Local Veteran Gets Service Dog

American Legion Post 68 is helping veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. It helped Pedro Alverio, a United States Marine veteran, create an inseparable bond with his service dog Lincoln.

“This big stress and this big package that I’ve been hiking around with, whatnot, it’s gone. ‘Cause he just, he literally relaxes me,” Alverio said.

Alverio served in Somalia in the 1990s, and things he witnessed left a lasting impression on his memory. He said Lincoln helps him through daily stress.

“Instead of having to go to the doctor to get drugs to keep me calm and cool, whatnot, he’s my drug and actually helps me out a lot,” Alverio said. “That keeps me away from the drugs. Don’t have to take drugs and possibly get addicted to them.”

American Legion Post 68 PTSD Canine Committee Chairman Joe Merimee said being able to provide this opportunity to local veterans is motivating.

“You see the success that it breeds, you can’t help but get more involved in it,” Merimee said.

The relationship between Lincoln and Alverio runs deeper than a service dog and a handler.

“He helps out so much, and if it wasn’t for the community caring, and loving, and whatnot, I don’t think I would’ve had him,” Alverio said. “He’s a service animal when he has his vest on. He’s working when he has his vest on, and he knows that. When he doesn’t have his vest on and we’re at home, he’s a family member, and he knows the difference.”  Merimee said Lincoln is the sixth service dog given to a local veteran.

Dog Bite Prevention

To help avoid dog bites, the United States Postal Service is adding stickers to mailboxes in several states.

The Paws program was rolled out in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and the western region of New York, among other areas, in June. The program is meant to help letter carriers protect themselves from potential dog bites. As part of the program, a paw sticker will be placed on the outside of a mailbox where there is a known dog in the immediate area.

The top five states with the largest number of dog bites are California, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and New York. Specifically, Houston, Los Angeles, and Chicago are the three cities with the largest number of attacks.

About 5,800 postal employees were attacked by dogs in 2019, about 200 fewer incidents than in 2018, according to data from the USPS.

“Even during these difficult times, it’s important for our customers to understand that letter carriers are still coming to homes daily and need to deliver mail safely,” said Chris Johnson, the USPS safety awareness program manager, in a press release. “We are confident we can keep moving the trends of attacks downward, and ramping up overall awareness for everyone is the best way to do that.”

The USPS released some tips to further protect mail careers during the 2020 National Dog Bite Awareness Week, which was June 14-20. Some of those safety suggestions include reminders to customers to place dogs in a separate area when opening the front door to a letter carrier.

Johnson said technology has also greatly improved the safety of letter carriers because their handheld scanners include a feature to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual address. Informed delivery options also allow customers to know when a package will be delivered and when to potentially secure their dog.

Dana’s Dog Spa

One of the types of businesses that were closed and missed the most by animal lovers during the pandemic shutdown were grooming shops.

Dog and cat owners have gotten used to treating their pets like part of the family and not being able to get their pets their regular grooming was challenging to many.

Dana Neading, owner of Dana’s Dog Spa on Wise Avenue in North Canton, said the business was closed March 21 along with so many others. She and her team include five groomers, six bathers and two receptionists, all of whom had been anxious to get back.

“We all love what we do and we missed doing it and we missed our clients,” Neading said. “We were worried about our dogs and cats not being groomed. They get matted hair and their nails get long, which both can be very painful for the animal. Matted hair when it gets too bad can turn into almost like a pelt. Plus, some dogs get medicated baths that they need to maintain good skin health.”

Neading added that the dogs seem to be happy to get back to their regular grooming because getting baths and trims makes a big difference to the dogs too.

Neading said that all of her employees came back and all but a few clients have returned, but some are still waiting a bit longer to start grooming again. All of the employees went through a Barbicide Certification, a program designed to present the most current sanitizing information pertinent to the professional beauty industry.

In addition to the certification, all employees are all wearing masks, they are sanitizing and offering a drive up drop off and pick up area, so the human clients don’t have to enter the building.

