Therapy Cats

Purina Cat Chow is on a mission to support the care and training of therapy cat teams, officials said in a statement. In this effort, the company has donated $30,000 to Pet Partners, a national nonprofit known for its therapy animal program.

According to a recent survey conducted by Purina Cat Chow, 85 percent of cat owners agree that they have had therapeutic benefits from their cats and that becoming a cat owner has improved their quality of life (86 percent). While three-fourths of cat owners agree that society does not understand the benefits of having a cat, nearly all (94 percent) agree that many people can benefit from spending time with cats.

Purina Cat Chow officials said that they recognize the benefits of cats as therapy animals and, like Pet Partners, wants to improve health and well-being through the human-animal bond, a mutually beneficial relationship that improves the physical, social and emotional lives of both animals and people who interact with them regularly.

“While most people tend to associate therapy animals with dogs, cats also provide a variety of mental and physiological benefits,” said Dr. Annie Valuska, Ph.D., senior pet behavior expert at Purina Cat Chow, a brand of Nestlé Purina PetCare in St. Louis. “Cat owners often have lower stress levels than non-pet owners, which can improve blood pressure and cardiovascular health over time. Cats can also boost our mental health, decreasing feelings of loneliness and increasing a sense of purpose.”

Purina Cat Chow’s recent survey confirmed that while most (94 percent) pet owners associate dogs with animal-assisted therapy, only 41 percent of pet owners associate cats with therapy animals. However, more people, especially cat owners, understand the special benefits cats provide, with 72 percent of cat owners believing cats could be effective therapy partners and 60 percent interested in learning more about how their cat could potentially improve others’ lives, according to the survey.

“For pet owners seeking to keep their therapy cats healthy and prepared to serve their communities, it is important to ensure their cats receive balanced nutrition, like that found in Purina Cat Chow, in addition to plenty of rest between visits,” Dr. Valuska said. “It’s also key for owners to keep the bond strong with their cats, prioritizing time for play and affection.”

As people spend more time at home with their cats, Purina Cat Chow and Pet Partners officials encourage cat owners to learn how to become a therapy animal team with your cat. Thanks in part to Purina Cat Chow’s donation, Pet Partners is offering online training courses and discounted registration of therapy cat teams, officials said.

“Cats and cat owners can give back without even having to leave their homes,” officials added. “Together, Cat Chow and Pet Partners are working to enhance the well-being of local communities with the help of cats.”

ESA Mauled Man On Flight

A man flying on Delta Airlines from Atlanta to San Diego says a fellow passenger’s emotional support dog mauled him on the airplane. The man, Marlin Jackson, is now accusing the airline of negligence and is suing both Delta and the dog owner.

Jackson said on a June 2017 flight, he approached his row and encountered a man in the middle seat with a large dog “attempting to sit on his lap.”

Support For Service Dogs

September is National Service Dog Month, a month to raise awareness, appreciation, and support for service dogs in the United States.

Edmond resident Lee Parker sustained a low spine and hip injury, which causes him to have limited mobility and pain. He applied for a service dog to receive help with practical everyday tasks so he could be more independent.

Lee received Service Dog Farley, a yellow Labrador/Golden Retriever cross, from Canine Companions for Independence. Lee spent two weeks at Canine Companions’ Southeast Regional Center in Irving, TX, completing an intense residential Team Training course where he was matched with Service Dog Farley. Farley has been professionally trained in over 40 commands and assists Lee by picking up dropped items, turning on and off lights, pushing buttons to open doors, opening and closing doors and drawers, and other tasks that will enable him to live a more independent life.

Though costs to breed, raise, train an assistance dog, and provide ongoing support to the team are estimated at $50,000, Canine Companions service dogs are provided free of charge to recipients.

“I never knew how wonderful a service dog could be, and change my altered life in such a positive way,” says Lee. “Farley and I became immediate friends while I was at Canine Companions and that bond has grown exponentially over the last year.”

