LOVING COMPANION SUPPORTS MENTAL HEALTH FOR LOYOLA’S STUDENTS

As a college student, it is common to desire extra sleep. But for a college student struggling with chronic depression, it is hard to wake up and deal with reality. Vanilla Bean is one student’s motivation.

Bean is a one-year-old short-haired black French Bulldog and an emotional support animal. Every morning this small companion is the reason that Leigh Ann Ordonez ’21 gets out of bed to start her day.

“Knowing that I have to take care of her in the morning gives me a reason to wake up. It’s a good motivation to get up in the morning and take care of myself because I have this little thing that relies on me.”

At home, Ordonez had an older dog that acted as her emotional support animal: “I had her since eighth grade and that was peak depression hours before I was medicated; it was really bad. But she was a very steady thing in my life.” After her older dog passed away, Ordonez went through Disability Support Services, got permission, and completed all required paperwork to permit an emotional support animal on campus. Ordonez adopted Bean her sophomore year of college.

Even when Ordonez struggles with her mental health, Bean is always there to help. Animal companions help to create a sense of support which helps create resilience, according to Dr. Jeffrey Lating, a licensed psychologist and a professor at Loyola.

“One of the best behavioral ways to help cope with depression is to stay active, so having an animal companion, particularly a dog that requires walking, is good exercise for the person and the dog.”

Ordonez confirmed that there is a stigma around emotional support animals. “A lot of kids will see me with Bean and they’ll be like ‘oh, I wish I had my dog on campus,’ but the reality is that I have her because I’ve been struggling for years with depression.” Marcia Wiedefeld, Director of Disability Support Services, said that the biggest impact from emotional support animals is relieving stress and lifting depression.

Wiedefeld said that it’s not only beneficial to those struggling with their mental health, but for those with chronic conditions as well. Overall, emotional support animals positively impact Loyola students who might need them. “It’s having the responsibility to help students with mental health conditions that they might be grappling with,” said Wiedefeld.

No matter what, Bean is always there to support Ordonez, from when she wakes up in the morning to her return from class.

“If I am ever alone, I am not alone because I have this thing, so that’s nice,” Ordonez said.

Stress During COVID-19 Can Affect Your Dog or Cat

Lots of Californians are feeling cooped up and stressed out due to COVID-19. But there’s another member of the household whose mental state might be changing: our pets.

Experts say dogs and cats have stress thresholds, just like humans. And when there are too many changes — such as an owner working from home, the local dog park being closed or children not going to school — they can lose their coping mechanisms.

Plus, our anxiety can trickle down to them.

“They’re not sitting there wondering if we are gonna succumb to a horrible virus, but certainly our concerns become their concerns,” said Liz Stelow, a veterinary behaviorist at UC Davis.

While our emotions are contagious, our germs probably aren’t. There’s minimal evidence for human to animal spread of coronavirus, though two dogs, one cat and one tiger have been infected. Veterinarians say there is a small risk of dogs or cats spreading the virus between humans who touch them, but research shows it lasts much longer on hard, smooth surfaces like plastic than on fur.

Some obedience trainers say they’ve gotten an uptick in calls recently from owners whose dogs are acting strangely.

“There’s something new, there’s something that changed … and they start barking, chewing, digging, biting, fighting,” said James Summey, owner of JTS Dog Training in Sacramento. “It might have gone under the radar for a while, but that one little stressor just kind of pushes them over the edge, and it really shows [owners] what their dog’s true colors are.”

Summey says going back to basic obedience training reminds your dog that you’re in charge, which can help them feel safe.

“Repetition, patience, consistency … that’s what I encourage for all of my clients,” he said.

Many dog trainers have canceled home visits due to COVID-19 risk, but are offering courses remotely.

Kayla Corey, a trainer with a Northern California obedience company called Bark Busters, said one of the best things you can do for a dog or cat is to maintain their typical routines.

“If you normally take them on a morning walk or a nightly walk, continue to do that,” she said. “And if they are normally kenneled during the day while you’re at work, you need to still kennel them and separate yourself, maybe work in a home office or separate room.

“The consistency is really important,” Corey said.”The more time you have with your dog it’s essentially more time for them to train you.”

But Stelow, of UC Davis, points out that training is not an end-all-be-all solution. She says dogs that are exhibiting anxious or aggressive behavior, either toward their owners or toward other dogs, might have something more complicated going on.

“[Fighting] is not an obedience issue at all, it’s an emotional issue,” she said. “And any more than you’d expect a school teacher to deal with a child’s emotional issue, you can’t ask a trainer to deal with a dog’s emotional issue. You need the equivalent of a therapist. Your dog probably needs anti-anxiety medication while you work out whatever else is going on.”

Veterinary behaviorists can write those prescriptions, but Stelow says many are not seeing new patients due to COVID-19. She suggests concerned pet owners call their veterinarians to ask about behavioral treatment.

