How do you say goodbye to a support animal when you need him the most?
NORWOOD, Mass. — Four-legged friends often help us through the hardest times in our lives and right now is no exception.
The power of a pet to put a smile on your face is especially true when it comes to kids. There’s just something truly special about a dog’s love and loyalty.
And they don’t come much more loyal than Monty the Labrador. Monty has been a loyal friend to the kids who have relied on him for support and comfort through the years at Learning solutions in Norwood, a social services agency that provides counseling, social behavior and executive function coaching, speech and applied behavioral analysis therapy to kids with social, emotional and developmental needs.
These days, Monty has spent his time on video chats with those kids to help them through these scary times.
“Our clients and kids are experiencing stress over the lack of structure [because of the Pandemic]. The changes to the routines and just their anxiety in general about when school will be back,” explained Monty’s handler and Learning Solutions founder Tracey Stoll.
Westwood third grader Ava Rooney suffers from anxiety, but Monty has been helping her manage her feelings.
“I feel calm and happy with Monty,” Ava explained.
Ava’s mom says she’s noticed Ava has become a lot more calm thanks to Monty.
“She was getting more comfortable in certain social situations,” her mother commented.
Monty also works with children with developmental disabilities and social, emotional and behavioral challenges, and went through extensive training to become NEADS certified. That stands for National Education for Assistance Dog Services.
But since the pandemic hit, Tracey noticed Monty wasn’t acting like himself.
Sadly, Monty, who is only 5 years old, was diagnosed with a rare genetic liver condition that is incurable.
So Monty and Tracey have spent the past week video chatting with all of Monty’s kids, to give each one a chance to say goodbye in his or her own way.
Saying goodbye to a pet is a tough lesson for any child but saying goodbye to a support animal during the uncertainty and stress of a pandemic seems cruel.
Monty’s love is something these kids will carry with them long after this is all over.
A Gofundme has been set up to help with Monty’s medical bills because Learning Solutions had already taken a hit from the pandemic before they were hit with the surprise vet bills.
Tracey says a lot of the kids have been asking if she will consider getting a new service dog when Monty is gone. She says she will when the time feels right.
Pantry offers helping hand for Pets
PETOSKEY — Food pantries and meal programs have been in the spotlight in recent weeks as Northern Michigan communities adjust to life under quarantine, but one Petoskey-area business owner wanted to make sure cats and dogs weren’t being left out.
Savannah Schlehuber, owner of Nakina & Ko. salon, opened a self-serve, curbside pet pantry in mid-March.
“We started to try to think of ways to help out our community,” Schlehuber said. “We actually specialize in using products that are cruelty-free and are not tested on animals. Having a helping hand to our furry friends was really natural.”
Schlehuber, who has two dogs at home, said she did not want families facing economic hardships to have to choose between feeding themselves or feeding their pets.
“Especially with families that have service dogs and emotional support dogs and that kind of thing,” she said. “With it being so close to our heart and so easy for us to implement, that’s kind of where we decided the curbside pet pantry would work.”
The pantry, located outside the salon at 210 Petoskey St. in downtown Petoskey, allows pet owners to access supplies anonymously and with ease. The pantry is open 24/7, and pet owners can simply take what they need.
However, as the weeks went by, Schlehuber said she saw many people making an effort to leave items for others.
“This was something that we stocked ourselves and then as we started telling people about it, they were starting to drop off food and stuff,” she said. “Then I started to see people that were buying an extra bag of dog food, cat food and then cat litter actually became a big need in the community, too. People have just been leaving what they can and taking what they need and it’s just been like a community self-serve area.”
Schlehuber added that Tractor Supply Co. in Petoskey has gotten involved and donated hundreds of pounds of dog food, cat food and cat litter to the pantry.
“Tractor Supply has been a big business partner with it,” Schlehuber said. “They just restocked again just (Monday) … That’s the only company that we have had reach out so far that has donated. Most of it has been community members.”
As word has spread about the pet pantry, Schlehuber said she has been getting messages expressing thanks, has seen people taking pictures or stopping by with their dogs during walks and sharing information about the pantry with others.
“They’re loving it. It’s got the element of just joy, especially when we’re talking about our pets. It’s something that is creating so many smiles,” she said. “It’s been a fun project.”
