Therapy Dog

One dog is training to help first responders in Kentucky.

A Global Medical Response (GMR) Solution Program started in the American Medical Response (AMR) Amarillo location in June 2016 as a pilot program with two therapy dogs.

However, after the 2017 Route 91 Music Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas, the team began adding additional dogs.

“It was a solution to find ways that we can support our employees through emotional support through something different,” explained Bert Absher, director of operations.

The team is composed of all standard-size hypoallergenic breeds like Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, and even a Sheepadoodle.

Now, a new dog named Jojo is a member of the team in Kentucky.

She is 22-weeks old and the newest addition to the global medical response team.

Absher told WYMT she will serve more than 1,000 employees.

Officials said some forget about first responders when talking about PTSD.

“It’s very hard to be unhappy around a dog of this type,” said Absher. “EMS is a high-stress job. We are finally recognizing that many of our folks have some form of PTSD.”

Absher said Jojo will serve any agency, anywhere.

“Not just LifeGuard or AMR, we’ll service all of our first responders in Eastern Kentucky or where they need us to go. When we deploy, it may not be to an AMR operation. It may be somewhere that they have experienced a tragic event,” explained Absher.

Monday was her first day on the job.

She lives with Absher and his wife. As he works every day, she stays by his side.

One of her favorite tricks is a hug. Absher said she loves to be picked up so she can wrap her paws around your neck.

Jojo is therapy support dog number 23 across the nation and the first in Kentucky for GMR.

She is currently enrolled in a training academy in Lexington. After she completes this stage, she will begin to train with Canine Good Citizen (CGC).

Absher said they hope to have her ready for duty within 12 to 14 months.

Once her training is finished, she will be able to sense high-stress situations and high-anxiety among other skills.

Should ESA be able to fly?

You might inwardly groan when you board your airplane and realize you’re next to a screaming child, or find yourself squirming when the person next to you takes their shoes and socks off for the duration of the flight.

But how would you feel if you ended up sat next to a 70 pound, pot bellied pig?

Meet Hamlet the hog, owned by 31-year-old American Megan Peabody, who’s based in the US Virgin Islands.

Yes, pigs can fly — because Hamlet’s classified as an emotional support animal, Peabody can bring him into the cabin — at least in the United States — free of charge, to aid her in-air anxieties.

“His presence is calming because it is familiar to me,” Peabody tells CNN Travel. “It distracts me from my surroundings when they make me anxious.”

Emotional support animals (ESAs) are an increasingly hot topic in the United States, as more and more passengers arrive at the airport with an animal in tow, arguing that a furry friend will alleviate their aviation anxieties.

The phenomenon’s prompted vigorous discussion on what constitutes an ESA, whether the system’s being manipulated by pet owners keen to skip travel fees, what the impact is on air crew and fellow passengers, and whether ESAs on the plane do a disservice to those who genuinely need service animals on board.

It’s not just allergy-stricken travelers and exhausted flight crew who are growing frustrated at ESAs on airplanes — passengers who need to travel with service animals are also feeling vexed by ESAs in the air.

In August 2019, over 80 veterans and disability groups wrote to US Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, requesting that legislation be brought in to require adequate training for ESAs on airplanes.

One of the signatures on the letter is that of Lori Stevens, founder and executive director of Patriot PAWS Service Dogs, a group that provides trained service dogs for disabled veterans.

“Emotional support animals […] are causing trouble for the legit service dogs,” Stevens tells CNN Travel. “There’s so many of them out there that don’t have the appropriate training and they’re causing trouble for the people with mobile disabilities or physical — true physical — disabilities.”

Stevens clarifies that she believes some travelers have a true need for an ESA, but there needs to be stricter regulations.

“[My] dogs go through through years of training — months and months of training — and your emotional support animal doesn’t have to necessarily have any training. I think there needs to be some minimum requirements set up.”

Her comments are echoed by Jason Haag, CEO and founder of Leashes of Valor, a US-based non-profit that connects veterans with PTSD or a traumatic brain injury with a service dog. Haag also signed the letter to Chao.

“Emotional support animals are fantastic,” says Haag. “I think dogs and cats and any type of animal can do a whole bunch of things emotionally and psychologically for a person.”