Even without professional help, there are steps owners can take to maintain a state of normalcy for dogs and cats under the current orders. For one, Stelow says owners should keep an eye on how their own emotional state affects their pets.

“If I had a dog that was particularly worried when I melted down, I might try to find another place in the house to do that, so he didn’t have to take part in it,” she said.

Finding ways to give your pet alone time, or even giving them some distance when they growl or hiss rather than reprimanding them, can help them stay calm, she said.

“When you’re trapped at home with your dog who’s growling at you and you ask him to stop, he may end up escalating,” she said. “Take it as a warning that they’d like you to step away, and actually do that.”

Check Out Tonka The Therapy Dog

A therapy dog named Tonka had to put a twist on his visits to a local nursing home due to the coronavirus, but the mission is still the same.

“We’re so excited to just be able to make them smile today,” Tonka’s owner, Courtney Leigh, told NBC affiliate KXAN.

The lovable Great Dane was recognized as the “Hero of the Day” on TODAY Thursday for brightening spirits of elderly residents under quarantine at Cedar Pointe Health and Wellness Suites in Cedar Park, Texas.

Cedar Pointe has discontinued all visits for precautionary purposes because of the spread of the coronavirus, which top health officials have said presents a higher risk of complications to people over 60.

As for Tonka, leading health officials have said that there is no present evidence that dogs can get coronavirus.

The quarantine didn’t stop Leigh and Tonka from spreading cheer, as she recently took him up to many residents’ windows so they could wave and say hello.

“We really missed our visits, and I thought, ‘What can I do personally on my own to try and continue some of the feel-good this wonderful dog gives to everyone?”’ Leigh said. “Certainly it’s a safe space with the window as a barrier, just walking around the outside.”

Some residents even made homemade signs telling Tonka they missed him. Leigh also carried a sign that read “We miss you,” letting the residents know someone was thinking about them during a difficult time.

There have been several sweet moments outside nursing homes across the country during the coronavirus pandemic.

A woman was able to show her beloved grandfather her new engagement ring through a window at his nursing home in North Carolina, while a man separated from his wife of 67 years celebrated their anniversary with a sweet sign outside her nursing home in Connecticut.

“It can be so isolating, especially for our older Americans, and it’s not safe for kids or grandkids to be around, but we can still say, ‘We love you and we’re thinking about you and we see you,”’ Savannah Guthrie said on TODAY Thursday.

HELP PUPPIES During this pandemic.

Amid the coronavirus scare, thousands of animals are at risk of being trapped and alone, including innocent dogs who could be abandoned in puppy mills and left to languish without food or water. These pups already endure a life of suffering and are even more vulnerable as businesses close their doors without disaster plans in place.

Hungry and confused, these poor creatures — and thousands of others in roadside zoos, research labs and more — could wither down to skin and bones while desperately awaiting their guardians’ uncertain return. They deserve to be protected from starvation and abandonment.

After Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, aimed at protecting household pets and service animals during emergencies. Unfortunately, animals stuck in commercial facilities are not covered under the law.

H.R. 1042, or the Providing Responsible Emergency Plans for Animals at Risk of Emerging Disaster (PREPARED) Act, would require all facilities regulated under the Animal Welfare Act to have approved emergency response plans in place to help the animals in their care should a disaster occur, holding commercial animal dealers, exhibitors, and research labs throughout the United States responsible for ensuring that animals receive adequate protection during distressing times.

As the most recent pandemic shows, tragedy can strike in an instant. Congress must act diligently to ensure that animals are not left behind in times of crisis.

Sign this petition urging the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to treat this legislation with the urgency it deserves and immediately work to pass the PREPARED Act, protecting dogs trapped in puppy mills, captive wildlife in roadside zoos, animals caged in research labs and other animals during emergencies.

Dog walkers are feeling the impact on COVID-19

Schools have been shut down, families are adjusting to isolated living and many businesses have had to close their doors to loyal customers.

We felt the need to stand up in our community and say ‘stay home’. The risk of the disease spreading was getting worse,” said Josh Dieleman, Scarboro Music’s sales and marketing manager.

“We felt we needed to help flatten the curve so we did the one thing we could do and closed up.”

In addition to closing the retail store at the corner of Victoria Park Avenue and Kingston Road, Scarboro Music has stopped its in-person music lessons.

“We decided right away to take our lessons online, as well as our weekly jam session we run at the store,” Dieleman said.

The team at Scarboro Music is working very hard to deliver online content, he said. Teaching staff are creating videos that are “informative, educational and fun for everyone.”

Making the shift to online content has been a learning curve for all businesses affected by the provincially ordered closure of non-essential services. “We have been doing online auctions and virtual trunk shows,” Nissani said. “These have been possible with the help of our suppliers and innovative thinkers. The most important part of the success is the spirit and the gratitude people had for the distraction”

With the closure of off-leash dog-parks in Toronto that was announced on March 25, Burns has been thrown an added curveball in trying to maintain her business.

“We can no longer go to off-leash parks so we’re getting creative,” said Burns. “We either bring them home or take them to open spaces like the beach.”

