Brave Army Dogs

A pair of army dogs, honoured with the army chief’s commendation card on Independence Day for their heroics, found a special mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, with the PM hailing them as “bravehearts” who performed their duties diligently to protect the country.

While Vida, a black Labrador, sniffed out landmines and grenades during a de-mining operation in Jammu and Kashmir and prevented army casualties; Sophie, a Cocker Spaniel from a bomb disposal unit, helped avert a tragedy by detecting explosives in Delhi, two army officials said. Their names and unique service numbers will be put up on roll-of-honour boards at their respective units.

Army dogs have contributed to a raft of successful operations during the last one year — they helped recover 30 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), played a key role in tracking and locating five terrorists who were later eliminated and facilitated the recovery of soldiers stuck in avalanches, the officials said.

“Our armed forces and security forces have many such brave dogs, who not only live for the country but also sacrifice themselves for the country. Such canines have played a very important role in thwarting numerous bomb blasts and terrorist conspiracies,” the PM said his in his monthly radio address, referring to the outstanding contribution of dogs to military service alongside soldiers.

Five Labradors were awarded commendation cards on Army Day 2020 for helping soldiers track down terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and sniffing out deadly explosives in the North-east last year. The army has more than 1,000 dogs trained for a variety of roles such as detecting mines and explosives, tracking, assault, infantry patrol, and search and rescue.

“Army dogs and their handlers perform dangerous tasks but they receive little attention. Many of them have been killed in the combat zone. The PM has thrust them into the limelight by highlighting their contribution in his address,” said a senior army officer, asking not to be named.

Mansi, a Labrador, was posthumously “mentioned in dispatches” (the highest honour that a dog can get in military service in India) four years ago for her role in a counter-infiltration operation in north Kashmir. Her handler, Bashir Ahmed War, was posthumously awarded Sena Medal for gallantry.

The army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) pioneered war dog training in India in the late 1950s. “RVC trained dogs are in demand in countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia. Also, South Africa, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Seychelles are getting their dog handlers trained in India,” the officials said.

In his address, the PM also talked about the gallant actions of Balaram, who detected explosives on the Amarnath Yatra route and Bhavana, who sniffed out an IED many years ago but was killed as terrorists managed to trigger the explosive.

“Two or three years ago in Bijapur, Chattisgarh, a sniffer dog Cracker of the CRPF also attained martyrdom in an IED blast. You might have seen a very moving scene on TV a few days ago in which the Beed Police were giving their canine colleague Rocky a final farewell with all due respect. Rocky had helped the police in solving over 300 cases,” the PM said. The PM said indigenous dog breeds such Mudhol Hound, Himachali Hound, Rajapalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai and Kombai were “fabulous,” cheaper to raise and better adapted to the Indian environment. He said the security forces were increasingly inducting these local breeds. The PM said, “The next time you think of raising a pet dog, consider bringing home one of these Indian breeds. At a time when Atmanirbhar Bharat is becoming a mantra of the people, how can any domain be left untouched by its influence?”

Stolen Service Dog

A Navy veteran says he is beside himself after his service dog in training was stolen earlier in the week.

Brett Hart is asking people in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood to keep an eye out for his dog Millie, a young brindle-colored Boxer with a chipped left front tooth. Hart says he got Millie from a homeless man just weeks ago after finding her in bad physical shape. He says he recently lost his previous service dog, and had already enrolled Millie in classes to become certified.

“I have PTSD and the dog keeps me mellow, keeps me in check. I just feel like I have to be a better person when I’m around the dog,” said Hart.

Hart says late Tuesday night, the man he bought the dog from approached him while he was walking near East 13th Avenue and North Logan Street, and wanted to see the dog. Hart says he offered to walk Millie down to the homeless camp nearby to allow them to see her. He says that’s when several people attacked him and ran off with Millie.

Hart filed a report with the Denver Police Department. He says the past few days without Millie have been difficult.

“It’s been horrible. I look over and there’s an empty food dish and everything else. It just makes me weak,” said Hart.

