One Of A Kind Shelter

In the gold-brown mountains around Weaverville, N.C., there’s a dormitory filled with dysfunctional and depressed dogs. It’s part of the ASPCA’s Behavioral Rehabilitation Center, a cutting-edge program designed specifically to teach traumatized canines to be trustful human companions.

“This is, as far as we know, the only facility in the U.S. — and perhaps the world — exclusively dedicated to the rehabilitation of extremely fearful, undersocialized dogs,” says Kristen Collins, senior director of operations.

A former New York City copywriter turned animal cruelty investigator, Collins now oversees the care and treatment of up to 65 dogs housed in this long low building. Most have been rescued from puppy mills or hoarding situations. Right now, Ryan, an 8-month-old brown shepherd is bouncing around an outdoor space, confidently interacting with a stranger instructed to feed him cheese.

“He was one of 42 other dogs living in a single family house, on the second story,” explains Christine Young, a preternaturally calm behavior specialist who’s worked with Ryan since he arrived at the center a few months ago from New Mexico. He was a cowering mess who, she says, had probably never been outside or affectionately handled. Nothing in these dogs’ life experiences prepared them to be proper pets.

“You’d put a leash on them and they would panic and try to climb the wall and do what we call ‘gater rolling,'” adds Collins. “They’d thrash around on a leash, or even if you just tried to pet them — sometimes even if you tried to approach them — they’d lose control of their bladder or bowels or become catatonic. It was really heartbreaking to see.”

Collins came up with the idea for the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center a decade ago, along with Dr. Pamela Reid and Dr. Katherine Miller. It became a reality in 2013. Since then, the BRC’s full-time staff has expanded from five to more than 30 employees, including veterinarians, research scientists studying behavioral therapy and trainers such as Young, who admits that no one predicted the BRC’s current success rate of 87%.

“We thought we could save maybe half of them,” she says, of the dogs entering the program. More than 500 have graduated, after undergoing a roughly 3-month long training course that slowly and gently teaches these animals to enjoy human company and respond to basic commands.

“Basically, counter conditioning,” Young explains. “So, creating a new emotional association with things that scare them.” She uses a reporter’s introduction to Ryan as an example. “So instead of being a scary thing, you become a great thing, because it means Ryan gets more cheese.”

“That’s the magic part,” Collins says. “Watching, for the first time, a dog that’s been terrified lean towards you, or play — that’s just amazing. And I can’t talk about it without getting choked up. ” (You may get choked up, too, if you watch an upbeat, ASPCA-produced documentary that’s appeared on Animal Planet and Netflix.)During the first few months of the pandemic, the ASPCA saw about a 400% increase in foster applications, according to spokesperson Alyssa Fleck. It was among many animal welfare organizations reporting spikes in adoptions and fostering, but those numbers seem to have leveled off since last spring.

“These overall statistics do not account for regional differences in how the pandemic has played out with regard to pet adoptions and, more broadly, the well-being of animals in communities,” Fleck wrote in an email to NPR. In short: The problem of animals needing homes has not been solved, but the issue of treating traumatized dogs is evolving.

When COVID-19 started to spread across the country, the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center had to put the brakes on one of the most exciting parts of its program — bringing staff from shelters all over the country for residencies here in North Carolina, to learn how the program works and take it back home. Now that the center’s switched to online teaching for the time being, at least, that means reaching more people. And by extension, more very good boys, and very good girls, will be able to find very good homes.

Soldier’s Best Friend

Staff Sgt. Terry Stallings served in the Army for 23 years. He was stationed across the globe, including posts in Iraq, Balad, Kuwait, Desert Storm, Mexico, Central America, Alaska, Portugal and Germany.

After six combat deployments overseas, he returned home and was diagnosed with post- traumatic stress disorder.

Veterans often rely on medications, therapy, sports and other treatment options for PTSD relief. Stallings looked toward companionship.

“He’s basically my battle buddy,” Stallings said. “Wherever I go, he follows me. If I’m laying down, he lays down at the foot of our bed. If I’m in the living room, he lays down next to my chair. He’s always ready to help me.”

“He” is Stallings’ service dog, a 135-pound Anatolian shepherd named Koda.

“Koda’s learned when I’m having nightmares, he’ll come up and he’ll comfort me,” Stallings said. “He’ll put his wet, cold nose on me at night when I’m sleeping and wake me up because he knows I’m having a bad dream or an episode or something like that.”

