Family Thanks Community

Luke Berridge is 14-years-old and has autism. He is high functioning, but the family says he still can have anxiety and other episodes in which he needs external help. Now that he is growing up, his family wants him to gain more independence. After researching for a few months, his mother Jessica was sold on the idea of a service dog. How much confidence it builds in children with autism, how much more independent they become, and it also serves as a bridge between him and other people socially.

But after finding out how much would money it would cost to not only buy but maintain the dog, they thought of fundraising by baking brownies.

The entire family helped chip in: Luke would pour the batter his sister Natalie made, Jessica would contact and keep track of orders, and father Todd would drive and the family would deliver. It was a full team effort to try and get Luke this dog. It took just two weeks to raise almost $4,000. Anonymous donors poured money in and ordered those brownies to be delivered to front line workers. The amount of support in such a short time was overwhelming. We weren’t expecting this kind of outpouring. We know we are in pretty dire straights at this time. We are all wearing masks and staying away from each other but my goodness this just proves if you have one thing happened good, everyone just wants to be apart of it. Some people donated their brownies and their money and said we’d like you to deliver it to Fire Station Number 5, the Odessa Police Department the Ector County Sheriff (office). Luke had a great time going to the police department, the sheriff department. So we’ve been doing all sorts of different things, it’s been great.

The family posts updates of the baking and dog search on a Facebook page called Luke’s Dog Blog and will soon post the dog with his or her name when they pick him or her out. Until then, Luke want’s to let the community know how much this means to him. Thank you for helping me get my service dog!

Sniffing Out Covid

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Thursday praised an army program working to train service dogs to identify the coronavirus in people’s saliva but said there were still many months of work ahead.

“I want to make clear here that the next steps, like for example being able to differentiate the virus from a normal influenza or to be able to differentiate an active carrier are all questions that still need to be answered and so we will need more months to be able to offer up clear results,” Kramp-Karrenbauer said during a visit to the military canine training school in Ulmen.

Service dogs cannot identify the virus itself but can sniff out bio-chemical changes in body fluids caused by the virus. The dogs, considered comrades by the army, need less than 100 microlitres of salilva to produce results.

A variety of breeds is working with dedicated dog trainers and the Hanover University of Veterinary Medicine on a rewards-based system. The dogs are given treats if they identify saliva affected by the virus and no treats for sniffing out healthy saliva.

Elsewhere a French veterinary team is training dogs to sniff out COVID-19 sufferers from the smell of their sweat.

PAWing It Forward

On July 9, Service Paws of Central PA held its fourth annual PAWing It FOREward golf tournament on July 9 at Park Hills Country Club.

This was a four-person scramble for all skill levels and there were prizes for each golfer (gift cards donated by 75 area businesses), as well as skill contests.

The first-place team (Tom Smith, Peggy Smith, Lew Morgan and J.T. Black) who represented Big Brothers Big Sisters, was at 12 under par.

The second-place team (Jim Berkheimer, Kevin Norton, Dan Bradley and Ben Miller), who represented Young, Oakes, Brown, & Co., P.C. was also at 12 under par.

Walt Focht won the putting contest. Courtesy Motors offered a new Ford EcoSport to the first person to get a hole in one. No one met that challenge; however, a runner-up prize was awarded to Randy Isenberg who got within three feet of the pin.

There were six skill contest winners of $25 gift cards. They went to Rick Barrickman, Jim Berkhimer, J.T. Black, Darla Dickson, Vincent Corso and Lew Morgan.

The gift basket winners were; Tim Balconi, Amy Bergstrom, Dan Bradley, Vic Gioiosa, Cody Racchini and Bob Sutton.

Doug Field won the 50-50 drawing and donated all his winnings back to Service Paws.

Silent auction winners were J.T. Black, Barbara Kooman and Heather Macharola.

Service Paws of Central PA is a local nonprofit organization established to financially assist those in need of a service dog, and/or those who may already have a service dog and need help with extraordinary veterinary expenses.

The golfers enjoyed a relaxing dinner on the patio at Park Hills, where the prizes were distributed.

The highlight of the day was presentations from three service dog handlers, which were sponsored by SPCP. Each of them had a compelling and heart warming story of how the dogs impacted their families (i.e. PTSD, anxiety attacks, peanut allergies, etc.).