A large part of why Burns’ clients chose Lovabulls is the service standard of allowing for off-leash playtime and socialization with the dogs.

Burns counts herself lucky to have a yard with a space large enough for this playful crowd. Many who run dog-walking services may not have the resources to adapt to the recent off-leash dog park closures.

With so many people staying home due to isolation policies, Burns has been facing a loss of work.

A large portion of income for Lovabulls is through boarding services. Due to travel bans and cancelled trips, all boarding requests have been withdrawn.

“I’ve had cancellations either for the reason of social distancing or for the fact that clients are home and they don’t need me.”

Burns has made the shift for Lovabulls to provide contactless service in response to concerns about COVID-19.

“I pick the dogs up from the back yard and then drop them off again in the backyard. Or clients just send their dogs outside the front door and they run to the car,” Burns said. “We don’t even hand over leashes anymore. I have my own leashes that I put on the dogs.”

Before COVID-19 began to affect business for Burns, she took out roughly 15-20 dogs a day, now she is only taking out 10.

Though Burns has been creative in adapting Lovabulls in every possible way she can think of, she is worried that she may need to close off her service at some point in the future

Dog Trainers are Creating Program

Tom Loy of Tallgrass Gordon Setters sits by the whelping box, where a litter of 3-day-old setter puppies navigate their tiny universe from behind closed eyes. One by one, Loy lifts the puppies from the box and runs them through a series of brief exercises. When he is finished, the puppies go back into the box and crawl close to their mother.

Those lessons continue for the next 13 days, and while the exercises have nothing to do with bird hunting—at least, not directly—they effectively teach Loy’s setter puppies how to manage stress. Years later, this early training results in dogs that are less timid, more social, and better equipped to handle the stressful situations that any working dog encounters in the field.

Super Puppies

The program Loy uses (Google “bio sensor programs” for more details) was pioneered by the U.S. military as part of an effort to improve the performance of service dogs. Research shows that shortly after birth, puppies and other mammals are particularly responsive to stimuli, and that early stimulation can improve overall health. Exposing puppies to stimuli has been shown to increase brain function, which boosts overall confidence while reducing stress-linked behaviors such as biting or growling. Originally dubbed “bio-sensor training,” these exercises are now known as the Super Puppy program.

From the age of 3 days to 16 days, each puppy in the program is exposed to five stimuli once each day. These include being held in head-up, head-down, and supine (on the back) positions; cotton-swab stimulation on the paws; and being laid on a cold washcloth. Each phase, which doesn’t inflict pain so much as discomfort, lasts just seconds, and after the training is complete, the dogs are returned to their mother.

This program has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, increase adrenal gland function and brain activity, and improve a puppy’s resistance to stress and disease. Similar tests on mice and primates have shown identical results. Loy is a practitioner in the Super Puppy program, and has started exposing all of his puppies to early stimulation.

“I noticed that in every litter, I had a few shy puppies that wanted to hide or weren’t socializing,” Loy says. “With the Super Puppy program, I don’t see that nearly as much. Timid dogs become bolder and are more social.”

As gun dogs mature and begin training, they are exposed to stressors—everything from check cords to e-collars and gunshots. By learning to deal with pressure as very young pups, Loy’s setters can process field stimulations in stride. They’re generally ready for more-advanced training as compared with pups that have not been through the program, Loy says.

County Leash Law

In February Albemarle County adopted a “leash law” that requires all dogs to be on a leash whenever they are off the property of their owner or custodian, also known as “running at large.”

A dog is deemed to be “running at large” while roaming, running, or self-hunting off the property of its owner or custodian without being secured by a physical leash or lead attached to a collar or harness.

There are exceptions for the following cases: dogs on a bona fide hunt; dogs participating in field trials; dogs in fenced dog parks (such as at Crozet Park); certain service dogs; exercising hunting dogs; search and rescue dogs; and working farm dogs.

Property owners may give permission to a dog’s owner for their dog to be on the property without a leash.

Pets offer support

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are practicing social distancing and self-quarantine — two measures epidemiologists agree are critical to slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, social isolation can take a toll on mental and even physical health. Scientific research has shown that loneliness and social isolation can induce negative health effects that rival those of obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

More now than ever is the time to be thankful you share life with a pet! Amid the coronavirus outbreak, animal friends are providing daily emotional support to millions of people around the globe and having a positive impact on human health and well being.

In May 2019, a group of public health, research, gerontology, and veterinary leaders gathered at a summit in Washington, D.C. to discuss the role companion animals can play in curbing societal loneliness. Results released by the consortium included: 85% of respondents agree interaction with pets can help reduce loneliness, 76 percent agree human-pet interactions can help address social isolation, and 72 percent believe human-animal interaction is good for their community.

Companion animals can make a real difference in human mental health, particularly during stressful situations like the current pandemic.