“So he’s always there.” Stallings and his wife, Debbie, picked up two Anatolian brothers with the intention of eventually training one or both as service dogs.

“I thought it’d be nice to have one. We actually weren’t even sure what a service dog would do for us,” Stallings said, “but we decided to look around and do some research.”

The Mesa residents turned to Soldier’s Best Friend, an Arizona nonprofit that trains dogs to work with veterans with PTSD – or a combat-related traumatic brain injury – as service dogs. The organization either pairs the veteran with a dog adopted from a local shelter, or they train a dog already owned by the veteran.

“One thing we did notice was everywhere we looked and all the inquiries that we did, everything was leading us towards Soldier’s Best Friend as being the best (organization) out of all of them,” Stallings said.

Soldier’s Best Friend has been a nonprofit since 2001. Its program comes at no cost to the veteran. It has nearly 40 contributors – including volunteers and organizations – and is entirely funded through donations, grants and fundraisers.

“We go in, and we give back,” Stallings said. “Because it’s a nonprofit, they have to do fundraisers and stuff. And because (Koda’s) so well-trained, we don’t have a problem going out and helping or being the poster dog.”

Soldier’s Best Friend has helped hundreds of veterans, with nearly 300 dog-veterans teams that have graduated, according to its website. The group has five locations: Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Sierra Vista and Flagstaff.

Its staff is made up of war veterans, practicing PTSD therapists, professional service dog trainers, veterinarians and nonprofit professionals.

Not all dogs at Soldier’s Best Friend start out like Koda, already belonging to the veteran; many come from local shelters around the Valley.

Sarah Eccleton, the organization’s dog adoption and placement coordinator, has been working with dogs since she was a child.

“I actually would go and watch my mom do dog training classes, and by age 6, I was done watching,” she said. “We’ve got pictures of me, 6 years old with my first toy poodle, training it.”

Eccleton said because of her closeness with breeders, competing and training her own dogs, and understanding ATC (“authority to compete” referring to the guidelines to compete in the international dog show Crufts), she was prepared to deal with dogs of every personality type.

“I did a lot of behavioral training at a boarding facility that took all the reject (puppies) with temperament issues from everybody,” Eccleton said. “So that’s where I learned a lot of aggression and behavior training. That’s what made me a candidate for this position.”

Her current job is to understand the veteran’s lifestyle and needs and pair them with a dog to complete the training program at Soldier’s Best Friend.

“I get an understanding of what they’re capable of training and working with,” Eccleton said, “how active they are, how much grooming they’re willing to do, what needs they have for their TBI (traumatic brain injury) or PTSD.”

After her conversation with the veteran, she reaches out to shelters and describes what sort of dog she wants. Eccleton said she relies heavily on the kennel aides at shelters to help with the pairing process.

“They are hands-on with all their dogs, so they have a better insight of, ‘Well, I think this will fit,’” Eccleton said.

Shelters provide five to 10 dogs for Eccleton.

“I evaluate them for temperament, good with people, good with dogs, good with other animals, trainability and if they’re food or toy motivated,” Eccleton said.

Soldier’s Best Friend uses B.A.R.C. – Behavior Assessment Reactivity Checklist – to evaluate a dog’s interactions with humans and their reactions to such things as people in public or sounds. The nonprofit has rescued more than 165 dogs, according to its website.

The adopted pup moves into the foster period, which typically takes a few weeks to a month. The adopted dog is fostered by volunteers, and they work with a trainer from Soldier’s Best Friend to break some of their shelter habits, teach them basic skills and prepare them to enter into the training program alongside their veteran.

“That’s one of the requirements at Soldier’s Best Friend,” Stallings said. “If (Soldier’s Best Friend) provide a dog … they require that the dog has a certain amount of skills already trained in him so that they can see if the dog is trainable.”

Whether a dog goes through the adoption process or is brought in by a veteran, the dog must know how to perform basic commands, Stallings said. If the dog can sit, shake and/or lay down, staff members know the dog is teachable.

All dogs are spayed, neutered and vaccinated, and they have received all recommended preventative medications before placement, according to the organization’s website.

Veterans who are paired with rescue dogs will not be charged for veterinary services and most supplies during the training process, the organization says, and veterans who own dogs will get veterinary services at a reduced rate during training.