A net profit of almost $10,000 was reached thanks to the help of those listed below.

Tee sponsors: A&A Insurance, AFSCME Local 31155 Unionized Employees of the Altoona Water Authority, Allegheny Orthodontics, Altoona Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center, Altoona Center for Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery, Atlas Therapy, Bassler, Erwin and Joyce, Begin With Us Child Care and Preschool, Bihary Family Dental, Blair Gastroenterology Associates, Bolger Brothers Inc. (also had team and donated prizes), Britz & Associates, CrossRoads Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Inc., DeGol Carpet, Depiro Entertainment & Designs, Dr. Dennis C. Dobbins, Doing Better Business, Dorman’s Jewelry Inc., Encompass Health Altoona, Fiore True Value Hardware, First Commonwealth Bank, Freedom Excursions (also donated a prize), Health First, The Hite Co., Hollidaysburg Animal Clinic, Hometown Bank of PA, Howard Hanna Johnston Realty, Imler’s Poultry, Integrity Construction, Irwin Financial, Joyce and Erwn Bassler, Keller Engineers Inc., Ketrow Travel, Kooman & Associates (also had a team and donated prizes), Laurel Eye Clinic, M&T Bank, Marla Moon, Martin Oil Co., McCann Wealth Strategies, McCartney’s Inc., McDonald’s, J.P.N. Management Inc., McQuaide, Blasko, Myers-Somers Funeral Home, New Enterprise Rural Electric Co-op, Newborn Enterprises Inc., PC Works, PennCrest, Progressive Periodontal Therapy, Michael Cohen, DDS, Real Living, Lisa Fry & Associates, Reilly, Creppage & Co. Inc., Roof Works, S&T Bank (team sponsor), Season-Aire Inc., Sheetz Inc. (also gave prizes), Small Tube Products, Spherion, State Farm Insurance office of Tammy Kehr, Stevens Mortuary Inc., Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Stuckey Ford, Sylvan Veterinary Clinic, Tel-Power Tool & Equipment Rental Inc., Tom Smith (team sponsor), True Value Roaring Spring, UPMC Altoona Foundation (team sponsor), Urban & Blattenberger, Veterinary Centers of America, Ward Transport Corp. and Young, Oakes, Brown & Co, P.C. (team sponsor).

Prize donors: The Allegro, Altoona Curve, Altoona Grand Hotel, Beerbower Jewelers, Bella Italia Pizza, Best Way Pizza No. 3, Best Way Pizza (Hollidaysburg), Bickel’s Surplus Too, Boscov’s, City Beverage, Comfort Suites, Courtyard by Marriott of Altoona, DeGol Family Foundation, Delgrosso’s Family of Companies, Dutch Hill Chocolates, Eat ‘n Park, Escape Altoona Co., Fairfield Inn & Suites, Film Center, Galactic Ice, Gardners Candies, Greenbean Coffee House, Hampton Inn, Hometown Market, Hoss’s Steak & Sea House Duncansville, Irvin’s On Main, It’s A Tye by PeggyAnn Harrington, Jethro’s, Kathy Jackson, Kathy’s Homemade Creations, Knickerbocker Tavern, Lakemont Park, Made with Heart, Mane Effects, Martin’s East Chestnut, Martin’s Pinecroft, Meadows, Miller Chemical and Supply, Park Hills, Pizza Hut, Poochey Chef, Say It With Sweets, Shelco Seafood, Sinking Valley Country Club, Starr Hill Winery, The Summit Tennis & Athletic Club, Summit Country Club, Building II Athletic Club, Tim’s American Cafe, Trade Secrets Skincare & Saltroom, Tucker Wood Creations, Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park, Walmart Super Center of Duncansville, Weis Market of Everett and Weis Market in the Park Hills Plaza

Other teams: The Arc of Blair County, Boyer Agency, Centre County Gazette, CNB Bank, Manpower Inc., Reliance Bank, S&T Bank, Town & Gown and Valley Rural Electric Cooperative Inc.