“Animal care is always our top priority in how we care for them and treat them,” Neading said. “We are taking every precaution to keep them safe while they are here. It was depressing not seeing the dogs while we were shut down.”

Pets In Need

COVID-19 has not only been hard on people, but on their pets as well.

Christine Worrell is homeless and living in a tent with her constant companions, two small service dogs named Lucky and Sephora.

They’ve come to Pets in Need at the Gospel Rescue Mission in South Stockton for vaccinations.

“She’s had all of her shots she just needs a rabies up-to-date,” said Worrell. “I had her since she was in her mama’s womb.”

Pets in Need operates out of a 38-foot RV, which started traveling in mid-May to California cities. It offers free veterinary care mostly aimed at homeless people like Jennie Garza. Her dog is suffering from a nose infection.

“Most of the vets in Stockton right now aren’t taking people in, and yeah, they’ve gone up in their pricing and everything else and when you’re homeless, you have problems there,” Garza said.

Dr. Amanda Howland’s company is paying out of its own pocket for the service. She spends several days in different cities in the poorest part of town.

“Most of the people we see simply can’t afford a vet under any circumstance,” said Howland. “They feed their pets ahead of themselves. They do everything for their pet but it’s too much of a stretch.”

Howland says people have waited in line for as long as seven hours in some cities.

And they’re doing it all for their pets, like Christine Worrell and her two dogs.

“Alright, let’s go with the easiest one, the easiest one is the very skittish one,” Worrell told veterinarians. “She has anxiety issues.”

Pets in Need will operate at the Gospel Rescue Mission at the cross streets of E. Church and S. San Joaquin Streets in South Stockton between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

The mobile relief effort is driving to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Stockton, Modesto and other California cities. They hope to help more than 1,000 animals with services and supplies by the middle of July.

Animal Services

Dallas Animal Services joins a national coalition of 13 other animal shelters in the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) pilot program to implement a new animal welfare organizational model that recognizes pets and people as family-units and works to keep them together.

“The driving force behind all DAS operations is our motto of public safety, compassion and no shortcuts, and we believe joining HASS is the next logical step in that direction,” said DAS Director Ed Jamison.

DAS and HASS recognize that many of Dallas’ animal challenges are rooted in significant struggles surrounding inequity facing our human population. HASS pilot shelters will expand their role from mainly response-based services to comprehensive, social service-inspired programs that will help keep pets with their families, get lost pets home more quickly and assist pet owners who are struggling to meet their pets’ needs.

“Our focus on innovation, including our response to COVID-19, means that we are already leaders in many of the HASS-model aspects,” said Jamison. “The HASS coalition will help to create systemic change across the country that will ultimately end the cycle of need by addressing the true causes of our largest challenges that include threats to public safety, loose dogs, pet homelessness and non-compliance.”

The idea for HASS was developed during the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, as leaders in animal welfare watched record numbers of pets being housed in foster homes and discussed the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on shelter operations and the community at large. The coalition will help its pilot organizations, including DAS, advance their operations by testing new resources, technologies and programs, including many that have proven to be successful as part of amended COVID-19 practices. These practices include remote services like veterinary telehealth and text support, comprehensive stray and lost pet return services, supported self-rehoming for people who cannot keep their pets and community-based animal protection services.

The HASS program was made possible by American Pets Alive!, Maddie’s Fund, South Fork Foundation, Pedigree Foundation, Petfinder, Brandywine SPCA and Michelson Found Animals Foundation.

The HASS pilot organizations consist of  Dallas Animal Services (Dallas, TX), Humane Rescue Alliance (Washington, D.C.), Charlottes-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control (Charlotte, NC), Greenville County Animal Care (Greenville, SC), LifeLine Animal Project (Atlanta, GA), Cabot Animal Resource Center (Cabot, AR), Kansas City Pet Project (Kansas City, MO), El Paso Animal Services (El Paso, TX), Pima County Animal Care (Tucson, AZ), Los Angeles Animal Services (Los Angeles, CA), Oakland Animal Services (Oakland, CA), Fresno Humane Animal Services (Fresno, CA), San Diego Humane Society (San Diego, CA) and Guilford County Animal Shelter (Greensboro, NC).