The problem, he says, is when untrained ESAs are let loose in public spaces like airplanes.

“It can do a real disservice to other dogs that are in the area that have been specifically trained such as ours,” Haag says.

Travelers with service animals have also expressed frustration at the general misconception of what constitutes a service animal, and what defines an emotional support animal.

In summer 2019, a service horse named Flirty made headlines when he boarded an American Airlines flight from Chicago to Nebraska.

Some media outlets referred to Flirty as an ESA, but the miniature horse is actually a trained service animal. Her owner, Abrea Hensley, suffers from PTSD, depression and anxiety. On Flirty’s popular Instagram page, Hensley explains the horse is trained to alert her when she’s on the verge of a panic attack or a dissociative episode.

It would be incredible if there were certain flights, or even an airline, designated for people traveling with animals.

“It just seems there is a way around all the chaos that seems to be the norm now for ESAs. It’s a lucrative idea for someone willing to give it a try, in my opinion.”

NFL Team Adds Secret Weapon

The National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers recently announced a new teammate had joined their roster. This one is special; she can’t catch a ball, at least not a football. She can’t throw or tackle. What she can do goes far beyond the extreme physical requirements for professional football players.

Zoë is a one-year-old French Bulldog, the first emotional support animal to join the National Football League.

Over the last decade or so, the NFL has been under tremendous pressure to improve mental health support, research, and resources for their players and personnel. While professional football players have to deal with the same mental health issues as everyone else, they must also manage the many serious symptoms associated with repeated head injuries. Studies have shown that the compounding effects of football-related head injuries – everything from mild contact to concussions – can significantly increase a player’s risk of poor psychological health. Depression, confusion, aggression, and dementia are all identified as symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease caused by repeated head injuries.

Playing in the NFL can oftentimes be an isolating experience. Being on the road for weeks on end, away from friends and family, can increase the risk of developing loneliness and signs of depression. Having a bad game, and letting down teammates and fans alike, adds even more pressure to the winner-take-all culture. Unfortunately, stigmas surrounding mental health combined with the ‘tough guy’ image of being a football player, prevents a majority of players from seeking adequate, long-term assistance.

The 49ers are hoping to help break down those invisible walls, and it all starts with Zoë. “The players rely on Zoë to brighten their day,” a team spokesperson recently told a CNN representative. “Meetings, practice, and workouts can make for a long day. Zoë acts as a stress reliever.”

While Zoë is officially owned by the team’s Director of Player Engagement, she spends a majority of her time running about the training grounds, helping players to relieve stress, and boost overall morale. It seems to be working, too, as the team is undefeated up to this point. Many of the players have reported reduced levels of stress after brief interactions with Zoë. Most notably is Solomon Thomas, who has been outspoken about his struggles with poor mental health after the death of his sister in 2018.

Zoë is a registered emotional support dog, and is currently working towards becoming a certified therapy dog. It is the hope that as Zoë becomes more widely recognized for her therapy work with the 49ers, other teams will be quick to do the same.

Emotional support animals evoke powerful, positive emotions through touch, play, and sharing the same space. They create a happy distraction, and make many people simply feel good. The powerful dynamic between humans and support animals affects neurotransmitters in the human brain, increasing dopamine, which creates positive sensations. This can help to calm anxiety and improve a person’s outlook. Animals provide unconditional love, without judgment or expectations. This is why the use of emotional support animals has been rapidly increasing in popularity, and is becoming more commonplace in the workplace, schools, hospitals, and more.

Companies all over the world are now embracing the benefits of having pets in the workplace, as it makes for happier employees. Notably, Google, Intel, Farmer’s Insurance, Ben & Jerry’s, and Amazon are among the widely recognizable businesses adopting pet-friendly workspaces. In fact, at Amazon, every day is “take your dog to work day”; they have approximately six thousand dogs at their Seattle facility!

There is no doubt that service dogs and emotional support animals have a unique role to play in human mental health. This is especially evident in people who work in emotionally demanding environments. Looking towards the future, the demand for emotional support animals will continue to grow exponentially, and for good reason – pets clearly make us happier.

Support dog helps grieving classmates

As a community prepares to say a final good-bye to Logan and Briggs Connolly, a special visitor was at the boys’ school – an emotional support dog named Scout.