Senior project
D.O.G.S.: A Robotic Solution for Dog Waste Collection in a Service Dog Facility
Robert Collins, S.B. ’20, mechanical engineering
Collins partnered with The Service Dog Project, a service dog training facility in Ipswich, Mass., to develop a robot that is able to collect dog waste in a portion of the facility that is often used for dog training and exercise. His “Device fOr Gathering Stool” (D.O.G.S.) is a rover designed to move around the rough terrain of the facility, and includes a large scoop to collect waste and a payload base to store it. Collins also built a basic control system that uses an onboard Raspberry Pi computer to allow an operator to control the rover remotely. In addition, Collins showed how his rover could be made autonomous with the use of additional software and by fitting a camera and thermal imaging sensor to the rover. For Collins, the biggest challenge of the project was limiting the scope so he could realistically finish his work within the ES 100 time frame.
“I learned a great deal from this project. The project had a lot of electronic and software components that I didn’t have experience with. I had never built a robotic system like this from the ground up, so I had to do a lot of research and learn new things along the way,” he said. “In addition, the project was a great learning experience in project management and how to set realistic expectations and break up work into manageable chunks.”
Veterinary ophthalmologist researches treatment for pigmentary uveitis
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?
Dr. Wendy Townsend, associate professor of ophthalmology in Purdue University’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, has focused her career and research in veterinary medicine to diagnosing and treating eye conditions in animals.
“The most common question I get is if we fit animals with glasses,” 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 across a variety of different 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—which is defined as inflammation of the uveal tract. The uveal tract includes the iris or the colored part of the eye. 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, Townsend says. The disease affects about 10% of senior golden retrievers.
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,” Townsend says. “They can be several generations down their pedigree before they know there’s a problem.”
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,” 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, Townsend says, it can appear in some golden retriever crosses—especially Labrador and golden retriever crosses.
“That becomes a concern because Labrador and golden crosses are frequently used as seeing-eye dogs,” 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 Townsend says having dogs screened—especially service dogs—is critical.
“The earlier you can catch something, the better,” Townsend says. “That goes for all vision problems with any animal.”
As a veterinary ophthalmologist, 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 (or 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.
Although she doesn’t fit animals with glasses, she has fitted a dog or two with contact lenses; they’re usually dogs that perform 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,” Townsend says.
Townsend says she is always encouraging pet owners to be cognizant of their pets’ eye health for that very reason. Just because something isn’t blatantly obvious doesn’t mean their eyes are always in perfect health.
“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,” 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 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,” Townsend says. “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.”
Nonprofit Harley’s Hope Foundation helps pets
A local nonprofit, through its free food and delivery services, is helping to keep pets and pet owners together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harley’s Hope Foundation, in collaboration with Colorado Pet Pantry, is offering free cat and dog food and delivery services for residents of El Paso, Pueblo and Teller counties and their four-legged companions affected by COVID-19, be it directly or through income loss.
Since March 31, HHF has bought and collected about 6,000 pounds of pet food and supplies and has been distributing these items since April 2. To date, more than 3,500 pounds have been distributed to help care for 240 animals.
“We have more food in stock and are ready to deliver to people with pets in need. We plan to continue this service until fall as the people we serve are high-risk. We anticipate a fair percentage of them will not be ready to venture out even after the stay-at-home order is lifted,” said HHF Executive Director Cynthia Bullock.
Medication vouchers up to $150 toward purchasing medication for chronically ill pets also is being offered. Applicants must prove their financial hardship is due to COVID-19 and show a history of providing pet medication. Applications are available at harleys-hopefoundation.org/applicationforservices.html.
Because future pandemic waves are possible, HHF doesn’t want at-risk pet parents to feed their pets “people food” (and possibly deprive themselves) because they can’t leave their home. HHF has spoken with senior citizens and caretakers who have said they will continue to feed their pets out of their own food supply in order to ensure their companions don’t go hungry.
“We want to make sure that is not a choice our seniors and disabled individuals need to make,” Bullock said.
Bullock and her husband, David, founded HHF after cancer claimed their dog, Harley Jane. The couple realized many people don’t have the financial means to do everything they can for their pets.