More than 100 industry leaders, including those from national organizations, shelter veterinarians and animal shelter directors are part of this collaborative effort, with 20 additional animal shelters participating in phase two of the project in the coming months.

Beloved Greyhound

Before Dolce Gambino had more titles after his name than most of us have teeth; before he began brightening the days of almost 1,000 Facebook friends with his photographs and adventures; before he visited nursing homes, proffering mouth-held business cards to delighted residents; before he accumulated 100 collars and dozens of outfits, he was racer Genesis Way, more commonly known later as Lee.

As an athlete, he was busy — and speedy enough in his career to finish four races in first place, two races in second place and two in third. But while taking a curve during race No. 36, he fractured his left leg. The injury was severe, necessitating intricate surgery and follow-up veterinary visits — paid for by Greyhound Adoption League of Texas — plus months of rehab in a foster home.

Although Lee healed nicely, his racing career was over.

But life, as it tends to do, opens windows while shutting doors. So before we get more into Dolce’s role in that truism, maybe we all need to sit back for a moment of contemplation. These are (and forgive us if you can mouth the words as we say them) unprecedented and tough times. We are confused, we are sad, and we are trying to find normalcy in what is exceedingly a world that is anything but normal.

Which is why, right now, maybe we could all use a dose of Dolce Gambino. He can’t change what’s happening, but maybe he can help us change how we look at it. He can lick our faces only figuratively, but in so doing he can take us away, if even for a moment, from what might be draining our collective and individual spirits.

As a two-time greyhound owner and multi-time foster parent, I’ve fallen for plenty of this lovable, laid-back breed. But Dolce — ah, Dolce — has held onto my heart ever since being adopted by Christine and Don Beisert. He was fostered by friends of mine, and though I’ve only seen Dolce in person a handful of times, I’ve long swooned over his grace and beauty, been mesmerized by his escapades and accomplishments, ogled his intelligence, and been lifted by the love within his family.

Which brings us back to these upside-down days. A virus we can’t see keeps slamming doors; we, in turn, keep scrambling to open windows. Surely, our optimistic souls tell us, fresh air must still be out there; lessons must be lurking in all this mess.

So if we call upon luck and we listen very closely, we may find those lessons where we least expect them: Like six of them right here, culled from the subtle wisdom of an almost 12-year-old greyhound with the smile-to-hear-it name of Dolce Gambino.

Take a peek at Dolce’s Facebook page. There he is, wearing aviator goggles or a birthday cap or a bright yellow rain slicker. Eating a just-toasted marshmallow or a cupcake or a ribeye steak, either prepared by his vegetarian owners or delivered via room service on one of his out-of-town jaunts to 25 states. Participating in competitions where he sniffs out rats or leaps over hurdles.

“It’s easy to project yourself onto him, to see love and life through his eyes,” says Christine, who started his Facebook page on a whim and who updates it at least daily with photos and Dolce-driven postings like this:

Momma woke up the nayberhood skreeming at me to stop chasing the skwerl intruder.

“I try to stay out of politics and religion,” Christine says, “and focus on his world.”

“Dolce communicates things people from all walks of life enjoy reading about,” Don says. “He’s not polarizing.”

Ten years ago, the couple, who live in Frisco, fell for the dog known as Lee after seeing him in a Greyhound Adoption League of Texas photograph, sleepily curled into a circle and wearing a bright blue bandage on his shaved right leg. They changed his name to Dolce Gambino and changed his life (and theirs) forever.

The name was chosen first as a loving nod to Christine’s grandmother, who was a piano teacher and often encouraged her students to play dolce, or sweetly. Don thought Dolce sounded too feminine, so they decided on Gambino for its tough-sounding mafia connotations (plus they’re fans of actor Donald Glover, whose musical persona is Childish Gambino).