Psychologist Evan MacLean at the University of Arizona sites numerous studies that suggest pets can have a stress buffering effect on people going through challenging times. This effect is not only in terms of people’s perceived sense of well-being, but also in terms of physiological measures like heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol — a hormone involved in stress responses. Part of the effect is probably very similar to the support we get from our human friends and family, who can help us to weather the storm. Likely, pets provide that same kind of social support, as figures that will be beside us through thick and thin.

Quarantine, and even social distancing, is meant to impose an isolation that most of us, as a highly social species, work hard throughout our lives to avoid. Even the most introverted of us need company.

Pets’ simple presence, and their willingness to be touched, is deeply satisfying during a time like the present. Reading on the couch is greatly improved by a dog’s head resting on our leg; a warm nuzzle directed at us is instantly calming; the rhythm of a purring feline motor on our lap is soothing.

Do not sit around worrying but rather, refocus your mental energy on playing pounce with your kitty or taking a scenic walk with your pup. Take breaks to just sit with your animal friend for some gentle petting. You will both be feeling relaxed in no time.

Are you working remotely from home? Even though you may not be in the office, hopefully you are enjoying your new “coworkers” who keep you company throughout the day — your pets!

Please keep in mind that veterinary care is considered “essential” at a time like this. The healthcare of pets translates to the human-animal bond which becomes even more important during crises.

We all will come out of the COVID-19 pandemic with a fuller appreciation of the privilege that it is to keep the company of animals.

Pets give comfort during crisis

Lala, a 3-month-old black Lab, romped into Ufuoma George’s life a few weeks ago, just as she retreated into her New York apartment in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lala, she thought, would be company. But she’s turned out to be so much more.

“Being alone at home kind of is hard,” says George, “but with a pet you have someone to take care of, someone to play with you, someone to greet you in the morning, so it’s kind of like really calming and comforting.”

Whether it’s a dog, a cat or, yes, a hedgehog named Quillie Nelson, pets are proving to be unexpected heroes in lockdown. They include the newly adopted and fostered like Lala; people have flooded shelters, looking for pets to fill their extra hours at home.

Laura Evans, her husband and their three kids brought 12-week-old Zoe to their Bethesda, Maryland, home after the pandemic hit. The squirmy Yorkshire terrier needs constant attention, and they’re happy to oblige.

“We wanted to bring a little light and life to our house,” Evans said. “She’s a cuddly work, homework sidekick. Everyone wants to hang with her.”

Nancy Karan said her pet Shadow gets her out of her New York apartment for quality time with her fellow dog walkers, at a safe distance. At night they sleep together, “because it’s very comforting just to have his body on my bed.”

In Houston, Quillie Nelson and other pets help maintain routines for Rachael Pavlik and two teens.

“I think having pets during a scary time like this is good for the whole family. It’s good for the kids to have a sense of normalcy and a sense of responsibility, like they have to get out of bed before noon to feed their animals,” she said.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, urged more people to foster and adopt as the health crisis worsens.

“It frees up space in the shelter to take these animals in that may be displaced because their family member, their owner is ill or financially in a troubled situation,” she said.

While many people seek comfort, some frustrations have surfaced with all the togetherness. Professional dog trainer Nicole Ellis in Los Angeles, of the service Rover.com, said owners should make a conscious effort to tire out their animals before a Zoom meeting or important phone call.

“We can’t blame them if they’re like, ‘I’m bored! I’m bored!’ and they haven’t done anything all day. It’s not their fault,” she said.

That doesn’t seem to be a problem for Squiggles, a bearded dragon in South Orange, New Jersey. Dan Cohen’s 13-year-old daughter, Julia, has survived with help from her chill lizard, who has her own emotional support vest and tiny mask.

“We don’t want her catching coronavirus,” he joked.

Aubrey Fine, a licensed psychologist and professor emeritus at California Polytechnic State University, said the relationship is mutually beneficial between humans and animals.

“In a time of tremendous and unique life challenges, goodness is still around us. When you’re looking at souls, animals touch human souls and humans touch animal souls. And together serendipity can happen.”

Township’s first dog park and handicap-accessible playground

Girl Scouts Keaira Lutz and Katie Mericle, a junior and senior at Parkland High School, are moving forward with building North Whitehall Township’s first dog park and a nearby handicap-accessible playground, coronavirus or not. The two are pictured with Lutz’s dog, Buster.

It’s a dual project nearly three years in the making, and two Girl Scouts have their eye on the finish line: North Whitehall Township’s first dog park and a nearby handicap-accessible playground, coronavirus or not.

They reached a crucial turning point at a virtual meeting this week, where the board of supervisors awarded a bid to Semmel Excavating of Allentown for $119,303 to begin construction at Kolapechka Park, targeted for late May and finishing in late July.

“Does anyone in the audience have any comments?” a masked township Manager Christopher Garges asked a WebEx audience Monday night.

In the background on a microphone, a dog started barking.

“Somebody’s dog does,” a caller remarked.