“Farley stays right at my side with his full attention waiting to help me. He opens my lower drawers, turns my house light on/off, he is learning to assist me out of a chair and he retrieves my dropped items which is huge for me. Farley is a hit anywhere we go that people realize and understand he is a true service dog. What a companion I have, when I get in a crisis Farley has the most amazing deep bark that lets someone know I need help,” said Lee.

Lee and Farley make a perfect team!

Hiking Business For Dogs

One in three Americans’ employment has been affected by the pandemic and all of us are questioning our purpose as we face these unsettled times. Stories of professionals who have encountered an unexpected career pivot and landed in a better place can be a great source of inspiration. Recently I met the the talented and exuberant Lindsey Decker, founder of DogMa and learned about her journey from corporate marketing to entrepreneurship.

DogMa is a home boarding and hiking business for dogs, serving the pups in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area. Her story points to the fact that your side hustle can become your life’s work. One of the many amazing things I learned about her (and envy) is that she has run a successful business for years, without ever being on Zoom before our interview. Instead, she and her team spend their days running around Madison, WI in their decked out vans transporting and playing with dogs.

Lindsey graduated from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater with a degree in Communications and Journalism and worked in marketing across various industries, including pharmacology, hospitality and artisan cheese. Although there were some benefits to this chapter in her career, ultimately, she found herself dissatisfied because her passion was dogs, not corporate marketing.

Animals always had her heart and she grew up with dogs. Her father owned a golf course and she shared fond memories of a loyal companion chasing geese off the fairways. She was also the kid in the neighborhood who would pick up every lost dog and return them to her neighbors.

While Lindsey worked as a marketing professional, she was fostering dogs and offered a friend who frequently traveled to board her dog as well, in her home.  This friend encouraged her to take this passion for dogs and turn it into a livelihood, and her side hustle grew as she continued to work her day job.

Lindsey started her new business by getting an account with Rover, a dog walking service app, where she established connections in the local Madison area with dog owners who were potentially looking for pet care. Combined with the relationships she had made through her corporate marketing career and the rescue organizations, Lindsey’s network was established for her future business.

It occurred to Lindsey that she could build a better business for herself and didn’t need an app that took a percentage of her wages. Lindsey was then let go from her job in marketing, which served as a catalyst and a “wonderful” kick in the pants to get serious about her path. DogMa was born in 2012, thus transforming her side hustle into a full-time career.

Of course, the transition from the security of a corporate career to the uncertainty that often comes up with entrepreneurialism doesn’t come without its trepidations. Lindsey would have to replace her corporate salary with income dependent one the ebbs and flows of when people travel, while supporting herself and her daughter who was eight at the time.

It takes a tremendous amount of trust for someone to leave their dog in the hands of another. Lindsey’s process at DogMa is crafted with care and a genuine desire to ensure that every dog who comes through DogMa is treated as an extension of her own family. There’s an in-depth pre-screening process that correctly matches each dog with the right environment. They also provide “pupdates,” photos and videos sent to dog owners while they’re away.

Four years ago, Lindsey met, Craig Michaels her business and life partner, who had his own dog business called Doggy by Nature, he began in LA, providing a unique dog hiking experience. They merged hearts and businesses and now, DogMa provides group hiking for dogs that serves as a more nurturing alternative to dog daycare. The dogs explore, socialize and are trained on their 12-acre farm rather than spending the day inside.

Lindsey’s and Craig’s newest venture is to start a rescue service through DogMa’s 501C3, traveling throughout the country, creating relationships with shelters., and offering workshops on dog handling.

Like nearly every business, things changed when the pandemic hit. DogMa relies on families traveling for a good portion of her boarding business. And by April (an ordinarily busy season), all boarding bookings evaporated into thin air. Now that some of the lockdown restrictions have lifted, people are starting to travel a bit, but the length of stays are significantly shorter as most are doing shorter, more local trips for a few nights versus a two-week vacation. Fortunately, the dog hiking part of the business was steady during this time, a great reminder that even small companies should diversify their revenue streams to ensure against downturns.