Therapy Dogs

When a dog comes into the room how can you not light up? That’s the idea behind a therapy dog program with a twist. Therapy dogs are making visits to stations throughout the Los Angeles Police Department.  The LAPD Therapy Dog Program is for first responders by first responders.

Scout was a welcome sight at LAPD’s Pacific Division.

The black dog arrived at the station with retired LAPD detective Gil Escontrias, now a reserve officer and canine expert. He’s been training therapy and support dogs under his company Blue Line Dogs LA for years. When he was a detective, Escontrias first brought in dog therapy to the LAPD when he worked internet crimes against children. He says it was “psychological first aid” for officers who witnessed child molestations. The early push in 2020 was to boost morale at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. LAPD Lt. Mario Mota says there has been a big focus on mental and physical health for officers. These have been tough times given the pandemic and the protests.

Escontrias’ wife is retired LAPD Lt. Susan Willis. She too has a therapy dog, named Inta.

They’ve also trained volunteers and have 13 dogs ready to work or receive a friendly scratch or pat on the head.

Connecting With Canines

Tallahassee Memorial Hospital’s Animal Therapy program is among those that’s had to adjust to the COVID-19 pendemic. But both clients and (most of) their canine visitors seem to enjoy interacting on-screen.
Stephanie Perkins heads up the TMH Animal Therapy Program.

“So right now all of our visits are virtual, but for summer, we’ve started the ‘Dog Days of Summer’ program for community children,” she explained.

Several studies, as well as anecdotal evidence, shows significant improvement in young children’s reading skills when they read out loud to animals. In the past, that’s been done in person. But Perkins says the coronavirus has made the interaction electronic.

“They’re pre-scheduled Zoom calls and everyone logs in. The puppy is on the screen with the handler and the children will log in once a week for eight weeks. And at the end of eight weeks if they’ve attended all the sessions and done the reading, then they get a little gift from TMH; a little ‘Rikki’ stuffed doll and a book.”

“Rikki,” by the way, was the rescue dog turned into a therapy dog by Chuck and Patty Mitchell, whose efforts got TMH’s program off the ground years ago. But it seems not every therapy dog is equally skilled at online encounters, said Perkins.

“My very best in-person therapy dog isn’t really fond of these kinds of visits, so she sits just off screen and listens. But my other two boys will wander in and if you say their names or they hear someone talking through the computer, they are attentive and very interested.”

However, Perkins emphasized the Dog Days of Summer reading program isn’t the only aspect of animal therapy that’s gone virtual. The original mission of the outreach, to bring comfort and calm to those who need it, goes on.

“We’re working with one patient right now and we actually attend – virtually – some doctors’ visits with them just to help calm anxiety. That’s been super-wonderful! And she actually gets visits from all of my animals because I do my visits from home virtually. So it’s not just one dog, it’s 5 or 6 who wander through. So they get to meet all of my animals and they just love that.”

It seems animal magnetism projects pretty well through a computer screen.

PetSmart Sued

What began as a routine trip to the groomers, ended with a dog having to be rushed to surgery to save her life.

Rubber bands were tied so tightly around the small dog’s ears, her circulation was cut off and she could have died without the surgery, according to a lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court this week.

The pet owner of the Maltese-shiatsu dog, named Winter, is suing PetSmart after an employee allegedly injured her dog, nearly causing the animal’s death.

On July 23 of last year, pet owner Sherrilyn Miller took Winter to a PetSmart store in San Leandro to be bathed and groomed. Miller paid extra to have bows put on her then-2-year-old emotional support dog. She even complimented the employee on how sturdy the bows looked when she picked up her pet.

But the next morning, she noticed that Winter was lethargic and liquid seemed to have been coming from the dog’s ears. It was to her “shock and horror” that Miller then noticed that the employee had attached the bows by tightly wounding rubber bands around Winter’s ears. Miller had not noticed the day before, since Winter’s fur is long and fluffy, and her skin is close to the color of the bands, according to the complaint.