“A special thanks to Chad Krawczyk, Park Hills pro, Sheetz store No. 187 for providing lunch, INCO Beverage of Johnstown, Galliker Dairy Co. of Johnstown and Altoona Soft Water for being beverage sponsors and Blair Candy Co. Inc. for donating snacks,” said Joe Fagnani, chairman of Service Paws of Central Pennsylvania, who said the event was a success.

Veterans Need Service Dogs

“Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.”

When we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ADA’s passage, it is important to acknowledge that, although the shameful wall of exclusion has been dismantled over time, it has yet to come tumbling down.

To this end, despite the great progress we have made in improving the lives of those particularly with visible physical disabilities, we still have a long way to go toward ensuring equality, particularly for those who suffer from invisible disabilities such as PTSD or TBI.

The progress that needs to be made about psychiatric or invisible disabilities has a disparate impact on certain aspects of the population, most notably veterans. As late as 2007, there was limited evidence about the scope of the problem or the most effective treatments.

Since that time, however, several studies, including one released this past week from Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, have shown that service dogs can greatly benefit veterans with PTSD. Specifically, the most recent study found that that service dogs could interrupt episodes of anxiety, proving to be the most useful, and most often used task the dogs performed.

However, despite this research, the use of service dogs for veterans with invisible wounds remains a controversial topic.

First, when it comes to the public perception of disabilities, our society as a whole remains overly focused on appearance. Although the ADA defines disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,” many veterans with PTSD report instances in which they are told that they “do not look disabled,” and after that discriminated against.

For example, Wanda Garneaux, a Navy veteran who has PTSD, was denied entry into an Atlanta restaurant after the manager told her that she didn’t appear blind and therefore did not need her service dog. Although Garneaux later accepted an apology from the restaurant manager who claimed to have misunderstood the law, she stated that what she wanted was for “people to educate themselves on the [ADA], and how to support people who are struggling.”

Second, problems with fake service dogs and emotional support animals being passed off as service dogs has complicated the lives of many veterans who truly need a psychiatric service dog, particularly when it comes to traveling.

Importantly, while psychiatric service dogs are protected under the ADA, the Act does not set a behavioral standard for service dogs, nor specify any standardized training process.

According to Rory Diamond, CEO of K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit organization that provides psychiatric service dogs to veterans, “Most of our graduates would rather not fly . . . We realize that their life is getting smaller because of fake and poorly trained service dogs, and we want their life to be big. We want them to have every opportunity.”

Similarly, Gina Esoldi of Next Step Service Dogs states, “When a veteran walks into a public store or restaurant and gets a stink eye because the person before him was there with a fraudulent dog, it puts a lot of stress on them.”

Over the past decade, Congress has grappled with how to handle the issue of psychiatric service dogs for veterans, but there is pending legislation that offers hope to many veterans with PTSD.

Currently, VA will only pay for service dogs for veterans with certain physical conditions, such as visual, hearing, or mobility impairments, and has stopped short of providing significant resources for veterans in need of psychiatric service dogs. This artificial distinction appears to contradict the ADA definition of disabilities for which service dogs may be used.

In 2010, Congress mandated that VA pay for a study on the matter. After years of botched methodology and rumors that VA set the research up to fail, results are finally expected later this summer.

In the interim, Congress can, and should, take matters into its own hands by changing the law and requiring VA to stop discriminating against veterans with invisible wounds by treating them differently from those with physical disabilities when it comes to the use of service dogs.

There are currently two bills pending, both known as the PAWS Act, one version of which unanimously passed the House in February. Both pieces of legislation, which enjoy bipartisan support, await action in the Senate.

At a time when veterans suicide and mental health concerns remain a top priority for veterans, stakeholders, and the VA, and are expected to increase as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is paramount that lawmakers look beyond the status quo such as standard treatments with prescription medications to assist veterans who are struggling with invisible injuries.

“Mental wellness does not have a one-size-fits-all solution, which is why VA must provide innovative and out-of-the-box treatments to help veterans combat these invisible illnesses and thrive in their civilian lives,” said Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) the ranking member of the House VA committee. “There is no question that the companionship and unconditional love offered by man’s best friend can have powerful healing effects on men and women from all walks of life, including our men and women in uniform.”

Accordingly, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the ADA, the Senate should act swiftly in passing legislation that aids veterans with psychiatric service dogs, allowing “the shameful wall of exclusion [to] finally come tumbling down” for veterans suffering from invisible disabilities.