Keaira Lutz and Katie Mericle, a junior and senior at Parkland High School, initially had two separate ideas for their Gold Award projects — the equivalent of the Eagle project in Boy Scouts — that they quickly realized would make sense together.

Lutz sees friends walking dogs along the roads of North Whitehall Township, not exactly a sidewalk community, and wanted to build something that could help them play safely. She has three dogs herself, and picked up a job at Colonial Kennel in Whitehall Township in the fall to try to better learn her future clientele.

Mericle, who has cerebral palsy, wanted to create a playground that kids like her could enjoy. She never really played on traditional playgrounds, the mulch being difficult to navigate in a wheelchair and traditional swings requiring too much balance.

“I wanted to make sure other kids younger than me don’t experience that, because you get left out,” she said.

The two have been friends since middle school. Once Lutz entered high school, they both started brainstorming these ideas, realizing they made the ideal pairing.

“Service dogs can have fun and play with other dogs while being close to their kids,” Lutz explained.

They brought design ideas to the township, whose engineer helped them craft blueprints for approval by the supervisors and parks and recreation board. The dog park design has two fenced areas, one for smaller and one for larger dogs, totaling about half an acre, with agility equipment, poop bag stands and watering stations.

There’s an existing playground at Kolapechka Park, but Mericle’s would constitute a separate section. For now, the design calls for a rubber foam ground and two double-oodle swings, where the child can be strapped in like on a roller coaster. She has a vision for nine other playground pieces to add to the project in future phases.

“These are probably the two biggest projects that I’ve seen,” Garges, the township manager, said of other Scout projects involving the township, which often consist of trail kiosks or fencing.

The Gold Award requires a minimum 80 hours of service, and traditionally must be completed by Sept. 30 of the year a Girl Scout graduates from high school. This project involves significant infrastructure costs that the Girl Scouts will help pay for through fundraisers and the township wants to supplement with grants, he said.

After excavation, surfacing and equipment purchases, the project is estimated to cost $180,442, he said. The troop has hosted a slew of fundraisers so far, including cookie sales, a dog social and a 5K at the park, and raised about $3,600 so far. They have more fundraisers planned that are on hold due to the coronavirus.

The rest will come from local donations, grants Garges applied for from the Chamber of Commerce and developers’ recreation fees from the North Valley Trade Center warehouse project that was approved in January.

“We picked up the ball and pulled everything together,” Garges said.

With the bid out, but construction at a halt due to a state shutdown of non-life-sustaining business, it’s a wait-and-see game for whether the groundbreaking can still happen in late May. The girls are assembling signage themselves and will get to help put some of their own equipment in, when the time comes. “It’s moving forward and that’s all we care about,” Mericle said.

Service dogs welcome in store, but not kids

Single parents are expressing their frustration after Menards announced a new policy not allowing children under the age of 16 inside the store because of COVID-19.

The company posted the message on it’s website explaining anyone who appears to be under the age of 16 will be asked to show ID. The policy also calls for no pets inside the store. Service dogs are still welcome.

For single mother Tahnesha Anyik, the new policy is a “misstep.” She arrived at the store Saturday with her four-year-old daughter to buy toilet paper. She walked up to the doors only to find a sign saying her child was not welcome.

“I just stood there and stared at this sign like this might be the one place that has toilet tissue and I can’t go in,” Anyik said.

Anyik told 10TV’s Angela Reighard as a single parent, it made her feel “frustrated.” She is not alone. Parents in other states have taken to Facebook also voicing their concerns about the rule.

10TV reached out to Menards to see if they could provide an explanation for parents. A local store manager connected us to a corporate customer service line. No one answered our calls and we were unable to leave a voicemail. 10TV submitted a comment via the Menards website. A guest services representative sent us a reply via email.

“We need to protect the children above all from this terrible virus, so that is just basic!! Service animals have been and still are welcome,” the representative said.

10TV asked the representative if they have any message for single parents, or any parent, who doesn’t have childcare and would like to shop at their store. We received no reply.

For Anyik, she hopes Menards will reconsider the policy and make some accommodations.

“It didn’t make sense to me really,” she said. “[Maybe they could] set hours where the first couple of hours are for single parents or people at-risk.”

Anyik said thanks to a friend’s spouse, she was able to get toilet paper. Once life begins to return to normal, she is unsure if she will shop at Menards again.

Belfast dog fouling service suspended

Belfast City Council is asking residents to be extra vigilant about cleaning up behind dogs, after announcing a temporary halt to its dog fouling service.

The council has stated the Dog Warden Service is currently working within a limited capacity due to the coronavirus emergency, and has suspended the complaints service regarding dog fouling.

The Dog Warden will continue to respond to urgent requests for assistance in relation to dog attacks or dangerous dogs, requests regarding prohibited dog breeds, and requests concerning stray dogs.

The dog fouling service includes an online complaint log, which will continue.