On Friday with their classmates still mourning their loss, Scout was spreading the love.

“The dog got here this morning at about 9 o’clock and stayed until about 12,” said Dr. Gary Niehaus, superintendent Grosse Pointe Schools. “And had the opportunity to be in each of our third, fourth and fifth grade classrooms.”

Scout is from Brighton Area Schools and he is one of 12 social emotional learning dogs. It was Brighton’s idea to send Scout to Richard School in Grosse Pointe

“It was a big help to our facility, our staff and our students,” Niehaus said. “It gave us something else to think about today.”

A celebration of life for Briggs and Logan – two little boys who loved to play hockey – will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at Grosse Pointe Academy Field House.

“I think it’s our chance to really show our love and support for this family and what they’re going through,” said Niehaus.

ESA misrepresentation

Is it time to crack down on tenants who misrepresent their pets as emotional support animals? A state Senate panel heard testimony this week that was split on this question. Housing providers and owners of property rental businesses supported the package, alleging that the problem of ESA misrepresentation among their tenants is serious and has been growing over the last several years.

Opponents of the bill package cited concerns about the chilling effect it could have on people who legitimately need emotional support animals, and how the bills could even be overstepping the federal Fair Housing Act.

Cheryl Wassa, who evaluates therapy and companion animals for programs including Pets for Vets and the American Kennel Club (AKC)’s Good Canine Citizen program, testified in support of Zorn’s bills.

Wassa said there needs to be better clarification on the important differences between emotional support animals, service animals/assistance dogs and visiting therapy animals; and ambiguity in the current regulations is “a detriment to those people who actually have assistance dogs.”

Matt Hagan, lead contractor for the East Lansing-based Hagan Realty Inc., spoke in support of SB 608 and SB 610 on account of how they would affect his family’s home rental business. Hagan said his company now deals with issues related to ESAs on an almost-daily basis, since a number of individuals who have their ESA applications denied will subsequently file a civil rights complaint.

There is “a lot of fraud that goes on” particularly with online ESA certification, Hagan said, emphasizing there’s a need for more regulation.

Karlene Lehman and Matthew Miller, representing the Property Management Association of Michigan, also testified in support of the bill package. Lehman said abuse of current ESA regulations has “reached epidemic levels,” and “delegitimizes the valid diagnosis by health care providers with an established patient-provider relationship.”

“The vast majority of applicants who are seeking an emotional support animal … are people who were caught with an animal that they did not have permission for,” Miller said. “And all of a sudden, what was a pet now became an emotional support animal.”

Jim Schaafsma, representing the Michigan Poverty Law Program, was the first to oppose the bills. Schaafsma said parts of SB 610, in particular, are “inconsistent with federal fair housing law, and are needlessly harsh and excessive.” Schaafsma recommended better legislation to follow the example of other states like Illinois that better conform to federal fair housing laws.

Pairing service dogs with veterans

Lawmakers are pushing to pair service dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs does not provide service dogs for mental health conditions.

Puppies Assisting Wounded Service members (PAWS) Act of 2019, introduced by U.S. Representative John Rutherford (R-FL), would create a competitive grant program through the VA for organizations to pair service dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD.

“Three years ago, the VA began its study into the effectiveness of service dogs to treat PTSD. Since then, nearly 22,000 veterans and service members have taken their own lives,” said Rutherford. “We cannot afford to wait any longer. Anyone who has ever owned a dog can speak to their emotional support and therapeutic benefits. In fact, I often hear veterans who use a service dog tell me: ‘But for that dog I would be dead today.’ That’s why we need this legislation to move forward.”

If it passes, the PAWS Act of 2019 says the Secretary of Veterans Affairs would distribute grants, not to exceed $25,000, to eligible organizations. The program is currently capped at $10 million from Fiscal Year 2019 through Fiscal Year 2022.

As part of a pilot project, the VA is providing service dog benefits for veterans with PTSD who have a mobility disorder, consistent with current VA policy. A spokesperson said the results of the study will inform future decisions whether mental health diagnoses will also be directly covered. The results are expected to be released publicly in 2020.