HHF ensures low-income pet owners and their companion or service animals remain together when issues arise. HHF prevents at-risk animals from being surrendered or falling victim to euthanasia for treatable conditions and behaviors.
Through HHF the Bullocks honor Harley’s memory and help pets and owners deal with unexpected hardships.
“We realized how fortunate we were to afford major treatment when so many pet parents might be forced to euthanize for treatable conditions such as broken limbs, bladder stones, urinary blockages and certain traumas,” Bullock said.
Collectively, HHF programs have assisted more than 3,500 companion and service animals, thereby saving thousands of pet lives, Bullock said.
“Our most active program is financial assistance with life-saving veterinary care. We’ve also provided emergency foster care, assistance with training and periodic pet health clinics over the last decade,” Bullock said. “Since the pandemic and stay-at-home order, we’ve added emergency pet food assistance, providing no-contact deliveries of pet food, litter and other supplies to high-risk pet parents who must stay inside due to age or major health issues.”
According to Kim Brandon, volunteers play an integral role in assisting needy families and individuals. The human-animal bond is important and should be maintained during the pandemic, she said. “HHF helps pets and their people stay together during tough financial times,” said Brandon, who has been a volunteer since 2010.
Volunteers have been the heartbeat of HHF during the pandemic as many have driven more than 2,000 miles to deliver free pet food, Brandon said. Watching communities pull together to help others and their furry companions is the most rewarding aspect of her work, she said.
“They helped an elderly lady who was feeding her pets hot dogs because she was too scared to venture out of her home. Recently, they helped fund an emergency veterinary operation for a Husky, who’s ‘fur-mom’ was an unemployed first-responder who had tested positive for COVID-19. I am honored and proud to volunteer beside them,” Brandon said.
HHF is seeking emergency foster homes for pets whose owners may be affected by COVID-19. Anyone interested in fostering cats, dogs and other small pets can complete an application online at harleys-hope foundation. org.
The foundation is accepting donations of canned cat and dog food and cat litter. Arrange for pickup of these items by calling 495-6083. Leave a message and Cynthia Bullock will call back to arrange a pickup date and time.
A virtual wag, a window kiss
There is nothing like a big smooch, gentle touch or a wet nose nuzzle with a happy dog.
But social distancing rules, due to the impact of COVID-19, has created a barrier between those in need of canine therapy visits and those special pups that can give them a little TLC.
Recognizing the need for these services doesn’t stop, the nonprofit Canine Assisted Therapy has launched the TeleDog program to bring people and therapy dogs face to face, either virtually, or through window visits.
“We realized how this was going to impact us,” said Courtney Trzcinski, executive director and CEO of the Oakland Park-based organization.
Gary Sinise initiates free vet care for service and police dogs
Gary Sinise, known for his dedication to the welfare of human war veterans, began a new initiative in 2019 to provide service and police dogs with free veterinary care.
The Gary Sinise Foundation already helps veterans of wars and conflict. The foundation provides food and welfare to thousands of veterans, and has even installed ‘smart’ homes for vets who return from active service with life-limiting conditions.
Vets for vets
Sinise’s charity called ‘Veterinarians for Valour’ – begun in 2019 – aims to assist handlers and owners of service dogs with free vet care.
According to The Animal Rescue Site, Sinise has since teamed up with Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to bring the charity to life.
This element of the foundation supports K-9s that have been involved with the army, police and other first responders.
In order to provide the care, Sinise relies on public donations. It is hoped in time, and once the C-19 pandemic is over, a proper celebration of K-9 efforts may be enjoyed, and the work of the foundation more widely appreciated.
Veterans Day this year may not be the sort of affair it usually is, but the work of the foundation will continue unabated.
FORTUNA IS DENYING SERVICE ANIMALS INTO THE STORE,
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Dear Community;
Grocery Outlet in fortuna is denying service animals into the store but not lap dogs. I went in yesterday with my service animal and they told me I can’t have him in there and that he needs to be wearing a vest and they wanted to see his papers. No where in the ADA guidelines does it say that I have to show proof or provide visual evidence that he is in fact my service animal. He was well behaved and leashed by my side. The only way we could’ve been asked to leave the store is if he was disruptive or say not potty trained.