Hart says Millie also responds to the name “Audi.” He advises anyone who spots her, do not approach the people she’s with. Instead, call police.

Denver police do not have any suspect information to provide at this time.

Dog Training Business

Since the coronavirus pandemic started shutting down music venues, bars, and restaurants in March, local musicians have had to make some big adjustments in their lives. Katie Evans has made one of the biggest – starting her own business.

That’s not an easy thing to do in these uncertain times, but after working at PetSmart as a dog trainer for the last year and a half, the 32-year-old singer/songwriter had the knowledge to strike out on her own and deliver her services to the homes people are largely stuck in.

“At PetSmart, I taught puppy classes as well as advanced classes. There were also times I would have private sessions to work on dogs with behavior issues that may have been abused then adopted into a new family. A lot of times people get a dog and don’t realize how much work it would be, especially if they had a bad past. It’s externally rewarding when a dog ends up staying with the family instead of returned and possibly euthanized. Every dog is trainable with patience and consistency,” Evans said.

“I learned so much and made so many great relationships with pet parents and their dogs. I did have a few cases where, being in a store setting, I couldn’t train due to aggression, which is one reason why I wanted to go off on my own and do in-home training.”

With the store shut down, she used her time off to rework her training material and personalize it. “I was on furlough and also don’t feel safe being in public. I feel most people don’t want to either, another added benefit to my in-home training. I also offer virtual contactless basic puppy training classes online,” she noted. “I used to get hit up all the time online if I could train someone’s dog outside of PetSmart and legally I was unable to. The pandemic happened and it kind of just made sense to start doing it now.”

In addition to in-person training and online video chat sessions, Evans can assist with attention, impulse control, and leash walking, as well as dog walking and pet sitting. She also has a smart and faithful assistant – her 1-year-old mini Australian shepherd, Willow, who has been by her side since she was a puppy, the runt of the litter. “I got her to help me with my training and for that love that dogs give pet owners. She’s such a sweet girl. We did have a rough start when I first got her. We didn’t expect to have our life uprooted, but with moving around several places last summer, she did a great job adjusting. She’s a fast leaner and is going to help me save dogs and keep them happy in their homes,” Evans said.

“She thinks she is a human. She loves people – everyone. You walk in my house, you have a new best friend. She loves attention and to give kisses. She also loves food.”

Willow was a quick study, so she has been able to tag along with her human mom just about everywhere, even when she pushes her cuteness as far as it can go.

“In the beginning, she took amazingly to the basics. Currently we are working on jumping and reactions to stimulus. She’s only 1. I’m very lucky because for a 1-year-old puppy, I can leave my guitar cables around and other crap of mine and she won’t chew or eat anything, unless it’s garbage and food left behind. If I’m around, I can easily tell her ‘leave it’ or ‘drop it’ and redirect her, but if my eyes are not on her, she will totally try and push her luck. I’m a dog trainer, so you think it would be easier for me to train her, but have you seen that face?” she pointed out with a laugh.

Typically, Evans performs with her friend and fellow singer/songwriter Candi Vee as KANTIi. The duo recently moved to South Scranton together and, before the pandemic, booking gigs was relatively easy, whether it was four-hour cover sets or their original material. Five months into the pandemic, though, they haven’t been able to book anything, even with some businesses opening with limited capacity, so they’ve used that time to sharpen up their setlist and play a few live streams from home.

“It doesn’t give me the same joy as a stage with that raw energy. But, like my fellow musicians, it’s better to play to a rectangle, or an empty bar, than to nothing at all,” she admitted.

“I sit in my room sometimes and start to play, and it’s been so long that I feel empty. I have no outlet. It’s the same thing as not being able to attend a concert. Watching live stream shows of my favorite bands is super cool. I’m glad they are doing it, but it’s just not the same. I miss the pit, the smell of a smoke machine, the bass pounding in my chest.”

Evans has been playing music since she was 13 years old, first picking up the drums and then guitar. For Christmas, her mother bought her a keyboard that she has learned how to play, influenced by many different genres and artists.