Right now, the VA provides veterinary care for service dogs deemed medically necessary for the rehabilitation or restorative care plan of veterans with permanent physical injuries.

“The VA is based on evidence based medicine. We want people to use therapy that has proven value,” said Dr. Michael Fallon, the V.A.’s chief veterinary medical officer;

Nick Bennett is a retired staff sergeant of the U.S. Marine Corps who now lives in Franklin. Bennett said he served for 11 years after he was medically discharged in 2007.

While serving in Iraq, he said a 107 mm Chinese rocket hit his unit. Several members of his team died. He survived but the warhead took off the back part of his right leg. It took him more than a month to get out of bed and walk. He’s had nearly 30 surgeries.

“In addition to all of the physical wounds, I was hit with anxiety,” said Bennett.

It’s hard for Bennett to talk about how far he has come since his time in Iraq. He said his marriage of 16 years disintegrated.

“I got divorced and walked away from my 3 kids because how can I be a dad when thunderstorms hit and I just want to crawl underneath the table,” he said.

Afterward, he worked to get a service dog to help treat his PTSD. Festus ended up costing him more than $1,000 because he said the VA could not help.

“They said you do not have any mobility issues, you do not need a dog,” Bennett said.

Indiana Canine Assistant Network, or ICAN, helps provide service animals for children and adults with disabilities. The organization helped Bennett get Festus.

“They have a lot less flashbacks, night terrors and things like that,” said Sean Diamond, Director of Training for ICAN.

Diamond said ICAN wants to see more organizations help veterans.

“We want to be a part of that. They have served our country. We should be there for them,” he said.

Bennett said the Marine Foundation of Indiana gave him money to pay for Festus. The group is made up of men in the unit he fought with overseas.

Research led by the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine said service dogs might be able to offer both behavioral and physiological benefits to help counter some of those symptoms for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. The findings published in 2018 said veterans may benefit physiologically from having a service dog.

Emotional Support Labrador

Hatty, age 2, will work with children as well as people with mental health issues who have been the victims of assault.

It was a real dog of a ceremony this week during a swearing-in at the state’s attorney’s office in Chicago.

The newly sworn-in worker is a Labrador retriever named Hatty. The 2-year-old will be on a 9-to-5 human schedule. But she’s being asked to work like a dog, to just do what comes naturally to most dogs: show affection.

Her job is to ease the strain of criminal proceedings on young children and those with mental-health issues who have been victims of assault. She’ll handle up to 200 cases annually.

Hatty is the office’s first emotional-support dog and was trained partly by inmates.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx presided over Tuesday’s swearing-in. Hatty stood on her hind legs over a table and placed her paw across a law book as an oath was administered.

First Cyber crime-Fighting Dog

Police in Nebraska have recruited a highly trained dog to assist them in the fight against cyber crime.

Two-year-old black Labrador Quinn has joined the Bellevue Police Department as the Midwest’s first-ever electronic storage device K-9 officer.

Unlike most sniffer dogs, who are taught to detect drugs, Officer Quinn has been specially trained to sniff out a particular chemical used in electronic devices like SIM cards, cell phones, and micro SD cards.

“Her sole purpose is electronics detection,” said Quinn’s partner, cyber crimes detective Roy Howell.

“We’ve had a couple of cases where I believe we as law enforcement officers may have missed something. A dog who can pick up an odor would be able to say ‘hey, there’s something here. You need to look here.'”

Following a two-week familiarization period in Indianapolis, Indiana, Howell has been working with the highly trained Quinn since November 3. The detective has great expectations regarding the contribution Quinn will make to local law enforcement.

“After a night with her I thought ‘this dog’s unbelievable,'” said Howell. “I want to get her to be that dog that can find something 18 inches under a wall or 18 inches underwater, or something behind a wall, or under the carpet. I’m hoping that she will make a big difference in the state.”

When she isn’t nosing out electronic storage devices crammed with incriminating evidence and all manner of illegal content, Officer Quinn may be called on to use her affectionate nature to offer emotional support.

“She’s a very friendly dog. She gets along around other people very well,” said Howell. “If we go inside a house and there are families and kids that are upset, we can take her to the kids and they can pet her, which will calm them down.”