People are asked where the dog fouling is, the time it occurred, the time the offending dog is usually walked, as well as a description of the dog. In normal times, if a dog is caught fouling in a public place and the walker fails to pick it up, they can be fined £80, reduced to £50 if paid within 10 days. If the offender doesn’t pay this fine, it could increase up to £1,000 in court.

It is also an offence to be in control of any more than four dogs, at any one time, while out in public. This once again can result in a fine of £80, or prosecution.

Over the past year 102 fines were issued by Belfast City Council for dog fouling. 264 fines were issued for failing to have a dog licence, and 356 fines were issued for straying.

Dog-walking service

Heather Hiram, of the Safe and Sound Hound dog-walking service in Edinburgh, was furious after a video was posted by Alana Mullen, who was working for Pilrig Paws.

A professional dog walker has been awarded £3,000 in damages from a business rival who accused her on social media of mistreating the animals.

Heather Hiram, 41, who runs the Safe and Sound Hound dog-walking service in Edinburgh, was furious after a video was posted by Alana Mullen, who was working for Pilrig Paws. The pair did not know each other but walked pets in the capital’s Pilrig Park. The video appeared to show dogs inside a van panting as temperatures outside reached 20C.

Ms Mullen, 30, also claimed to have “caught and confronted” the other dog walker, accusing her of “not being able to control” the pets. Former solicitor Heather insisted her vehicle had air conditioning, cooling mats and open windows and she demanded the video be removed but that request was ignored.

The clips, posted in June 2018, showed Mullen and a friend confronting Heather and were shared more than 1500 times, racking up 37,000 views and attracting dozens of critical comments.

Heather launched a defamation action for £5000 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, saying that she had been deliberately targeted and the video led to a deterioration in her business by losing clients.

She said she had spent £4000 transforming her van and it was the same system used by the SSPCA.

Mullen claimed the statements in the video were true but Sheriff Adrian Cottam ordered her to hand over £3000 and make a public apology.

“Clearly the reputation of a dog walker would be lowered in the opinion of any right-minded person reading it.

“In fact, the comments posted showed the feeling of repulsion and rage against the pursuer.

“The main issue was the risk posed to the dogs. Here, I preferred the evidence of the pursuer with regard to the modifications made and the fact the adaptations took away the usual risk of dogs in hot cars.

“To post comments implying the risk of the temperature and comments and video relating to the harm that could be caused is clearly defamatory if in fact the dogs had not been left in a situation where such risk arose.

“I am therefore satisfied that the pursuer has successfully pled her case and I find in her favour.”

Mullen later said: “I regret not letting Heather speak and, moreover, I accept that I jumped to certain conclusions that day, which turned out to be wrong.

“When I wrote the post, I was unaware of the extent and level of Heather’s training and experience and I understand now she is as passionate about her own dogs as she is about the dogs in her care.

“I believe Heather to be a very professional dog walker and I am truly sorry for suggesting otherwise.”

Second Service dog found dead

The owner of a missing service dog said the dog was found dead in the same pond her other service dog was found.

According to a Facebook post, when scuba divers were first looking for the service dogs, they found Orso but could not find Lucia until Tuesday because she was covered in weeds.

The owner, Mary Ann Powers, thanked everyone for the love and compassion she received during the search and said the two dogs will be buried in about a week.

“Update. It is with a heavy heart and many tears that we inform you that Lucia was found in the pond with her brother. The scuba divers didn’t see her she was cover In weeds. I am so taking back with all the love and compassion from every for your compassion for Lucia and Orso. In my heart or hearts I thought we would find her. Everyone gave 200% trying to find her. The money will be donated to the search and rescue for Corsos. But it will not stop there i am going to morn our loss then i am going to start an organization a 501c that helps these dogs there MUST be advocates for these dogs I have seen dogs beaten to death, used for fighting and just tossed out THESE people must be held accountable. I will start working with Senator Tedesco and alot of people are getting ready to join up but this needs to stop! Its sick and it is far from not over. Lucia will be home with her brother in a week or so we will bury them but they will not have died in vain. If your ready to take on the the law makers to get some laws passed protecting these animals and making it a criminal offence please contact me next week. Thank you again for all your prayers and hope God Bless you with all our love Mary, Gil. Orso and Lucia thank you from our hearts.”

Benitez steps up

Jenn Benitez of Radcliff was 14-years-old and living in her home state of Wisconsin when she witnessed a young girl on a bicycle get struck by a car. According to Benitez, the child survived, but the situation could have been much worse if she wasn’t there.

“People just froze in fear,” she said. “Nobody would act so I went running and stopped the car and got them to back up. After that it was instinct, administrating first aid and calling 911. I then started pointing at people saying ‘you need to do this, you need to do that.’”

For Benitez, this moment was the spark that ignited her passion for helping those in dire situations. This passion has extended throughout many state lines, from Austin, Texas, to Mobile, Alabama. Now, Benitez is helping residents of Hardin County amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Benitez is the founder of Hardin County KY #Stand2gether, a Facebook group serving as a community network for Hardin County residents to help each other by donating needed items such as food, medical supplies and sanitation items.