Four-Legged Help

At his age, Alex Carpenter’s life could be in danger and he and other people around him may have no idea.

At 2 years old, he was diagnosed with diabetes, and now at age 3, he still doesn’t understand the symptoms or warning signs that his blood sugar is running too low, nor does he know how to tell others when it occurs either.

“Alex is still very unaware,” said Sara Carpenter, Alex’s mom. “He’s only 3, he got diagnosed at 2, but it should come in time as he gets older… He might not start recognizing it until he is 5, 6, 7.”

Although Alex may be unaware of the dangers of low blood sugar, Brody, a 6-month-old silver Labrador Retriever, will become Alex’s new alarm system when he needs help. Brody is currently in Nevada training where he is learning how to sensw Alex’s glucose levels and alert others when blood sugar drops too low. “He can fluctuate up and down, so we have to keep a close eye, especially because he doesn’t say anything,” Carpenter said. “So the dog is going to be a huge help with all of that.”

For months, the Carpenters had been saving up $15,000 to pay for a support dog to be Alex’s shadow, and it was through the help of their Barrackville Community and the Barrackville Fire Department, that they were able to afford the expense.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do this without Barrackville,” Carpenter said. “We would have never been able to pay $15,000 for a service dog.”

Now, Carpenter maintains a Facebook page, Alert Dog for Alex, to update the community and everyone interested on the progress of Brody’s training. She receives photos from the trainers, which display the tiny pup following commands given by trainers.

“In these pictures you can already tell he’s sitting, holding up his paw and walking with them on leash and everything,” Carpenter said. “I can’t even imagine how good this dog’s going to be once it has six to eight months under his belt.”

Brody is one of the few silver labs to go through these trainers, according to Carpenter, which made him popular with the group. She said the trainers suggested him because of his unique breed, as well as his temperament and personality, since he will be handled by a young child.

“They said he had such a great personality and he was already so calm,” Carpenter said. “That was our most important thing… We just said lab and we don’t care about anything else as long as it’s a super calm dog.”

Carpenter said the family hopes to get Brody by the end of November or December, at which point, a trainer will show them and Alex the ropes of handling. She said the whole family and the community are excited to meet Brody, even after only seeing pictures of the support dog.

“When he’s ready, he gets flown in with the trainer, and he spends a couple days with us to teach us everything we need to know,” Carpenter said.

K-9 Thor Wears Mask

Police K-9s are mostly known for sniffing out narcotics and tracking down suspects or missing persons, but Bluefield’s K-9s are making time for public health promotions and birthday party appearances.

Bluefield Police Department K-9 Thor recently did his part against the COVID-19 pandemic by doing what many humans don’t like to do: Put on a mask.

Both federal and state authorities are urging the public to use masks, so Thor demonstrated the right away and the wrong ways to wear one. The photos were posted on the department’s Facebook page.

“I think Kevin (Fleming) had seen it somewhere with some other program. We thought it would be a good idea with our Explorers Program,” said Thor’s handler Lt. B.W. Copenhaver.

Children are more likely to heed Thor and his fellow K-9s than adults when it comes to advice about health issues such as wearing masks.

“They do, hands down,” Copenhaver said.

When K-9 units started working the department again, one goal was to have them doing more than traditional police dog duties.

“I think the biggest thing is whenever we reinstated the (K-9) unit, we wanted to make it more than things like the eradication of narcotics,” Copenhaver recalled. “I wanted us to be involved more with the schools and the community. That’s why we wanted to do more festivals, the ball games, things like that.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed many public events, Thor, Gregor, Ace and Maverick frequently attended fairs and sporting events, sometimes wearing equipment such as special goggles and boots that help protect them during searches and pursuits in heavy brush and other environments which could injure them. The K-9s have proven to be a good way to start conversations with the public and encourage them to ask questions. Children especially like Thor and his colleagues.

“We want to educate the kids on the service dogs,” Copenhaver said. “One of the things we do is teach kids not to pet a service dog or any dog unless you have permission from the owner.”

Copenhaver said when Thor started duty, one goal was to use him to help educate the public.

“I can’t even tell you all of the things he has done. He’s even been to birthday parties,” he stated.