Quinn is the thirtieth electronic storage device K-9 officer to find employment in the United States. A position was found for her on the Bellevue force as the result of an anonymous donation, which was made through the Bellevue Public Safety Foundation.

Another electronic storage device K-9 officer named Bear, who was trained at the same facility that put Quinn through her paces, was used in the investigation into ex-Subway spokesman, Jared Fogle.

Bear, who is also a Labrador, found a thumb drive that authorities were unable to locate during an FBI raid at Fogle’s Indiana home in 2015. The drive subsequently played a key role in Fogle’s arrest.

Smelling a cure for diseases

Dog and medical enthusiasts gathered to support and learn more about PADs for Parkinson’s. The nonprofit that trains dogs to sniff out Parkinson’s Disease held a fundraising and outreach presentation on Nov. 16 at Brickworks.

“There is no definitive laboratory diagnosis for Parkinson’s,” PADs Founder Lisa Holt said. Hold started PADs in March 2016. According to the PADs’ website, PADs has trained more than 20 dogs with an accuracy of 90 percent or higher.

Parkinson’s is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that causes shaking and loss of motor skills. Holt noted it is also one of the few diseases that is known to cause a chemical change in the skin. That skin alteration emits a distinct odor. According to Holt, researchers believe that change occurs 10-15 years prior to tremor development. Doctors have told Holt, she said, that if a Parkinson’s patient could be treated even five or six years before tremors set in, it may be possible to add 40 years to the person’s life.

Holt turned the microphone over to Maria Goodavage, author of “Doctor Dogs: How Our Best Friends Are Becoming Our Best Medicine.” Goodavage traveled around the world researching the vast ways canines are being trained for use in the medical field.

Canines with their amazing olfactory senses, Goodavage explained, are able to detect more than just oncoming seizures in epileptic patients. Dogs can smell cancer, provide emotional support for PTSD and anxiety sufferers, and alert diabetics of blood sugar issues. Dogs trained to assist diabetics can also alert the person if their blood sugar is too high or too low. If it’s low, she explained, the dog will make a downward dog motion.

“Dogs don’t need a diagnosis to work miracles,” Goodavage said.

Eight PADs trained dogs — including a Pomeranian in a tutu, a border collie, a standard poodle and a black lab — were present to demonstrate their sniffing abilities. When presented with four choices, each dog was able to find the Parkinson’s sample within seconds. The canines indicated they had found the sent by sitting in front of the sample, at which point they were given a piece of turkey as a reward.

“It’s not even about the treat,” Holt said. “As you can see, these dogs love what they do.”

ESA stolen in bathroom

 

A cat nap turned into a dognapping for a distraught Toronto woman.

Venessa Shibley, 46, is desperate for the return of her beloved three-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Charlie, after, she says, her pet was stolen from Kipling subway station on Oct. 27.

“He means the world to me,” said Shibley, her voice trembling.

“I got my dog so he would be with me for emotional support so he could be with me all the time. I’m just a mess. I miss the little guy. I just love him so much.”

Shibley, who has sleep apnea, says she was visiting a friend with her trusty “emotional support” pooch when she felt like she was going to doze off.

She says she went to take a quick snooze in a washroom stall at the subway station while holding onto Charlie’s leash. When she woke up, the dog was gone.

“This is the first time I ever went out by myself (because) sometimes I fall asleep in the weirdest places,” said Shibley, who lives in temporary housing at a downtown Toronto hotel with her husband, Mark Auger, 59, a retired City Hall janitor.

Earlier, she said she had been talking with the woman in the stall next to hers as Charlie kept going over to say hi and so she tightened up the leash.

“I said, ‘I’m so sorry,” said Shibley. “And she said, ‘Oh, It’s OK. I love dogs’ I fell asleep for one minute and when I opened my eyes, the leash was hanging there with no dog.”

Funeral home welcomes ESA

Seeking emotional support

 

For some students, the pitter-patter of paws is a comfort left at home. Research by Ohio State University says a quarter of college students find their pets help them through difficult times.

“That’s why really anybody fosters is to give these animals a second, third chance at life,” Lois Dixon, foster program coordinator, said. “We all need a chance.”

An animal foster parent herself, Dixon feels a natural connection to her work.

