A Pet By Your Side

Sadly, mental health problems have been steadily on the rise for a number of years and people are looking for new ways to treat and manage their mental health issues. Traditional mental health medication is often very strong and can have some serious side effects. Powerful psychological drugs can leave people feeling detached or emotionless and so people stop taking their medication. Even for people without serious mental health problems, modern life is extremely stressful and the number of people suffering from depression and financial and social anxiety is skyrocketing. There are many studies that show that having a pet can significantly improve mental health. Pets help us relax and provide a non-judgemental confidante to listen to our problems. In this article, we will explore the mental health benefits of having a pet by your side. Whatever is going on in your life, your pet is a totally non-judgemental listener who you can talk to in complete confidence. Pets can often sense when you are upset or troubled about something and will try to cheer you up. For people with depression, anxiety, or other similar issues, pets can be an amazing listener who you can confide in with complete trust. Dogs can sense when you are feeling sad and are always eager to console you in times of trouble. Dogs make the best emotional support animals because they genuinely empathize and commit themselves to cheer you up when you are down. With all that these pets can give you, it might be the perfect time to get one and you may start if you qualify using a confidential screening test. Unlike people, who might judge you, a dog has no opinion on your actions and merely wishes to help you through whatever problems you are having. One of the most detrimental effects of mental health issues is that they can make sufferers feel totally isolated from everyone else. The best way to feel connected is through physical interaction, and touching a pet is the perfect way to build confidence in physical contact. All of the feelings of anxiety that someone might feel about touching or being touched by another person fade away when you are having physical contact with a calm, patient pet. One of the most negative feelings that a person can experience is the feeling of rejection, but your pet will never reject you. All pets love to be stroked and petted and so you will never feel rejected.

One of the main symptoms of depression and social anxiety is an indifferent malaise that can be really hard to shake off. More and more people these days are experiencing mental health problems that manifest themselves in a general ennui or in a complete rejection of a normal daily routine. It can be very easy to live your life without purpose or with a total lack of motivation, but if you have a pet that depends on you, it will inject some much-needed responsibility into your day to day life.

Pets need and deserve adequate care and attention, so for many people whose mental issues have caused them to step back from societal norms, a pet will ensure that they have something for which they are responsible and cannot just give up. Pets need feeding, cleaning, exercise, and health check-ups, all of which require a conscientious effort and can help people with all kinds of emotional and mental issues to learn how to be responsible.

Our mental health is at its most tenuous when we start asking ourselves what exactly we are living for. Declines in mental health exactly mirror periods of widespread job losses or economic hardships, or at a personal level, the months following the death of a loved one. Many people define themselves by their job and if they experience a period of unemployment it can seriously affect your self-esteem. Studies have shown that unemployed people who own a pet are far more likely to get through a period of unemployment with no lasting damage to their mental health than an unemployed person with no pet. It can be so easy if you are not working to just stay in bed all day and hope that things will turn around, but the responsibilities of looking after a pet cause you to get up and address your situation.

Unfortunately, these days, more and more of us are experiencing the horrible effects of mental health issues. Whilst there are many medications available to help you to function, they are not designed to get to the root of the problem. Pets have been proved by numerous studies to have an incredible effect on our mental health. Pets can help people to stay calm and can provide a companion for vulnerable members of society who otherwise would be very lonely.

Police Dog Injured

A Vancouver police service dog was injured and officers assaulted while responding to a report of a man trying to steal a marked police car from a secure yard early Monday morning.

Vader, a member of the VPD canine unit, suffered a broken tooth and swollen mouth when the 66-year-old suspect kicked and punched him. The suspect also fought the police officers who suffered minor injuries.

“Vader courageously apprehended the violent suspect and hung on while the male kicked and punched Vader in the face, while holding the stolen keys in his fist as a weapon,” said the VPD canine unit on Twitter.

Sgt. Aaron Roed said it was lucky the dog and officers weren’t more seriously injured.

“This man was attempting to start the police car and flee the area … and he had the keys clenched in his hand and was attempting to stab Vader.”

The suspect is facing multiple charges, including assault of a police officer and assault of a police dog. Vader was taken to a veterinarian where he was treated and released.

A city staffer called police to the secured City of Vancouver National Yards in Strathcona at 6 a.m. where the man was attempting to steal the vehicle.

Roed said the man was also arrested on Sunday in Stanley Park for uttering threats. He was taken to jail but then released on an undertaking to appear with conditions.

He is now in a local hospital awaiting assessment.