“Right now, I’m working on piano parts for everything I’ve written. I may need to invest in a looper pedal… but I’ve also been eyeing up a keytar,” she said.

“KANTIi is currently made up of myself and Candi. We have friends that join us on stage to help fill the sound. We actually will be looking to get a permanent drummer. I would also love a violinist, so if anyone is interested, you can message me on Facebook under KANTIi.”

Evans recorded a solo EP at JL Studios in Olyphant in 2015, and she and Candi have since recorded one of their songs together called “Focus.”

“If anyone has gone to a NEPA Scene open mic, they have definitely heard it before. Our good friends in Kali Ma and the Garland of Arms not only recorded it for us, but their drummer Shiny [Montini] played the drums. We have some finishing touches to put on it still, but we hope to release it soon.”

They’re hoping to play more shows as a duo and a full band at some point this year, but with regulations continually changing, her “focus” now is on dog training.

Therapy Dogs Send Message

Social media stars Coco and Cici are used to helping people get well. When their own Dad contracted the coronavirus, they took to Instagram.

If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can’t persuade everybody to wear a face covering to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, maybe a pair of therapy dogs whose owner was hospitalized with COVID-19 will get the message across?

Coco and Cici, Maltese dogs and social media stars from Scottsdale, Arizona, used their popular Instagram page (which is named after Coco, though Cici makes regular appearances) to send an important message to their 285,000 followers. “Will bite those not wearing a mask” said the cardboard sign around Coco’s neck in the image posted on July 19.

Apart from being the cutest mask PSA ever, the post revealed that the dogs’ owner, Dennis (their “Daddy”), had been fighting COVID-19.The caption said, “Keep your distance, for real though. Today is day 16 that our Daddy has been in the ICU on a ventilator battling COVID-19. Unfortunately he took a turn yesterday and he needs our prayers and positive vibes.”

Police K-9 Mousse

An Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations recruit is making an immediate impact in the fight against cybercrime.

Mousse, a female chocolate Labrador retriever, joined the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force this spring after starting her life as a service dog with the national organization Paws With A Cause, according to a news release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Operation Underground Railroad, a nonprofit organization that assists in the rescue of human trafficking and sex trafficking victims, donated Mousse to the Iowa task force. She’s the state’s first electronic detection K-9 trained for field work at search warrant sites, according to the release, and spends her days sniffing out evidence such as SD cards, thumb drives, external hard drives, tablets and cell phones.

The agency says Mousse and her handler, Special Agent Mike McVey, play a key role in keeping children safe from sexual predators.

“She is an absolute vital tool, probably almost a necessity for every ICAC around the country to have at least one in their unit to use during warrants, especially on a search warrant conducted, and no evidence was found on scene,” said Nate McLaren special agent in charge.

McLaren said youth-related cybertips submitted to the task force have increased more than 1,200% from 2008 to through July 2020.

“Cybercrime tips reached all-time highs of 274 and 284 in the months of March and April, respectively, at a time when school-aged children were idled with the pandemic,” McLaren said in the news release. McLaren also noted that special agents reviewed more than 98,000 gigabytes of evidence alone in March 2020.  Mousse assisted in the execution of six search warrants in June and July that resulted in four arrests and the rescue of three children.

Mousse was introduced to the public on Thursday during an open house in Des Moines and demonstrated some of her skills, which include such a keen sense of smell that she can find electronic devices underwater. During the event, the task force also showed off its mobile digital forensics laboratory, a vehicle specially designed and equipped to provide its agents an on-site setting where they preview electronic evidence.

Relief For Dogs

Caring for animals has long been deeply important to Brittney Cook, who as a child would hold funerals for rodents that cats used to kill and leave outside her home.

Cook, 25, now looks to funnel that compassion into downtown Rochester with her first business, Transfurmations Dog Spa at 26 North Main St.

“I just want this to be somewhere people can bring their dogs and not be stressed out about it,” Cook said. “Dogs who have anxiety are close to my heart. I want to see them do well and grow and feel comfortable.”