Copenhaver and other officers were eating lunch one day when a woman came over and asked if Thor could come to her son’s birthday party. The other dogs have visited birthday parties, too.

Thor recently performed some public service when a series of pictures appeared on the police department’s Facebook page. He demonstrated the right and the wrong ways to wear face coverings or masks.

Like many humans, Thor doesn’t care for masks, but after several attempts and plenty of coaxing, he did his part to help protect the public’s health.

“He’s been phenomenal for us. He really works well in the community,” Copenhaver said.

Thor and the other K-9s have played a big role in the department’s Explorer Program which offers fun activities and education to local children. The program saw its largest attendance when more than 20 children attended a session at Tiffany Manor before the COVID-19 pandemic made public gatherings hazardous.

“It’s been a great experience,” Copenhaver said of the Explorers Program. “There’s no question about that.”

And the pandemic won’t shut down the dogs’ public service duty. One future activity will feature K-9 officers reading books aloud with their dogs and posting videos for children.

“We hated it when COVID-19 hit,” Copenhaver stated, “But we won’t let it stop us or slow us down.”

Cooper Retires

Marion’s most beloved police officer will retire at the year’s end.

While he’s known for his affection for children and love of a good game, this officer also produced results as a crime fighter. He is credited with about 120 arrests in his four years of service to the MPD, as well as helping remove about 17 illegal firearms and a significant amount of drugs from the community.

Best known as Cooper, the 8-year-old yellow Lab has helped with searches in Smyth, Washington and Russell counties and assisted the Chilhowie and Saltville police departments, the county Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police.

In his MPD tenure, the K-9 officer has taken part in more than 200 service deployments, according to a Marion press release.

Cooper has also been an effective community outreach officer, performing demonstrations for schools, churches and other organizations.

According to MPD Chief John Clair, Cooper “provided emotional support for children in our community during their most difficult times. Cooper interacted with children countless times and helped our department to provide a more positive interaction with the youngest of our community, in addition to his record of fighting crime.”

At a recent Marion Town Council meeting, Clair said Cooper is the MPD’s “most popular officer bar none.”

Cooper was first introduced to the Town Council in December 2016 when he broke new ground for the law enforcement agency. The roughly 80-pound Lab and his partner-handler, Sgt. Jeff Horn, are the MPD’s first full-time K-9 team.

In 2016, Cooper and Horn graduated from the Virginia Department of Corrections’ 12-week canine program.

Lt. Andrew Moss had written a grant request seeking to add a canine unit to the department and was awarded $10,000, but the MPD lieutenant knew it wasn’t enough money. However, the pieces began to fall into place.

The Department of Corrections found out about the town’s effort and donated Cooper to the MPD. The state agency also helped with Horn’s education and lodging and meals while he was in training. The Smyth County Sheriff’s Office helped out too by donating a cage for Horn’s vehicle.

At the time, Moss lauded Horn for volunteering for the training and assignment.

Over the years, Horn has forged a friendship with Cooper. The sergeant plans to keep him as a pet when the K-9 retires.

“He’s a great dog, but we all get to the point where we’re better meant for a slower pace,” said Horn. “As much as I’ll miss having him at work, I’ll look forward to seeing him at home at the end of my shift.”

At the meeting, Clair told the Town Council that working as a service dog is demanding. Cooper has developed hip dysplasia, which is causing him pain.

Before he retires, Cooper will continue to engage the community, continuing to do a number of appearances.

Cooper is not aggressive. He passively signals Horn when he has scented an illegal substance. In his first seven months on the job, he detected hydrocodone, marijuana, meth, mushrooms and oxycotin, among others.

When he was brought on, Moss said, even though having a K-9 was new territory for the MPD, Cooper would be “a new crime-fighting tool.” That prediction proved to be true. Clair said his service has been quite successful.

Sometime next year, Clair said the MPD will look at bringing another K-9 officer into the department.

Guide Dog Graduates

Fromm Family Food is helping guide dog and service dog graduates from Southeastern Guide Dogs receive premium dog food free of charge through Southern Guide Dogs’ Alumni Support program.

In addition Elanco, veterinary practices and individual donors are providing monthly preventatives, vaccinations and yearly wellness visits to graduates free of charge. The contributions are saving guide and service dog handlers an estimated $1,000-plus out-of-pocket per year, according to Southeastern Guide Dogs officials.

