Coronavirus

“You never know when you get a puppy,” Gosselin noted. “From the very beginning, Hawk has been so easy going and laid back. I hope the female will be the same. Hawk’s only challenge is that he has a sensitive stomach, so we have to feed him the $95-a-bag dog food.”

Everyone is looking forward to the time when we can return to some sort of normal, but for now, we have something to look forward to. Gosselin is working with Hawk and soon will be working with Scout as well, training them to become an important part of the community. We look forward to the day when we can meet these newest additions to the community in person.