Each veteran and dog go through a six- to nine-month training program. The program’s teaching is aligned with the Canine Good Citizen training – a 10-skill program that teaches dogs the basics of manners and obedience – and requires a minimum of three personal service tasks.

The veteran also is given a written test that covers proper care and training techniques for their dogs.

Allison Walker, a lead trainer at the nonprofit, said they focus on training the veterans – the handler – how to train the dog themselves.

“Every trainer is assigned teams, and the teams do one group lesson and one individual lesson every week,” Walker said. “Every trainer is taking their teams through from day one through graduation.”

The primary focus of Soldier’s Best Friend is to train the dogs to be service animals, but the program is equally as rigorous for the veterans. Because of their PTSD symptoms, everyday tasks such as going to a store or attending a crowded event can become nearly impossible for some.

“We tell them that this program is going to push their boundaries and test their limits,” Walker said, “because although we don’t want to overwhelm anyone, we want them when they are in the real world to know how to respond to things.”

Stallings said the training program changed his mind about repetitiveness and perseverance. Because of his military background, he liked to give a command and see it performed right away. He also was quick to get frustrated and react.

“There’s a saying in the program: It only takes a couple of weeks to train a dog; it takes six to nine months to train the veteran,” Stallings said. “The dog will usually get it before the veteran gets it. You learn patience really quick, which is a skill that when you go back into the civilian world, it’s really hard to have patience.”

Anatolian shepherds, like Koda, are livestock guard dogs and trackers – dogs that can detect, recognize and follow a scent. Stallings said this trait is most beneficial for him when he’s in crowded places and begins to feel anxious.

“If I’m looking in one aisle and she’s in another, and I kind of feel like I’m getting amped up – my PTSD or whatever – and I need to get back to my wife, I can tell Koda, ‘Find Mom.’ And what he’ll do is he’ll immediately go into track mode, and he’ll take me back to her,” Stallings said.

The nonprofit’s main goal is to train each dog to fit the veterans’ unique and specific needs.

“Every dog is a little bit different, and every veteran needs something different from their dog,” Walker said. “We do a lot of talking and deciding what tasks the veteran is going to teach the dog because the task work is so personal.”

Koda has graduated from service dog training, but he and Stallings now attend advanced training classes at the nonprofit. The tasks mastered at this training level have made Stallings feel more at ease. Koda is his second set of eyes.

“I’ve always worried about people being behind me where I can’t see,” Stallings said, ”so I taught him to watch my back.

“He would sit on my right side and look behind me. He’ll actually nudge me, letting me know there are people behind me, that he can see them and it’s OK.”

Koda is there to lend a helping paw when Stallings needs help up.

“If I was sitting on the floor or sitting in a chair and I needed him,” Stallings said, “he’ll come to me and I’ll tell him to brace, and then he locks his front legs up. Between his shoulder blades, I can apply all my body weight on him and stand up basically like a cane.”

Koda also “has learned to turn on light switches, to open up all the doors in the house and close them,” Stallings said.

At the beginning of the program, however, Stallings was skeptical. “I know when we first started it, I was like, ‘There’s no way this is going to work,’” he said.

He could tell that Koda did not understand why he was training or going through such repetitive motions, but it didn’t take long to see a change in himself and his dog.

“All of a sudden, the light would kick on, and he’d understand,” Stallings said. “It’s kind of cool to see him get it. It’s almost like he’s smiling, he’s figured it out. ‘I know why I’m doing this.’”

Walker said she, too, can see a dog’s mentality change throughout the training.

“One day they come in, and they realize they are no longer just a pet,” Walker said.

But the veterans also go through a big change as well.

“They see all of a sudden how their life is opened up,” Walker said, “because they have a service dog, and they see now that they are going to be able to do things that they thought they never would be able to do again.”

Eccleton compares the veterans to the newly adopted dogs: timid and anxious when they first enter the program.

“When you’re working with a fearful dog, you’ve got to have them be exposed to that fear, right? Because you can’t conquer the fear if you just avoid it,” she said. “Once you conquer it, and then you see, ‘OK, I survived that.’ That’s a reward in itself, so I think that’s the same kind of therapeutic effect for our veterans.”

Walker said she began at Soldier’s Best Friend with the intention of learning to train and educate, but seeing the difference a service dog can make on a veteran is the most rewarding part.

“Being able to help veterans achieve that sense of independence again,” Walker said, “especially helping them communicate with their dogs more effectively and connect with their dogs … because they do come to trust each other.”