“We are deeply grateful to Fromm, Elanco, the veterinarians and private donors who are making it possible to offer these benefits to nearly 600 alumni,” said Titus Herman, CEO of Southern Guide Dogs. “The people we serve tend to experience a high level of unemployment and limited, fixed incomes, so these benefits are making a significant difference in the quality of their lives.”

For more than 35 years, Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto, Fla., has provided guide and service dogs free of charge to people with visual impairments and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other disabilities, thanks to the generosity of private donations

Bryan Nieman, brand director of Fromm Family Food, noted that the company is impressed with—and deeply respectful of—the work of Southeastern Guide Dogs and the impact the organization has on the lives of graduates.

“As a fifth generation family-owned-and-operated company, we appreciate the joy, freedom, and companionship these dogs provide their caregivers,” Nieman said. “Our commitment to excellence and unsurpassed quality is mirrored in the Southeastern Guide Dogs Organization, and we are proud to partner with them in the Alumni Support Program.”

Guide dog graduate Rachel Weeks has first-hand experience caring for her guide dog, Plum, and a personal understanding of the value and impact of this new set of alumni benefits. She is applying her knowledge to overseeing the administration of the program at Southeastern Guide Dogs.

“This is an amazing gift,” Weeks said. “I know exactly what it is like to walk into the vet office hoping the bill will not derail my budget. It is important to put food on the table for a family and also imperative for Plum and other dogs like her to receive top-of-the-line care. Our graduates can now go forward confidently to the highest level of independence and freedom.”

Pet Service Market

South Korea is a booming market for pet care products, which has resulted in a subsequent rise in startups offering innovative products for pets. As per a report by Euromonitor, in 2019 estimate of just the pet food sales was around $870 million.

With more and more Koreans looking for pooch companions, the sales are likely to double in five years. The rise in single-member households, aging population, and steady income sources means more Koreans own a pet or two now.

Also, the ‘work from  home’ scenario because of the Covid-19 outbreak implies that most people are spending more time with their pets and pampering them with the best in the market. Many homegrown Korean companies offer amazing pet care products that use technology and innovation to help pet owners pamper their pooches. Bacon is a Korean startup that helps pet owners shower their beloved babies with delicious treats with a ‘Bacon Box.’  The subscription-based service ensures that the pet owner receives treat-boxes full of snacks and toys for their pets each month. The bacon Box has 6 items, and the theme changes every month. Pet owners can customize the boxes as well. The company sends goodies as per the dog’s size, breed, weight, age, and dietary information. With pets, it’s not only about sweet treats, but it is also about maintaining the pet’s fitness. So Korean pet startup Varram has developed a robotic technology to help your pets remain active and happy. Varram’s robots allow owners to monitor pets, children, and even the home. The robotic gadget keeps the pet busy when it is alone at home and stimulates its senses. It is a wonderful interactive robot that checks symptoms like lethargy, non-activity, and even dispenses treats for pets. With Varram robot, pet owners can feel a bit relieved about leaving their pets home alone. Especially after the pandemic, when pet parents will have to start offices, this will be a helpful tool for pets missing the owner’s presence. For pet owners, the utmost priority is to get premium care for their pets’ health and well-being. Startups like Thinkwave Inc. is launching Petmate what is termed as a ‘Fitbit for pets.’ It is a dedicated pet healthcare program especially helpful for geriatric pets. Petmate is like a real-time health checker that monitors pet heartbeats with a wearable device connected with the owner’s mobile phones. Then there is another Korean startup Petdoc, which is an animal care app service offering real-time vet counseling service, safe pet food, companion animal consignment, education, and cultural facilities, etc. All pet owners love to flaunt their fur babies on social media, but the Korean startup  BlockPet has started an exclusive social media community platform for pets. The blockchain-based service offers a reward system for using the app. BlockPet aims to build a unique companion animal-related ecosystem that allows users to share the necessary information by having ownership and rights of content as content producers and receiving clear rewards through sharing. Pets give joy throughout their life, but they have shorter lives than us, and when they die, the grief is unbearable. Pet Forest is a Korean startup that helps pet owners say a proper goodbye to their beloved dogs, cats, etc. The startup runs a funeral service, offering cremations, spaces to keep urns, memorial service, qualified funeral director, and staff for the funeral procedure. Pet owners and their pets in Korea sure do have many options for pet services now with innovative startups. The fast-growing pet service market has also attracted prominent investors, venture capital firms to put in their bit for love for dogs and technology. A 2019 Data by the Korea Rural Economic Institute reveals that Korea’s pet-related market will grow to 5.8 trillion won around $ 4.8 billion in 2020. No wonder, the promising pet services sector is getting attention from investors.