“I just enjoy seeing these dogs blossom and go from in some cases a very horrible life and then go into a wonderful home,” she said.

But animals at the shelter aren’t the only ones that are searching. Some Elon students are looking for the perfect companion.

“My dogs sleep in my bed with me so it was really weird not having animals around all the time,” Sydney Schapel, an Elon sophomore, said.

Schapel, who also volunteers at the shelter, has been on the list of available foster parents for more than a year. She’s struggled with anxiety and depression, moving her to seek comfort from what she loves most.

“Because I’ve grown up with animals I’m just much more comfortable around them,” Schapel said. “It just kind of helps me like not be as anxious.”

Support dog creates dilemma

A Houston-based medical group is adopting a new policy regarding emotional support dogs after a patient brought hers to a clinic Nov. 19 and was asked to leave, reports KHOU 11.

Kandi Cox brought her 82-pound emotional support dog, Bentley, to a follow-up appointment at Millennium Physicians’ oncology and rheumatology office in Kingwood, Texas. Ms. Cox, who was recently diagnosed with cervical cancer, said she was shocked when a physician asked her to leave the facility because of her dog.

The Americans with Disabilities Act generally requires  hospitals to allow patients with a disability to keep a service animal with them in the facility. However, hospitals can ask animals to leave if they’re near immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, the ADA does not grant emotional support animals the same access rights as service dogs.

The physician who asked Ms. Cox to leave thought it was in the best interest of the practice’s patients, many of whom are undergoing chemotherapy and are immunocompromised, according to Rachel Taylor, a practice administrator for Millennium Physicians.

“We were, however, able to accommodate this patient later in the day, with her animal, in one of our other clinic offices, where the chemotherapy area is more remote,” she said in a statement to KHOU 11. “We very much regret today’s occurrence, and we hope that with the adoption and dissemination of a written policy in this regard, no patient will ever be inconvenienced or embarrassed while visiting our clinics.”

Not A Service Animal

Dealing with phony service dogs is no walk in the park.

Because restaurants and other businesses are required by law to admit service animals, they could end up hosting an unruly pooch simply because it’s wearing an $11.99 service dog harness available on Amazon. And people who actually need service dogs, hampered by neighboring untrained dogs or grumpy business owners and feeling that laws about service dogs have been abused, might have more difficulty getting around.

That’s why Illinois might soon be cracking down on fake service dogs.

Under the bill, a dog would have to be professionally trained in order to wear service animal gear or enter a building where only service animals are permitted. Otherwise, the pet owner could be subject to a substantial fine.

State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, a Naperville Democrat who opposed the bill, argued that it could be harmful to people who can’t afford service dog training. “People have access to animals that are functioning in their lives as service dogs,” she said.

Nevertheless, House Bill 3905 passed through the House Judiciary Criminal Committee. However, the fine was lowered to a maximum of $500, and the bill has an added stipulation: If passed, all fines would go to grants to help people afford service dog training.

Animal adoptions

Traveling With Your Pet

With the holiday season upon us, many people have started planning trips and choosing a vacation destination, whether it’s with their friends, family, or alone.

Pet owners, on the other hand, might be struggling with the puzzling decision of whether they should leave their pets at home and hire an in-home pet service or take their furry buddies along with them. One of the easiest ways that allows you to accompany your furry babies is to get them certified as emotional support animals or service dogs. People who must have their pets by their sides for disabilities, panic attacks, and other mental disorders can easily seek out professional assistance to get approved for one.  Taking your pet to the vet before traveling is essential. First, you will need to make sure that your pet isn’t suffering from any underlying health conditions. Vaccinations need to be up to date. It’s essential to get proof of whether your pet is healthy or if there are any underlying medical issues that might be exasperated if they travel. Ask your pet’s vet to provide you with your pets’ medical history and vaccination papers to be able to admit your furry babies easily into airlines, hotels, or countries. As much as people don’t like to think about the worst-case scenario, yet when you are traveling with your pet, you must consider all the potential problems that might happen. This way, you will be able to avoid them. Losing your pet in a foreign country might be every pet owner’s worst nightmare.  Make sure that your pet is wearing a collar with updated contact information.