Transfurmations opened Aug. 15 after three months of renovations at 26 North Main St., which was vacant.

Transfurmations’ services include full-service grooming, canine massage, skin masks, various treatments centered around holistic medicine and animal behavior.

Cook said she developed a love for pet grooming while she worked at Petco when she was 18. For the past several years, she had been apprenticing under Jennifer Batchelder at Batchelder’s the Grooming Shop By A Furry Affair in Concord.

“I learned so much from her,” Cook said. “I didn’t always want to be a dog groomer. I liked science and biology in school and thought that’s what I wanted to do, but it wasn’t for me. I found dog grooming and I thought this was something I want to do forever immediately. I love it.”

Cook said she chose downtown Rochester because she lives down the street and routinely walks her own dogs, a 7-year-old husky named Amani and a 1-year-old standard poodle named Roman, past the vacant 26 North Main St.

Despite the economic uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cook said she pushed forward and rented the space. “I’m really passionate about what I do,” she said. “I was determined to make it happen.”

Cook said she’s excited to be able to play a role in downtown’s revitalization and help build the community. She’s also excited about the potential opportunity that could come from the fact Transfurmations is next door to Luxe Hair Studio, which recently relocated to 22 North Main St. from Dover.

“You could take your dog here and get your spa day in, too,” Cook said, adding Luxe is among the downtown businesses who have become clients at Transfurmations.

Dog Walking Business

It’s nothing but wagging tails and well-mannered personality characteristics when Taylor, a rescue dog who now lives with Arielle Lewis, greets visitors to his new home. It wasn’t always that way.

Turning Taylor from a problem dog to a perfect pet was the last bit of inspiration Lewis needed before fully launching her dog walking and training service last year.

“She came here as a foster and it was going to be to practise my skills,” said Lewis, the owner of Village Dog Walking and Training in Coxheath. “This was a dog who came with some problems.”

Taylor needed structure to do well in any home after coming from a place that had none. The result was a dog that made some bad choices.

In the beginning, Lewis wasn’t sure it was safe to keep Taylor around her other dog Skittles. Working on her skillset so that she could be happy in another home was an initial goal of the training regiment.

“Once she went through the training, she now absolutely loves other dogs. She just didn’t know how to behave properly. I’ve had her for two years in August.”

The foundation of the training aspect of her new business is to help other dog owners to better enjoy their pets, as well.

“There are a lot of struggling dog owners who don’t know what they are supposed to do and don’t know how to deal with problems. It makes their life a lot smaller when they can’t take their dog and go places and enjoy their dog.”

Annezita Feldman reached out to Lewis for help with her collie-mix Colbie who just wasn’t comfortable in public spaces.

“He was highly reactive to other dogs and would lie down and not move as people were coming by,” she recalled. “If any kind of loud noise happened he would lie down and was spooked and would lunge to get away. It was hard to walk him or take him anywhere.”

It was only after a few sessions that big changes were noticed in her pet.

Feldman is now taking care of a rescue dog named Journey and is also putting that dog through training sessions with Lewis.

Her two dogs are now inseparable and are often complimented on their behaviour when they are out in public.

“A word Arielle will use is they need to be polite and that’s what they are.”

The dog business is not the first entrepreneurial effort for Lewis who ran Game On laser tag for three years before closing it in the spring of 2018 after business slowed.

“I learned a lot from it, a lot that has helped get this going and off the ground,” Lewis said. “It just wasn’t busy enough to keep (laser tag) going and I’ve always had a love for dogs and a passion for dogs. I just didn’t always know what to do with that.”

The walking part of the business includes group and private walks as well as off-leash adventures. That part of the business slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic while people were home to walk their own pets but it is picking back up now.

The dog walking and training business currently has one part-time employee and Lewis is actively trying to hire another as the business continues to grow.

She also makes her own brand of dog treats she’s sold at the Cape Breton Farmers’ Market and is hoping to get into grocery chains.