In May 2018, Bacon received a significant investment boost of 800 million won or about $707k from Korea Investment Partners and Blue Point Partners. Varram’s initial Kickstarter campaign for the pet fitness model has raised over $30,000 more than their goal.

BlockPet is backed by Accelerator New Paradigm Investment, a subsidiary of leading venture capital firm TS Investment. Besides, venture capital firms like LB Investment, Samsung Venture Investment, Samsung Electronics’ venture capital affiliate, Naver’s venture capital firm Spring Camp, have invested in various pet service companies in South Korea. Thinkwave Inc.’s team behind Petmate got to attend the prestigious tech-fest in Asia – the RISE conference in HongKong in 2019, supported by the Korea Institute of Startups & Entrepreneurship Development(KISED) where they got attention from hundreds of influential investors. Certainly there is an increase in number of Koreans loving the company of pet animals.  The recent closure of a famous dog meat market in Busan  with a pet-friendly cafe reflects the change in South Korea’s general attitude toward companion animals. Overall, it is a booming time for the pet market – food, service, and innovative technology as more and more Koreans choose pet companions’ unconditional love for life.

Assistance Dogs Train

A slight paw to the leg could be the lifesaving alert people living with type 1 diabetes need.

It’s in the realm of possibility, now that SA charity Australian Lions Hearing Dogs is training canines to sniff out and alert to low blood sugar levels, or hypoglycaemia.

As one of the hundreds of thousands of people in Australia who has type 1 diabetes, Eliza Bartlett said having a medical-assistance dog would be life-changing.

“Having a dog that can wake you up and alert others would be not only lifesaving but also something that would just take [away] that pressure and anxiety of having and living with diabetes,” she said.

“I’ve had times where I haven’t woken up during the night because of being unaware of having a hypo [hypoglycaemia]. I’ve had my family basically finding me in a coma overnight unaware of what my body’s going through.

Ms Bartlett said diabetics could struggle with their mental health, because it was such a life-consuming illness.

“Whether it’s the weather, stress, going out with friends and having a drink, everything changes it,” she said.

“Hormones, you don’t get a break and it’s something that’s really exhausting to live with.”

Cody, a working English Springer Spaniel, will be the first puppy to be trained, alongside Millie, who is learning to be a hearing and diabetes dog.

The Diabetic Alert Dog Project coordinator, Laura Harris, who will also be the dogs’ primary trainer, said the training program would be intense.

Cody and Millie are expected to be placed in families within two years.

“The dogs will be trained using saliva samples from type 1 diabetics when they’re having a low blood glucose event,” Ms Harris said.

“So, they’ll collect the samples and they’ll be stored in tubes and then we can use those tubes in the training of the dogs.”

The Australian Lions Hearing Dogs has been operating for 40 years and has so far homed 600 dogs.

The charity’s chief executive, David Horne, said it would be hand selecting people from the local community for the first few diabetes medical-assistance dogs.

“There’s a great need in the community [and] there is no other organisation that will give out diabetic-alert dogs free of charge,” Mr Horne said.

He said the program had been in the works for several years.

“We’ve got an expansion of our facility, which we’ll be looking to triple our capacity of dogs we can hold here in SA,” he said.

“It’ll give us the capacity to deliver over 100 assistance dogs per year, and in that, we feel that we can expand our range and help more people because as a Lion’s project we serve the community.

“They’re not an electronic aid, they don’t just perform the service that they’re trained to do but they perform so much more. So, it’s companionship, it’s security, it’s independence and this is something we’ve provided for 40 years with our hearing-assistance dogs.”

It’s hoped the program will grow to train dogs to help people with other medical illnesses, like epilepsy and seizures, in the future.