Stallings said Koda’s brother Kacey has been able to pick up on some of the skills Koda has learned. But they still get to spend their time together playing and being normal pets.

“One of the things I noticed a lot is when he’s not suited up, he’s just a dog,” Stallings said. “I watch him play in the backyard and when the mailman comes … he’s barking out of the window, ‘I see you, I see you,’ but as soon as I put the vest on him, it’s like flipping a light switch. It’s like, ‘OK, I’m working now.’”

Stallings said Soldier’s Best Friend only strengthened the bond between him and Koda, and now they’re more than just pet and owner.

“He acts like he has a purpose,” Stallings said.

Thunder The Wonder Dog

Just over a year ago, an injured, emaciated German Shepherd imprisoned in a plastic cone emerged from the woods of Mendocino County and entered the hearts and minds of the public. The dog who later came to be known as “Thunder the Wonder Dog” grew a global network of supporters who sat in wait for justice against his former owner. Last week, Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Clay Brennan sentenced Thunder’s abuser to a year probation and community service. Both Davina Liberty, the woman who found Thunder and rescued him from the woods, and Sheryl Armstrong, Thunder’s new owner, characterized the punishment as a “slap on the wrist” and they are counting on the Mendocino County District Attorney to appeal the decision and achieve justice.

On December 18, 2019, Davina Liberty, a Mendocino County coast resident, was in the woods near Caspar riding her horse when she saw a German Shepherd wearing a plastic cone and clearly injured and suffering from dehydration and starvation. She and her husband loaded Thunder into the back of a pickup truck and Thunder’s road to recovery began.

The case gained international notoriety as viral images of Thunder, clearly injured, began to circulate and an alarming story of a botched euthanasia emerged. Caspar resident Katie Rhiannon Smith emerged as the accused abuser of Thunder. The tale that emerged was one of neglect, attempted euthanasia at the end of a gun, and eventual abandonment of Thunder in the woods of coastal Mendocino County. October 2020 Smith pleaded no contest to animal abuse charges.

Smith’s sentencing hearing has once again launched the case of Thunder the Wonder Dog back into public consciousness after, as Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster put it, Superior Court Judge Clayton Brennan “diminish[ed] ongoing community and law enforcement efforts to hold animal abusers accountable for their crimes.” Smith was sentenced to one year of probation and 500 hours of community service for her botched euthanasia and abandonment of Thunder.

Sherly Armstrong adopted Thunder after he recovered from the bullet wounds and has given him a new life. On Armstrong’s Facebook page Thunder can be seen with a healthy lustrous coat smiling for the camera and passionately playing fetch.

Reacting to Smith’s punishment, Armstrong simply said, “Katie in my opinion was NOT punished. If anything, she was rewarded.” When Judge Brennan announced Smith’s sentencing, Armstrong said she was in “absolute shock.” She said  her “hands were shaking, my heart pounding, tears sprang out of my eyes.”

Armstrong said the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office did an “exemplary job” in their prosecution of Katie Rhiannon Smith for her abuse of Thunder, especially Deputy District Attorney Josh Rosenfeld and the Adult Probation Department. From the opening statement, Armstrong said she “had a positive feeling there would be a proper outcome.” Armstrong said Rosenfeld would always refer to the victim as “Thunder” and not “the dog” as Smith’s public defender did many times throughout the trial.

According to Armstrong, at the beginning of the trial Judge Brenna said he had received more letters than any other case he has been on. He characterized the letters as written by “animal rights activists” and Armstrong felt he said it “in a negative way.” Armstrong again noticed Judge Brennan’s language surrounding Thunder’s supporters later on in the proceedings when he called the supporters “Thunder’s Fan Club” which she perceived as trying to “cheapen them.” Armstrong said Judge Brennan made it point to say that  because the people who wrote the letters did not have all the information and evidence, therefore were not valid.”

Armstrong recounted Judge Brennan’s reading of Smith’s letter that described why she had attempted to euthanize Thunder. In the letter, Armstrong said Smith claimed Thunder bit her, her husband, and her children. The letter described the Smith family becoming isolated because they could no longer have friends due to Thunder. Smith wrote that Thunder would urinate and defecate in her home.

Liberty remembered that Smith and the Public Defender claimed that Thunder was prone to bite her, her family, and guests to their home. Liberty saw those claims as dubious because there was no evidence of scars or medical interventions that would have resulted from the violent dog they claimed Thunder to be. From rescuers’ experience with Thunder, Liberty said he was a “loving and cuddly dog.”