I called to speak to the manager and she asked me what my disability was which by law is not legal for her to do. However, I have severe social anxiety panic disorder and ptsd he is to help calm me. I am out of medication and is the only reason I ATTEMPTED to take him to go grocery shopping. Which I wasn’t able to do. The manager was dismissive, and I emailed corporate to no avail. But this business should know the legality of this which they denied my entrance with a legitimate service animal and I am almost certain it was based on his breed, again ADA has no breed restrictions on service animals. This should be brought to the attention of the public.
If you’d like to tell them that you also disagree you can call them at this number (707)725-7010. Hopefully after enough people say something they will have the proper education and training in dealing with ADA guidelines.
S.D. Rio Dell, Humboldt
His registration number is US-SAR-654259281
If you have dogs, this could be relevant to you.
If you have dogs, this could be relevant to you.
According to Dr. Gary Richter, one of the world’s top veterinarians, “Canine health, both here in America and around the world, is nowhere near where it should be,” says Dr. Richter. “And the #1 cause comes down to one thing: Nutrition.”
Teen with rare form of muscular dystrophy given drive-by birthday parade
HIGHLANDVILLE, Mo. The sirens that filled the quiet, dead-end residential road in Highlandville brought a smile to the face of Billy Scott. He didn’t know that all the noise was actually the front of a parade dedicated to him, but he knew something was up.
On his 15th birthday Billy was getting something most of us never experience. A surprise drive-by parade with police and fire department representatives as well as 35 cars of teachers, fellow students and community members who wanted to say they missed that smiling face at Spokane High School where Billy is a freshman dealing with life circumstances most students aren’t.
“He has a very rare form of muscular dystrophy,” explained Cassandra Bray, a teacher at Spokane High School who works with Billy. “He’s been confined to a chair since he was eight years-old. It’s affected his eyesight and his speech greatly.”
After moving from the Kansas City area this is Billy’s first year at the school but it’s obvious he’s made a lot of friends in a short time.
“He’s honestly just the cutest little boy ever,” said Spokane senior Jordyn Rollings. “And it’s his humor. He knows how to make someone laugh. He likes to make jokes about your mom!”
“He has this kind of sass to him,” added fellow senior Josie Jordan. “When we tease him or say anything funny to him, his comeback is always ‘Your mom!’ It’s a good time! He’s the most inspiring student we have at Spokane. He has so many opportunities to not be happy but he’s grateful for what he has and is really a special kid.”
“Whenever I’m annoyed or sad I always think about how Billy could be upset about his life but I’m upset over nothing,” added Spokane senior Jacy Bray. “He’s always wanting to do something to make you laugh and that’s so awesome about him.”
“I think that’s the reason he clicks so well with a lot of these people is that he sees himself as normal,” said Nick Hooper, a teacher at Spokane. “He doesn’t want anybody to see him as the disability kid.”
“He’s very approachable and knows how to make others feel good,” added Spokane teacher Timothy Burden. “One of the funny things he’ll do is when we’re in the hallways and he’s not doing what he wants to be doing, he’ll sense someone around him and yell ‘Help!’ in a very ominous tone so we have to explain to the person that this kid in a wheelchair is fooling around and really doesn’t need help.”
As the parade came by his house Billy couldn’t see the cars because he is legally blind, but he could hear the constant honks of love and support.
And that sense of humor was very evident.
When asked what he thought when he first heard the sirens?
“I thought I was going to juvie,” he said in referring to a juvenile detention center.
He got several gifts from girl students and lit up when his service dog “Bear” came by in one of the cars. The two later had a up-close reunion as “Bear” is only with Billy when he’s in school, so the two have been separated during the coronavirus pandemic.
When asked who he was more excited to see, his service dog or his female admirers?
“The girls,” he said with a smile, laughing when it was pointed out to him that “Bear” was right there next to him and could hear everything he was saying.
At a time when our world is devoid of hugs and high-fives, it’s at least nice to hear that the word “drive-by” can be referring to something positive and that a honk can mean just as much as a caress.
“He’ll talk about this forever,” said his mom Amanda. “This will be one of the greatest things that has ever happened.”