Since its creation on March 20, more than 1,000 Facebook users have joined the group.

Benitez and other moderators serve as group liaisons, picking up supplies from those who wish to donate and dropping them off to those in need. When someone in the group expresses a need for certain items, a “mayday” is issued in the group, requesting donations.

Le Ann Crigler, a fellow moderator for the group, said she met Benitez through the group and instantly was impressed by her desire to proactively respond to the needs of local residents.

“I was impressed by Jenn’s intro to the group and about coming together as a community with the pandemic,” she said. “I knew I wanted to join the group because, like a lot of people, I am feeling unsure and lost during this time and was looking for a way to communicate with others and to be a part of something greater that is out there.”

The Facebook group also serves as a resource for updates on COVID-19 and regional responses to the virus. In addition, group members regularly share positive content to help alleviate anxiety.

“You should never deprive somebody of hope,” Benitez said. “That may be all they have left.”

During many deliveries and pickups, Benitez poses for a photo with those donating or receiving items while putting up two fingers – an allusion to the group’s name.

With years of experience working in emergency medicine, Benitez said she takes several precautions to ensure she can safely pick up and deliver donations. These precautions include sanitizing items, keeping a safe distance from donation recipients and sometimes repackaging donations when necessary.

Moving to the area seven years ago, Benitez served for 14 years as a paramedic while living in Alabama and Texas. Throughout her time living in these states, Benitez endured and helped others amid several natural and man-made disasters.

While living in Mobile, Benitez was displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Though she had to live in a tent in her front yard after the devastation, Benitez said she acquired a donated refrigerator truck to disperse food to those in the area.

Benitez also assisted those reeling from the destruction caused by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Ike in 2008 while living in Mobile.

Benitez said her efforts assisting in disaster relief has prepared her for helping those affected by COVID-19 locally.

“In Katrina, we didn’t have time for red tape and B.S.,” she said. “We needed help immediately and that’s what people need right now. They need hope and they need help.”

In addition, Benitez said she served on an underwater search and recovery team after the 1993 Big Bayou Canot rail accident in Mobile, which killed 47 people after a train derailed off the CSX Transportation Big Bayou Canot Bridge. She said she also helped in recovery efforts after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, in which an estimated 210 million gallons of oil from oil and gas company BP was spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.

While living in Austin, Benitez served as a rescuer after the 1997 Jarrell tornado, one of the most destructive F5 tornadoes ever recorded. The tornado resulted in the deaths of 27 people in Jarrell, Texas.

“As much as I’ve been a victim from disasters and catastrophes, I never let it stop me from what everybody should be doing, which is being there for each other,” she said.

Before her days in Hardin County were consumed with deliveries, Benitez served as a restaurant cook and stayed busy with her small business specializing in canine obedience and service dog training. She was laid off amid restaurant dine-in closures and her dog training client base has shrunk amid the outbreak.

Benitez opened her business, Karma’s Dreams Dog Training Academy, shortly after graduating from Penn Foster College with a degree in animal sciences and dog obedience training.

Throughout the past two decades, Benitez said she has worked with various animal rescue organizations and shelters throughout the country and even worked with an American-funded animal sanctuary in the Baja peninsula of Mexico.

Through Karma’s Dreams Dog Training Academy, Benitez visits dog owners at their homes to provide services. She said her ultimate goal is to one day acquire a building where she can operate a canine daycare and behavioral management facility.

“I’d like to take in so many rescues a month and train them for the chance of a better home and a better life,” she said.

Crigler said through and through, Benitez puts others first.

“She’s definitely a giver,” she said. “I tell her on a daily basis to slow down and to take care of herself. When someone needs help in the community, she’s usually the first to respond, making deliveries late into the night.”

Conroe car crash survivor seeks help

A car crash survivor who is recovering from her injuries is pleading for the Conroe community to help her find her dog.

“Exhausted and devastated,” Kristi Hinds continues to post on social media and missing pet pages that she has lost her dog Grace after hydroplaning and hitting a tree on Saturday at New Bethlehem Baptist Church at 14630 Millmac Road in Conroe.

“Grace bolted out the door when three people were pulling me out of the smoking vehicle,” Hinds, who has used Grace as a service dog, wrote.

While Hinds has been released from the hospital and continues to recover with a broken leg in her hometown of Orange, she still needs help finding Grace and getting her back home.

Grace was last spotted on Saturday in a field across from neighbors on Willis Waukegan Road. She has on a purple collar and black shock collar with her name and the phone number 409-779-9373. She does not have a chip.

“She is so scared and skittish,” said Hinds who is normally around her dog 24/7. “Grace is a chocolate lab that looks silver. Please let me know if you have any information or find her.”

Principal dies in fire, family searching for dog who ran from scene

Kanawha County school officials have confirmed the woman who died in a fire last week in Big Chimney was a former principal.