Armstrong said the entirety of Smith’s letter to the court read as if she  “just didn’t want [Thunder] anymore.” She also added that he has not once had an accident in the many months since Thunder has been rescued.

Armstrong said one of the most “sickening” statements she heard during the court proceedings was from the public defender who said, “If Thunder hadn’t lived, we would not be here today. She is guilty of being a lousy shot.” Recognizing the legality of a dog owner to euthanize their animal, Armstrong argued that the morality of euthanizing a pet is bound by “times of emergency when there is no way to get vet care,” saying that “none of that applies to Thunder’s situation.”

Liberty, a passionate horse rider, said she is not blind to the harsh realities of life with animals and understands the need to euthanize an animal during an emergency medical situation when an owner cannot access a veterinarian or in cases of a terminal illness. Liberty made clear that Thunder’s medical issues he was suffering from while in the hands of Smith were treatable with “medication you could get at a vet for $200.” She also emphasized the close proximity of veterinarians on the Mendocino County coast. Ultimately, she said, “this was definitely not a case where euthanasia was appropriate.”

Armstrong recounted what she said was a glaring hypocrisy in Smith’s plea for a light sentence when she requested from Judge Brennan that she not have to surrender her other dogs because she would be “devastated.” Judge Brennan complied with that request, and Armstrong fears that now Smith “can abuse as many animals as she wants.” The hypocrisy was once again on display for Armstrong when Judge Brennan suggested Smith serve her 500 hours of community service in an animal shelter where Judge Brennan argued Smith “could learn empathy.” Armstrong said she was sickened at this suggestion and questioned whether it was safe to have Smith around animals.

Armstrong described Judge Brennan suggesting that the Public Defender file a motion to reduce the defendant’s charges to a misdemeanor. Armstrong remembered the District Attorney objecting to the reduction of the charges, which was overruled. This act proved to Armstrong that Judge Brennan was not acting “fair or impartial.”

Armstrong emphasized that her criticism of Judge Brennan is “not because the sentence was not what we hoped. It was the absolute lack of impartiality, more than not being impartial, he sided and assisted the Defense.”

In the end, Armstrong thinks that Smith will serve “one year of informal, unsupervised probation.” She characterized Smith’s punishment as a “slap to Thunder and all the other abused animals that will not get justice.”

Liberty expressed concern that Smith’s probation and community punishment sets a bad precedent for Mendocino County, communicating that harsh penalties will not result for “neglecting, abusing, and abandoning an animal.”

After surviving three bullet wounds and abandonment in the Mendocino wilderness, Thunder is a “healthy, happy, and sweet boy,” said Armstrong. She characterized Thunder as loving and described him as her best buddy. At this point, she said he had gained 25 pounds by eating an organic diet. During cold weather, Armstrong said Thunder’s injuries can flare up, but he never wants to stop playing.

As Armstrong reflected on the last year, the adoption of Thunder, and the dramatic conclusion of the trial, she said, “Right now, my sweet boy is curled up by the fire. He doesn’t know the injustice that was done to him. I’m so glad he doesn’t know.. Armstrong vowed that the story of Thunder “is not over. The County of Mendocino is fighting for Thunder. It means the world that they are not just accepting this, and are pursuing justice, not only for Thunder but to hold this judge accountable.”

Scary Plane Ride With A Dog

Pet Therapy Program

One nursing home in the Bronx has picked up its dog therapy program that was suspended when the pandemic lockdown began in March, giving its residents the affection and physical contact they have longed for.

Zeus and Marley, Redwood, and Kida are part of the pet visiting program at the non-profit long-term care community, Hebrew Home at Riverdale. The dogs that are owned by staff members are bringing unlimited hugs and comfort to its members each day and residents are greeting their furry friends with open arms. Eileen Nagle, 79, looks forward to the visits she get from Zeus, an energetic Bichon Frise, that she calls a “friendly little snowball. “Petting and playing with the dogs breaks up the day and gets you to forget about yourself for a while,” she told the Associated Press.

For the last 20 years, Hebrew Home has had a pet therapy program in place, but with COVID the residents have been unable to see family members in-person with most restricted to virtual visits since March. Earlier this month the program was re-energized.