“Her ears looked like black coal, that’s the only way I can describe it,” Miller said in an interview Wednesday.

Bows are supposed to be attached to the fur itself, not around the actual skin.

“Even a child knows you don’t wrap a rubber band around like that,” Miller said.

Winter was rushed to emergency surgery to try to save her life — and her ears. The bands had stopped blood flow to her ears, and both ears were inflamed and had blood blisters. The veterinarian needed to make several punctures all over Winter’s ears with a large 18-gauge needle to allow the blisters to drain.

According to the vet, Winter would have been dead in 24 hours if Miller had not noticed the problem and rushed her to the office. In another four hours, she could have lost her ears, Miller said.

“Now I have an emotional support dog that needs more emotional support than I do,” Miller said.

Winter is traumatized, and won’t leave Miller’s side. She constantly needs attention and reassuring petting, and cries or howls if she is left alone. She’s now afraid of other people, unless she already knows them.

What Miller wants from the lawsuit is for PetSmart to change its policy and stop the use of the bows. She said it costs $3 extra to add the bows after a dog’s bath.

“Just stop doing them; it’s simple,” Miller said. “You can’t continuously hurt or kill our loved ones. … It’s not worth the $3. To me, this is so cut and dry.”

She said the groomers can use bandannas instead, and she won’t settle for anything less than their policy change.

A managing agent at PetSmart immediately admitted wrongdoing, saying that the employee was new and had undergone “expedited” training, according to the lawsuit. PetSmart paid for Winter’s medical expenses, and offered free grooming sessions.

Miller said when the PetSmart employee offered the free sessions, Winter was in surgery. She told them that that was not the time to think about more grooming sessions, and walked away.

In the lawsuit, attorney Alison Cordova of the Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy law firm, says that since 2009, PetSmart has been accused of several instances of serious pet injury or death while under the care of groomers. In 2016, the law firm also filed a lawsuit against PetSmart after a dog was taken in for a routine nail trimming at a San Mateo location. The dog, Henry, suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung during the trimming. Henry soon died.

PetSmart’s slogan is “Where pets are family,” but the lawsuit contends that it isn’t the case.

“PetSmart knows how important dogs and animals are to their owners. Yet we keep seeing animals get hurt and/or killed while in PetSmart’s care. And this groomer’s actions, in particular, were so far below the standard of care in the industry that it is shocking,” Cordova said in a statement.

“Imagine if a day care center sent your child home with rubber bands so tightly wound around their little ears that their ears had turned black and hard and were dripping liquid. That is what happened here, but with Sherrilyn’s dog.”

The lawsuit does not specify a certain amount for damages.

PetSmart issued a statement stating they do not comment on pending litigation.

Children’s Advocacy Center

The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center has been selected to receive three grants for programs to help children who have endured sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, sexual exploitation, child pornography, neglect, and exposure to violence.

 The largest grant, totaling $504,000, is a Victim of Crime Assistance Continuation Grant administered through the Children’s Advocacy Center of Illinois to provide critical forensic interviews, victim advocacy, and trauma-focused therapy services to child victims of abuse, and their non-offending caregivers. The additional two grants, awarded by the National Children’s Alliance through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Justice, will provide $75,000 to expand resources for the victims of child pornography and child sex exploitation, and $25,000 to expand mental health services.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Children’s Advocacy Center has received the National Children’s Alliance grant to address child sexual exploitation and pornography. The grant also will help expand law enforcement’s accessibility to the Children’s Advocacy Center and its services, develop a public service campaign to raise awareness about child sexual exploitation, and fund a specially trained child sexual exploitation and advocacy coordinator to handle these types of cases.

Finally, the $25,000 mental health services grant will help expand the CAC’s trauma-focused mental health services to the eastern areas of Will County. This will help eliminate distance, wait time and financial barriers for families who receive mental health services.