“I hope to keep growing the training aspect. There’s a lot of people that need help. They just think they can get a dog and it’ll be great. Sometimes it goes well and somethings they need a little help.”

Canine Companions Saving Lives

Raising A Puppy

Five years ago, Brian and Leslie Schwartz of Barrington, started a journey they had no clue they would still be on today.

The Schwartzes applied to be Foster Puppy Raisers for Paws With A Cause because they thought raising a puppy they could take everywhere with them would be “cool.” Five years and five dogs later, they add, “Little did we know we were joining a whole community. We are totally hooked.”

Paws With A Cause is a nonprofit that custom-trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities. PAWS trains Hearing Dogs, Service Dogs, Seizure Response Dogs, and Service Dogs for Children with Autism, and they rely on volunteers to help with training the puppies for the first 14-18 months.

Volunteers get the puppy when they are eight-weeks old. While they have them, they are teaching them basic obedience and socialization, but most importantly, giving them a loving home.

In 2015, Brian and Leslie brought home their first PAWS puppy, STORM. A spunky black lab who is now a Seizure Response Dog.

“Seeing them [the dog] help someone is amazing!” said Leslie.

They are now raising their fifth puppy, another black lab named CASH. They love taking the puppies they raise on many adventures, including baseball games, airports, the symphony, church, and out to eat. Due to COVID-19, they have not been able to take CASH on as many outings as their other foster puppies but have had a lot of time to work with him at home. PAWS is always looking for volunteers to open their hearts and homes to a foster puppy. For anyone considering raising a future Assistance Dog, Brian says, “It is a different kind of relationship between you and the puppy versus you and a pet dog. Someone needs that puppy more than you love it.” The Schwartz’s commitment to PAWS does not end there. They are also mentors to new raisers and a part of the Community Engagement Committee, volunteering their time to call and thank donors on behalf of the organization. They added, “We are really just people helping people through dogs, and that is pretty amazing.”

Benji And Andrew

An owner and his therapy dog who appeared in a viral social media video earlier this year are spreading awareness about cybersecurity threats after being targeted by a hacker.

In May 2020, shortly after being featured on ABC7, Andrew Laske’s viral account @lilmanlife was held for ransom. Laske had been locked out. Soon after, the account was permanently deleted.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been so anxious, so helpless in my entire life,” Laske told Eyewitness News.

The account had recently gone viral following a post of Andrew rollerblading with his 70 pound bernedoodle, Benji, on his back. Additional posts had Benji enjoying other high-adrenaline activities, including skiing and off-roading in the desert.

“It’s crazy how comfortable he is with all of these things,” said Laske. “Maybe in a past life he was a rockstar.” Andrew contacted Facebook, which owns Instagram, and got nowhere. He was told the account couldn’t be recovered.

The social media giant also didn’t respond to inquiries from ABC7.

“They don’t even have a number to call,” a frustrated Laske told us. Karen North, professor of social media at USC’s Annenberg School, told Eyewitness News she is not surprised, saying the platforms “usually do not help.”

North is warning other users of the inherent risk when depending on social media sites to secure your digital property, especially when a lot of time and potentially money is invested.

“We’re not really in control of it, the platform is,” said North.

“That’s not how things should be, that’s not how a big company like this should be run,” said Laske, who actually traveled to San Francisco to Facebook headquarters following the hack to find answers.

Along with cool photos and videos, Benji and Andrew volunteer by visiting sick children at Children’s Hospital L.A. The Instagram page had been a fundraising tool for those efforts. Most recently the hospital visits have been in a virtual setting due to COVID-19.

Temporarily defeated, Laske and Benji haven’t given up. They’re back to posting on Instagram after starting up a new account under the same name.

This time, they have enabled two-factor authentication for password security, which is recommended by experts.

“Taking the extra minute to use those measures is one step closer to protecting your page,” says North.

Within two months, Laske and Benji have reached more than 10,300 followers. While they haven’t hit viral status like before, their mission to help others remains the same.

“If all this stuff needed to happen in order for us to get this information out there, then so be it… Maybe that’s our purpose,” Laske said.