“Since our campus is closed to visitors, our residents are lacking the comfort and connection of another human being.  Our pet therapy is a bridge or surrogate to that intimate connection that residents long for and need.  It is essential,” said Catherine Farrell, Director of Therapeutic Activities and Enrichment Programs told Inside Edition Digital. “When they pet the dog and the dog responds to them, it serves as a mirroring process where the dog is giving them unconditional love and attention in a positive interaction.”

Farrell said her dog Marley, a great dane, loves her frequent visits to the nursing home.

“He enjoys interacting with the residents. I believe he knows that he is bringing them joy and that makes him happy,” she said.

Resident Elizabeth Pagan, who is recovering from a stroke, and misses seeing her children, grandchildren, and terrier-dachshund mix Ruby looks forward to the doggie visits.

“It means a lot to me, makes me feel good when I pet the dogs,” said Pagan who has only been able to see her family through FaceTime visits. “My favorite is Marley. He gives me a lot of comfort.”

Farrell said cats are also in the pet therapy program — but only robotic ones. The animatronic cats appear lifelike and purr and meow as residents hold them in their laps and stroke their fur. Farrell said the cats are especially soothing to people with dementia, the AP reported.

Daniel Reingold, founder of the pet therapy program and president and CEO of RiverSpring Health, nonprofit operator of 103-year-old home, got his rescue dog Kida, a chocolate Labrador retriever, involved.

“They’ve been on the floors bringing happiness and unconditional love to residents and staff alike,” Reingold told the AP.

Not every dog is eligible. The dogs involved in the program have to have the right temperament, according to Reingold.

“The dogs have to be assessed, follow basic commands and be able to cope with wheelchairs, elevators, medication carts, and all the other things they’ll encounter on a floor,” he said.

Kida wasn’t the only exciting new addition since the program started up again, Redwood, a mini poodle, has been another new recruit. Her first day on the job was Dec. 9 and according to the staff, she brought lots of joy.

Jeff Phillipson, 80, told the AP, “It’s uplifting to have Zeus come and visit me, especially with COVID and being restricted to my room.”

Farrell said that the best part about the pet therapy program is that the residents are able to interact with animals who may trigger memories of pets that they have had in their past histories.

“Not only are they engaging in a positive interaction in the present, but it also reminds them of positive interactions of their past,” she added. “So even if they cannot explicitly remember the name of their pets, they remember the feeling that animals give them.”

Therapy Robot Dogs

An interaction between children and a therapy dog goes something like this: the dog and its handler show up at a hospital, school, or other location. The kids pet the dog, the dog basks in their affection, and after the therapy dog leaves, the children just feel better.

It doesn’t sound very scientific, but it works — studies have shown that interactions with therapy dogs can increase kids’ feelings of wellbeing, reduce their stress levels, and improve their motivation.

Now, a University of Portsmouth study suggests that a robot dog may be just as effective as a real therapy dog — and possibly even better.

Not everyone who could benefit from a visit with a therapy dog has the option.

Children in hospitals might not be allowed to have furry visitors due to fears they’ll spread germs. Kids with dog allergies or phobias, meanwhile, might find that hanging out with a dog is a stressful experience, rather than a relaxing one.

If a robot dog could produce the same benefits as a traditional therapy dog, it could be a worthwhile alternative — it would be easier to sanitize, wouldn’t trigger any allergies, and might not be as scary to some kids.

A robot dog has some other advantages over a real therapy dog, too. It never needs to be fed, housed, or taken to the vet — just make sure its battery is charged, and the bot will be ready for its next therapy session.

Finally, while research suggests that therapy dogs really do enjoy their jobs, the grind can still take a toll on them.

“Although lots of people in schools and hospitals benefit greatly from receiving visits from a therapy dog, we have to be mindful of the welfare of the therapy dog,” researcher Olivia Barber said in a press release.

“Visits can be stressful and incredibly tiring for therapy dogs, meaning that we should be exploring whether using a robotic animal is feasible,” she continued.

To see whether a robot dog could possibly fill in for a therapy dog, Barber and her colleagues conducted a study with 34 children ages 11 and 12.

Each child was given up to five minutes to play with a therapy dog and up to five minutes with MiRo-E, a chihuahua-sized robot dog on wheels developed by Consequential Robotics.

“Four Paws And The End Of My Tale”

Camille Klump is a writer and military widow currently residing in southwest Florida whose passions include science, astronomy, world history, traveling and gardening. She has published her new book “Four Paws and the End of My Tale”: a touching memoir of a loyal and loving canine companion.