For Lindsey, being an entrepreneur certainly comes with its challenges. There aren’t any actual days off. Even when she is “off,” she’s still checking emails, always responding to phone calls, and ensuring that everything at DogMa is running smoothly. But to her, it’s worth it since she was able to turn her passion into paid work.

I hope her story gives you the inspiration to spend time on creating a dream for work you love, and perhaps, putting some time into your own side hustle to get you started. If you are considering a career change, this pivot with purpose type assessment may be useful.

Feeding For Success

ESA’s Help Students

Owning pets while in college differs for everyone. While on-campus residence halls only allow certified emotional support animals, most apartment complexes and housing near campus allow any type of pet if the resident pays a certain fee.

Since pets aren’t allowed in residence halls, students can apply to have an Emotional Support Animal with them through the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation.

Anna Shaw, assistant director of OALA, said within the last few years, there has been an increase in requests for ESAs across U.S. universities.

“Currently, I think there are five animals in the dorms,” Shaw said.

Shaw said while service animals work for people who have a disability and are allowed to go with them anywhere, Emotional Support Animals are only allowed in residential housing.

“After they have been approved by our office, the approval goes to Tiffany Lowe, who is the director of Living and Learning, and she has to sign off on it as well,” Shaw said. “The students will need to provide appropriate medical documentation.”

The documentation must show the history of the pet working with the student and prove because of their psychological diagnosis, an ESA is something that the doctor recommends.

Dae Vasek, director of OALA, said after contacting the office of Living and Learning, the residence hall must contact the roommates of the individual requesting the ESA as well as contact the other residents in the hall.

“We have run into a situation where a student is allergic to cats and can’t be on the same hall as someone with a cat,” Vasek said. “Or they have a fear of animals, a fear of dogs.”

They then have to decide if they need to move anyone. Vet paperwork, shot records and proof of liability insurance for the pet are also required.

“The animal also needs to be spayed or neutered, and a lot of students requesting, they just got a puppy and the puppy’s too young to be spay-neutered or they don’t want the animal to be spay-neutered.” Shaw said. “Those requests are denied.”

A weight limit of 50 pounds is also set to prevent large dogs from living in residence halls.

“There are always exceptions, but we try to stay within 50 pounds or less, as far as weight goes,” Vasek said. “That’s really for the health and safety of the animal too.”

She said because Baylor is a private university, it has its own process that may look different from public universities.

If a student brings in an unapproved animal, they may be denied future ESA requests. However, once a student finds a place to live off campus after their freshman year, pet restrictions loosen depending on what lease a student decides to take up.

PTSD Service Dogs

Science has shown that service dogs can benefit some veterans with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). But the exact role they play in the day-to-day lives of veterans—and the helpfulness of the tasks they perform—is less clear.

The new study explores what trained tasks service dogs perform the most often and which ones are the most helpful to veterans with PTSD.

“There has been some debate on what kind of training PTSD service dogs need to be effective and how their assistance may be different than what a pet dog can provide,” says Kerri Rodriguez, a human-animal interaction graduate student at Purdue University and a lead author of the study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. “This study suggests that veterans are, in fact, using and benefiting from the specific trained tasks, which sets these dogs apart from pet dogs or emotional support dogs.”

‘The study, conducted in conjunction with K9s For Warriors, is preparation for an ongoing large-scale clinical trial studying veterans with and without service dogs over an extended period of time.

The findings show, on average, the dog’s training to both alert the veteran to any increasing anxiety and provide physical contact during anxiety episodes is the most important and the most often used in a typical day. Veterans with a service dog also rated all of the service dog’s trained tasks as “moderately” to “quite a bit” important for their PTSD.

Some trained tasks include picking up on cues veterans display when experiencing distress or anxiety and consequently nudging, pawing, or licking them to encourage the veteran to focus on the dog. Trainers also teach the service dogs to notice when veterans experience anxiety at night and will actively wake the person up from nightmares.