Just like humans, your pet will face some digestion problems due to the many changes they are facing. Introducing new types of foods or changing between dry and wet food isn’t recommended while they are on the road. Pack some of your pet’s favorite food with you, or make sure that the same brand is available in your holiday destination.

Going on a business trip or just traveling for fun forms a conundrum for some people who can’t be separated from their pets; people with disabilities might have their lives depending on their service animals. With a well-thought-out plan, you can make traveling with your pet extremely easy. You just need to consider all the possible scenarios and prepare for them.

Therapy dog handler launches campaign

A therapy dog handler has launched an alternative campaign for young hospital patients who are unable to get visits from the dogs during the coronavirus outbreak.

While golden retrievers Leo, Milo, Quinn, Archie, Jessie, Hattie and Pollyanna cannot be at their bedsides, a local illustrator has produced a series of “pawtraits” for the children to colour in and share online.

Handler Lyndsey Uglow has delivered 1,500 drawings, produced by illustrator Daniel Howarth, to children at home and in hospital.

“We wanted to find a way to maintain the presence of therapy dogs, so we had the idea of creating a ‘pawtrait’ of the seven golden retrievers to give to patients which they can colour in themselves and share on social media for their friends and relatives or give to staff as a thank you.

“We are also urging any children who want a fun activity to do at home to use our drawings to write a message to someone they want to thank, can’t visit at the moment, a keyworker or even to the residents of nursing or care homes.

Coronavirus and pets: How COVID-19 affects cats and dogs

Coronaviruses have lived and thrived in animals for thousands of years, but only a handful have been known to cause illness in humans. The coronavirus at the center of the current pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, is incredibly successful at spreading from human to human. As of early April — just four months after it was first detected — the virus had infected over 1 million people and spread to over 180 countries.

It turns out that SARS-CoV-2 can hijack animal cells, too. Scientists believe the disease originated in Chinese horseshoe bats before it jumped into an intermediary animal and, from there, found its way into humans. The virus is able to inject itself into cells by binding to a cell surface protein known as ACE2, which is present in many species of animal.

Some media reports have shown that the coronavirus can infect our companion animals — and more exotic species like tigers and lions — but cases are rare. It appears that transmission of the disease from human to animal is low, and there’s no reason to think you might catch the disease from a feline friend who has been wandering the neighborhood. The World Health Organization states there is “no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit COVID-19.”

Still, pet owners are understandably worried about the health of their fur babies and how COVID-19 might affect them. We’ve gathered everything you need to know about coronavirus and your pets here, along with emerging research in how animals may spread or be affected by the coronavirus.

Can the coronavirus infect cats and dogs?

Coronaviruses are not particularly hard to please when it comes to potential hosts — they’ve been detected in many mammal and bird species, including dogs and cats, as well as livestock like cows, chickens and pigs.

There have been several reports providing evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in household pets. A 17-year-old dog in Hong Kong repeatedly test “weakly positive” for coronavirus in March and later died. A cat in Belgium tested positive for the disease on March 24.

“These pets were living with infected human owners, and the timing of the positive result demonstrates human-to-animal transfer.,” said Jacqui Norris, a veterinary scientist at the University of Sydney in Australia. “Virus culture on these pets was negative, meaning that an active virus was not present.”

A study by researchers at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute in China, uploaded to bioRxiv on March 30 and yet to be peer-reviewed, examined the susceptibility of a number of species to COVID-19, including cats and dogs, using a small number of animals.

The results demonstrated that cats can be infected with the coronavirus and may be able to spread it to other cats via respiratory droplets. The team placed infected animals in cages next to three animals without the disease and found, in one case, the virus had spread from cat to cat. The felines didn’t show any outward signs of illness, however.

Dogs appear to be more resistant. Five 3-month-old beagles were inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 via the nasal passage and housed with two dogs not given the virus. After a week, the virus was not detected in any dogs, but two had generated an immune response. The two dogs that did not receive the virus did not acquire it from their kennel mates.

One of the key takeaways, as highlighted by Nature, is that these experiments were performed in a laboratory setting and that high doses of the coronavirus were used to infect the animals, which likely does not reflect real-life conditions. Nevertheless, cats do appear prone to infection, and the authors note further monitoring should be considered.