“Four Paws and the End of My Tale” delivers a powerful ending to the Four Paws trilogy. It describes how the canine hero, Woofy, adapts to life in the USA with his military family. Once again, he fosters a connection between the elderly and the young, and when he becomes a school crossing guard, his ability to detect illness and heal, is embraced by not only the children he serves, but their military parents as well. When his owners volunteer him to work with wounded warriors, he decides to prepare his own puppies for a life of loyalty, obedience, and service. He teaches them how to understand and protect humans, how to give them the comfort and healing they need, and at the end of his tale, and close to death, he offers them wisdom in one final lesson—how to let go and say goodbye. In a heartwarming tribute, his beloved mistress, now grown up, takes some of his remains back to the island where he was born, and decides to honor his legacy by allowing his puppies, Wolf and Whistle, to volunteer at her clinic, The K9 Crosser. They continue to heal those around them and help their new mistress train other dogs to become service animals for those that are suffering physically and emotionally.

Published by Page Publishing, Camille Klump’s engrossing book is a compelling story that touches on the serious and sometimes heartbreaking issues faced by military families and celebrates their lives of service and sacrifice.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase “Four Paws and the End of My Tale” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

Emotional Support Dog Helps On Christmas

A Vernon woman is giving anyone who will be alone over Christmas the chance to borrow her emotional support dog, Lenny, in an effort to make this COVID Christmas a little less lonely.

Lenny’s owner, Michelle Salt, said with the pandemic keeping plenty of family and friends separated this Christmas she wanted to offer her dogs companionship to those who might be lonely.

“Lenny has this incredible gift, she really knows how to make people happy,” Salt told iNFOnews.ca, Dec. 22.

Salt describes Lenny as “hilarious” with a “big personality.”

She said she won’t be lonely this Christmas and doesn’t want others to be.

The seven-year-old Boxer cross is a registered emotional support pet who came into Salt’s life about four years ago.

Salt, who is a two-time Paralympic snowboarder, said she developed PTSD following a serious motorcycle crash 10 years ago.

She said Lenny knows when people are stressed and has a knack for calming people down. Lenny will actually sense if Salt is going to have a panic attack and make sure she’s nearby.

The main requirement for anyone wanting Lenny’s company this Christmas is that they must be able to handle endless cuddles on the couch.

Support Dog For Officers

Service Dog Found

A service dog who went missing Dec. 12 following a wreck on Interstate 95 was found Wednesday not far from the crash scene in Occoquan and appears to be doing fine.

Volunteers with Pibbles4Hope, a nonprofit in eastern Prince William offering aid to homeless and low-income pet owners, had been helping in the search since the dog, Kilo, ran away from the crash scene.

Pibbles4Hope founder Ann-Marie Thacker Johnson teamed up with Brenda Wilson of Lost and Found Pets Prince William, to distribute thousands of fliers and put out trail cameras in the area where Kilo was thought to be. From witness accounts, it appears Kilo was hit by a truck over the weekend on the Va. 123/I-95 ramp, so cameras were placed in an Occoquan neighborhood near that area. Early this morning, Kilo appeared on a trail cam, seemingly uninjured. As it turns out, Johnson said, a few residents in the neighborhood had seen Kilo and had been feeding him for a few days.

On Wednesday evening, those neighbors managed to lure him with treats, including steak, and corner him on one of their decks until they could reach Johnson and Kilo’s owner Andrew Breidenbach.

Johnson posted photos on Facebook with Kilo, still wearing his service vest. In one photo, Kilo’s giving kisses to Johnson and in another he’s “hugging” his owner. Kilo is a PTSD service dog that Breidenbach, a Richmond area resident, has owned for four years. Breidenbach’s immediate family lives in Woodbridge.

Johnson said finding the missing dog was a huge effort involving what she called “Team Kilo” volunteers from as far away as Maryland donating time, money, trail cameras and traps. Johnson herself emailed more than 1,000 veterinarians asking them to be on the lookout in case someone came in with Kilo, who is microchipped.

Once Kilo was found Wednesday evening, Wilson from Lost and Found Pets had him checked out at Tackett’s Mill Animal Hospital, which donated the exam and bloodwork. Kilo appears to not have suffered any serious injuries from his time outside or being struck by a car.

After the vet check, Kilo visited Johnson’s garage, where she gave him treats and toys from her homeless outreach program.