The dogs also learn to perform tasks in public—such as looking the opposite way in a crowded room or store to provide a sense of security for the veteran.

Veterans use trained service dog tasks an average 3.16 times per day, with individual tasks ranging from an average of 1.36 to 5.05 times per day.

Previous research stressed the importance of the bond between a service dog and the veteran when considering untrained behaviors. Although veterans report all trained tasks to be important for their PTSD, those with a service dog actually rated the importance of untrained behaviors higher than the importance of trained tasks.

This suggests some therapeutic aspects of the service dog’s companionship help just as much, if not more, than the dog’s trained tasks, Rodriguez says. “These service dogs offer valuable companionship, provide joy and happiness, and add structure and routine to veterans’ lives that are likely very important for veterans’ PTSD.”

The study surveyed 216 veterans from K9s For Warriors, including 134 with a service dog and 82 on the waitlist. The study complements a previous study published last year that focused specifically on the service dogs’ training, behavior, and the human-animal bond.

While veterans reported service dogs help cope with a number of specific PTSD symptoms such as having nightmares, experiencing flashbacks, or being hyperaware in public, they did not help in other areas, such as amnesia and risk-taking.

“Both this research, as well as other related studies on PTSD service dogs, suggest that service dogs are not a standalone cure for PTSD,” says Maggie O’Haire, associate professor of human-animal interaction. “Rather, there appear to be specific areas of veterans’ lives that a PTSD service dog can help as a complementary intervention to other evidence-based treatments for PTSD.”

Veterans on the waitlist to receive a service dog expected the service dog’s trained tasks to be more important for their PTSD and used more frequently on a daily basis than what veterans who already had a service dog reported.

“Veterans on the waitlist may have higher expectations for a future PTSD service dog because of feelings of hope and excitement, which may not necessarily be a bad thing,” Rodriguez says. “However, it is important for mental health professionals to encourage realistic expectations to veterans who are considering getting a PTSD service dog of their own.”

Retriever Helps Firefighters

Firefighters battling wildfires in Northern California have an unusual friend to help keep their spirits up.

Her name is Kerith. She is a two-year-old golden retriever who recently returned home to San Rafael after working the Creek Fire near Fresno.

Before that, Kerith and her owner were up at the Woodward Fire near Pt. Reyes displaying her special talent for helping front-line firefighters cope through these hard times.

“You go through a dark smoky day where you don’t get to see any sunlight. It’s people’s worst days. Kerith shows up with that sunlight. It really rubs off,” says San Rafael fire engineer Jimmy Alvarez.

Kerith is a licensed therapy dog. She started going to hospitals, then fire stations. Now Cal Fire calls and requests her to come to base camps where firefighters have firefighters are coming back from or heading to the fire lines.

“It just gives them a chance to be present in the now and not think about all the stress they are about to endure while they are fighting the fires,” says Kerith’s owner Heidi Carman.

Kerith was first trained as a guide dog for the blind. But her skill set seemed to lean more toward therapy.

Carman says Kerith has a certain knack even other friendly dogs don’t quite possess.

“She knows how to be quiet and present with someone who is having a hard day. And she will just sit with them and let them be with her,” says Carman.

That seems to be a morale booster for firefighters.

“She does this thing where sits down, especially with firefighters, she’ll sit on their feet, flip her head and look straight into the firefighter’s eyes. Numerous times the firefighter will say, ‘Kerith is looking into my soul,'” says Carman.

Kerith is taking a break from breathing all that smoke.  She and Carman are volunteers. But Carman says they will be back in action as soon as Cal Fire calls.

“It kind of reboots you. Charges those batteries. Reminding you there is still happiness out there,” says Alvarez.

Support Dog Helps Teach

Tess the classroom learning support dog has been attending The Quay School everyday for two-and-a-half years – helping teach up to 40 young people in class each day.

The 95lb, five-year-old Rottweiler seems an unlikely asset but since joining the school, Tess has become a valued member of staff and a classroom boon.