Melissa Cisco died in a house fire that was reported around 9 a.m. Friday in the 4500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, according to a spokesperson with Kanawha County Schools.

Cisco retired in 2001 from Clendenin Elementary School. She started working for Kanawha County Schools in 1960.

The family is looking for their pet dog who ran away from the fire scene. Maxx is a small black and tan dog, who also serves as a service animal. He was wearing a red harness when his family took him out of the burning home.

The family said Maxx could be in the Big Chimney or Elkview areas. Anybody with information on the animal should call (304) 545-7646.

Police watchdog clears West Shore RCMP in altercation

The West Shore RCMP has been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to a suicidal man who was seriously injured after being subdued by a conducted energy weapon (CEW) and police service dog last spring.

Because the man’s injuries occurred in connection to the actions of police, the Independent Investigation Office (IIO) was notified to investigate whether “unauthorized or excessive force was used by any officer.”

A report released on April 7 states the officers involved were faced with a situation that was “bound to give rise to a very high-risk assessment,” but they exercised restraint by trying, over an extended period of time, to take the man into custody without harm.

Just after 1:30 a.m. on April 22, 2019, RCMP received two 911 calls — one from a man’s mother who told police her son was suicidal and was planning to jump off a bridge, the second was from the man himself stating that he was planning to inject himself with a syringe filled with gasoline.

RCMP were able to locate the man through cell phone ‘pings’ in an area of grass and shrubs off the Island Highway in View Royal. The man was holding a backpack with one hand inside and told the officer to “back up.” Two officers, accompanied by a police service dog, engaged the man in conversation for several minutes — audio recordings of this interaction corroborated witness officer statements provided to the IIO. As RCMP worked to de-escalated the situation and get the man to a hospital, he told the officers that they would have to “shoot or tase” him.

Officers noted the man continued to have one hand in the backpack and was “twitching as if he was about to pull something from the bag,” states the report. One of the responding officers drew his firearm and told the man “it doesn’t have to be like this,” to which the man responded stating that he had tried to kill himself five times and this was “the way [he] want[ed] it.”

As more officers arrived on the scene, the man walked toward the nearby Upper Gorge waterway, threatening to jump in.

One of the officers told the IIO that it became clear that the man was determined to have police officers use their weapons on him.

The man continued to taunt police, demanding they use their “Tasers” on him and stating that if he moved his hand — which was still in the backpack — quickly, the police would “launch something” at him. Finally, the man told the officers he was “gonna make one of [them] do something.” He stepped toward officers and motioned as if he was going to withdraw his hand quickly from the backpack. At that point, one of the officers discharged his CEW while another officer sent the police dog after the man.

The man fell to the ground and police were able to put him in handcuffs. The police dog bit him in the leg, which would later require 82 staples to close.

The IIO report states the man presented a credible threat by keeping his hand in the backpack and “pretending at any moment he would draw and use some sort of weapon.”

“Through his own, quite deliberate actions, [the man] placed himself at risk of the use by police of lethal force,” states the report, adding that it was fortunate less lethal options were available for the officers to use.

Local doggy daycare offers free care

As first responders and medical workers take care of COVID-19 patients throughout metro Detroit, a local animal daycare is working to take care of their pets.

Canine to Five and Detroit Dog Rescue partnered to provide free doggy daycare or overnight boarding to first responders and those in the medical field.

“The only thing that gets all of us through this is acts of kindness and service to others. This is what we know how to do — we know how to take care of peoples dogs,” Canine to Five owner Liz Blondy said. “I think this is kind of our way of doing what we can to help the community now.”

Pets of essential workers, primarily first responders and healthcare workers, can go to the daycare for overnight boarding on a reservation-only basis. Those who want to take advantage of the care can make a reservation at reservations@caninetofive.com.

Donations from the public help cover the cost of the services. Those interested in supporting can donate through the Detroit Dog Rescue to support a day of daycare for a single dog up to a full week of boarding. So far, the donations have brought in roughly $6,000, which can help support around 40 pets for a five-day window, Blondy said.

“We know how hard this new normal has been on everyone, especially for our favorite furry friends and essential workers,” reads a statement from Detroit Dog Rescue. “Life has changed for them just as much as it has for us. For the dogs of healthcare providers and first responders, who are working extra shifts to keep our communities safe and healthy, it can be even more stressful.”

Animal shelter runs out of dogs

A Chicago animal control service has completely run out of adoptable dogs for the first time ever, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chicago Animal Care and Control says the last two available dogs, Penn and Alley, were adopted this week. While there are other dogs at the shelter, they are not for direct adoption yet, the shelter says.

“This will change and new dogs will be available depending on what comes in, but we just wanted to thank everyone who stepped up to adopt over the last few weeks. We are amazed at the outpouring of people wanting to help during this time,” Chicago Animal Care and Control wrote on Facebook.

This comes as foster and adoption interest booms in the U.S., as many people want a furry dog or cat to spend time with while being quarantined, and perhaps, an excuse to spend more time walking outside in the great outdoors.