IDEXX Reference Laboratories, a consortium of testing labs across the globe, announced in March that it had created a testing kit for felines and canines. After running tests on over 4,000 specimens from the US and South Korea, it found no positives. The US Department of Agriculture has stated it will not test companion animals unless testing is agreed upon by animal and public health officials due to “a link to a known human case of COVID-19”.

Service Animals Are Out Of Work, Too

Many people are out of work right now as schools and businesses are shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that means many service animals are unable to work, too.

Around three weeks ago, my dog guide, Payton, and I traveled home to Kansas City for spring break. Since the pandemic, we haven’t left the house other than for walks around the block because of a shelter-in-place order.

Payton’s a four-year-old Golden Labrador Retriever. Normally, he gets a lot of exercise walking to my classes, but that’s changed since all of my classes at Missouri State University have been moved online.

The organization Leader Dogs for the Blind has issued some tips for dog guide handlers on how to keep their dogs active. The group recommends regular obedience training and finding interactive toys to keep the dogs stimulated. I’ve bought Payton new chew toys.

However, Payton gets bored of old toys and it’s hard right now to get any supplies in a timely fashion. Most of my Amazon orders take around a week to be delivered and Walmart trips are next to impossible with how hectic stores are.

We’re both looking forward to the day we can come back to campus and to the radio station after these abnormal times have passed.

In the meantime, Payton will be doing a few normal activities, like eating, staying hydrated, and taking walks around the neighborhood.

According to the National Federation of the Blind website, Missouri was home to 153,900 visually impaired residents in 2016.

Dog Misses Her Job

India seems sad, restless. Like many other Moore County workers, this certified professional is on furlough. At least she won’t lose any wages because India works for pats and scratches, not money.

India, a coal-black 90-pound flat-coated retriever is a therapy dog. Not only does she brighten the lives of nursing and hospice residents, she visits seniors who live at home. She knows to sit quietly by their chairs and put her head in their laps. She will paw and “kiss,” but not jump.

Her almond-shaped eyes brim with love and acceptance. Her tail thumps with joy when the love is returned, especially if accompanied by a dog biscuit.

But for now, care facilities are locked down and India’s mistress, Peggy Schlutius — herself a senior — won’t chance bringing the virus into private homes, although the CDC and WHO agree that there are no meaningful signs that pets can contract or spread COVID19.

Before India, Schlutius volunteered in nursing homes with Ching, a Lhasa Apso cross — more of a lap dog with suitable attributes but no certification.

“Being in those nursing homes taught me what loneliness was,” Schlutius says.

India spent her first four years with a veterinarian/breeder. Schlutius knew of the breed and, after Ching’s death, adopted her. They bonded immediately. Schlutius lives in a large house on two wooded acres for India to run. When ready to come in, India opens the screen door with a contraption designed especially for this purpose.

On Sunday mornings, the two greet canine and human friends at brunch, on Broad Street — another pleasure on hold for an indefinite period. It was here that India met a social worker who spoke about clients who might benefit from a doggy visit.

India was ready. She had been certified by the Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dog Foundation, a New Jersey nonprofit that evaluates, tests, trains and certifies owners and dogs, who work as a team.

India was a natural, since a calm, loving nature is characteristic of the breed.

Therapy dogs should not be confused with service dogs: The former offer comfort and affection while the latter perform services for a disabled master. Service dogs are allowed in stores and on aircraft and must not be approached or petted. Service dogs wear harnesses announcing their purpose. India, wearing a therapy dog tag at all times, lives for petting and hugging. But she must stay on leash during visits.

Therapy dogs, notably an imposing harlequin Great Dane, are regulars at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital and Hospice House.

At first, Schlutius and India visited long-term care nursing homes, which they found exhausting, with so many residents reaching out. After two years together, they have scaled back, spending quality time with fewer clients.

“When I say ‘let’s go see Mr. (client’s name),’ she perks up,” Schlutius says.

When they arrive, India walks to his chair, tail wagging, and lays her head in his lap.

“The first visit, I asked him if we could come back,” Schlutius recalls. He nodded yes.

“When?” she asked.

“How about tomorrow?”

“India brings so much joy to shut-ins,” her mistress concludes. “It does my heart good.”