Tess has been in the care of The Quay School’s numeracy curriculum leader Erin Jones, since she was just nine weeks old.

And while she helps teach in all classes, Tess has a particular penchant for maths.

“She has always been a special dog,” said Erin. “She was placid and gentle from the age of nine weeks. She adores children and seems to sense anxiety and nervousness and wants to support those around her. If my own children were upset she would be near them to calm them.”

Erin said: “Tess is The Quay School learning dog and is used to provide therapy to all young people within the school. The value of pet ‘therapy’ is widely accepted as a powerful aid to stimulation and communication.

“Studies have shown that the presence of companion animals can improve the well-being of student and lower the rate of anxiety, simply by making the environment happier, more enjoyable and less forbidding.

“She encourages active participation in class and supports emotional well being of both young people and staff.” And the results speak for themselves.

Student Jayden said: “Tess helps me concentrate. Having a dog in the school gives the school a lot more benefits and makes us want to be here.”

Belles added: “You stroke her while you work for comfort and reassurance. Having a dog is the best thing. Tess has changed my perception of dogs, especially Rottweilers. ”

And Kieran said: “She is a conversation starter.”

Callum explained: “She helped me settle into the school when I started.”

Teacher Bryony Curtis-Turner said: “Tess calms people down and relaxes them.”

Tess was born in Winchester and has since been brought up in a family environment with four children and has been exposed and socialised in many situations.

Tess has had a litter of puppies, many of which have become or are due to become therapy or service dogs.

Assistant head Lee Wilkins said: “Tess has been a huge success since we started using her at school. She works across in multiple bases across the school working with a range of young people with complex needs.

“Tess is seen as one of the staff and was even mentioned as part of the feedback during our most recent OFSTED inspection. There is a real affection towards her particularly by the young people of the school.”

Paws For Ability

Life for a family in Greencastle, Franklin County has been changed, as they’ve welcomed their first service dog into their home.

They say it’s all thanks to the community who helped fundraise.

Back in 2017, abc27 brought you to the bingo fundraiser for the Woodruffs.

They were thrilled when they hit their $17,000 goal for a service dog, but they could’ve never imagined the difference Vargas would make as he entered their home, three years later.

The bond between Vargas and Jordan Woodruff is one you just have to see for yourself.

Eight-year-old Jordan is the happiest he’s ever been, now that Vargas is by his side. “He does great work for Jordan,” said Jeffrey Woodruff, Jordan’s brother. Jordan has autism.

“He’s an eloper,” said Jacqueline Woodruff, Jordan’s mom. “He will actually take off and run, and he (Vargas) is actually trained to find him. He can find him based on his cells, the dry cells that fall to the ground. He can actually track him.”

The two are attached at the hip, literally, whenever they’re out.

“If he tries to run away, we can just put Vargas in a down, and he will just sit there and Jordan won’t be able to go anywhere,” said Joshua Woodruff, Jordan’s other brother.

Jordan’s parents used to always have to physically hold onto him.

Now, they can enjoy the little things.

“Going out to eat was a thing that did not happen,” said Aaron Woodruff, Jordan’s dad. “Now we go pretty much every Sunday after church.”

They go every Sunday since the spring, which is when Vargas came into their lives.

The pup is a calming presence, who helps Jordan focus.

“Within days, Jordan was talking more,” said Aaron Woodruff.

“He fell in love with the dog, and the dog fell in love with him,” said Jacqueline Woodruff. “It was amazing.”

Jordan and Vargas have a new morning routine, as they head to school together.

They both love the bus.

Once Jordan gets on that bus, his parents are confident he’ll be noticed by kids at school in a positive way. They say Vargas broke the social barrier.

“It’s just amazing to see that, that someone sees my child,” said Jacqueline Woodruff.

“He’s not invisible any more,” said Aaron Woodruff.

The Woodruffs got Vargas through the nonprofit 4 Paws for Ability.