Introducing Joy

CPS found Joy through a partnership between themselves, Victim Services of SDG&A and Koala Place. Joy has undergone extensive training to provide physical, social and emotional support for those she interacts with, particularly those who have undergone stress or trauma.

Property/Exhibit Manager and Quartermaster for the CPS, Danielle Lauzon has been Joy’s handler since 2019 and prepares Joy for interactions with children, victims, or witnesses who may have experienced trauma.

“Joy is used to bring a sense of calmness and comfort to victims or witnesses of crime,” said Lauzon. “She helps alleviate some of the discomfort when having to speak to a police officer about a traumatic or unfortunate circumstance.”

Missing Service Dog Reunited

On Thursday we brought you the story of a veteran’s service dog who had gone missing and was found four days later with gunshot wounds. The dog survived and was reunited with his owner this weekend.

For local veteran Tony Eadus, his dog Lucca, is more than just a pet.

“Lucca just keeps me calm and takes care of me,” said Eadus. “And when I start getting all anxious and stuff he comes right over and puts his head in my lap and just looks at me.”

Not only does Lucca monitor his Eadus’s health, he keeps him company.

So when Lucca disappeared from home last week Eadus was beside himself.

“I was outside for about 6 to 8 hours walking all over the apartment complex and everything looking for him and I’d get up in the morning and look over to where he normally sleeps and he wasn’t there and I’d freak out,” he said.

Nearly 4 days after Lucca had gone missing Animal Control received a call about a dog wandering around Cote Lane. That dog was Lucca, and when they picked him up, they found he was injured badly with multiple gunshot wounds to the shoulder and head.

“I can’t imagine a person doing that. Why would you steal a dog and take him clear across town and shoot him?” said Eadus.

But Lucca survived, and has since been reunited with his owner. “Really emotional, I can’t believe he survived all that.”

In the coming weeks Lucca will be in and out of the Missoula Vet Clinic for checkups, but as for the medical bills, well they won’t be a problem as they’ve already been covered by the generosity of the community.

Eadus told MTN it blew his mind that so many people did that for Lucca. After a whirlwind of a week, Eadus says he’s just ready to get his pup back home. “Probably feed him and hug him and play with him for awhile and toss his ball around.”

If you have any leads on Lucca’s case you should contact Missoula County Animal Control.

Service Dog Running For Hero Dog Of The Year

Some have four legs, fur, and help veterans.

Meet Nick: Nick was paired with Jody, a veteran of the United States Army and Navy in January 2019. Jody suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Nick, his service dog, helps him mitigate the symptoms.

Nick was raised, trained, and donated by Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, a 501(C)3 located in Williston, Florida.

“Guardian Angels is proud to have two additional service dogs nominated for this year’s American Humane Hero Dog Awards. This award is known in the service dog industry as one of the highest honors available, particularly for an organization like ours which trains these dogs,” said Carol Borden, CEO of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs. “Our dogs play a critical role in providing our recipients with a ‘new normal,’ where they are able to reintegrate into society and navigate life with their disabilities in a way that was not possible before their pairings.”

After Nick was paired with Jody, his blood pressure dropped by 80 points and was able to sleep for six consecutive hours, something he hadn’t been able to do in months.

Two months later, Nick was able to get the alert out that Jody was having a heart attack. Then months after that, he alerted medics of an impending stroke.

Since being paired with Nick, Jody has now been able to excel at work, take public transportation, and spend more time with his family.

Nick is up against another Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs dog, Rhino, who is in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Having A New Dog In Your Home

As a dog lover, you probably treat your pet like a member of the family, or maybe they’re the only roommate you’ve got. Your canine friend provides good company, but for this to happen, you have to take care of them.

This means you should provide for both their emotional and physical needs. Before bringing a new dog into your home, you ought to understand that they need more than love and food; they also need a safe and comfortable home. A dog room can provide that comfort and safety.

Before bringing home a new dog, you ought to learn how to dog proof their living space. Your pooch needs to be safe around and outside the house.

Many home accidents happen in the kitchen and bathroom because these rooms house dangerous chemicals and items. Keep all cleaning items, food, and cutlery away from your dog’s reach.

Do not allow your dog to play with house plants, which can be dangerous. You can also move house plants out of reach or put them in the yard.

Ensure that your TV, stereo, and other electronics don’t have dangling wires. Cover all electrical outlets and cords.

Protect your pet from choking hazards by removing buttons, batteries, and jewelry from dressers or any other surfaces where the pooch might reach. Hide or cover the trash to protect your dog from eating chemicals or spoiled food.

Our dogs are special to us; they not only provide companionship, but they are loyal, and love us without judgment. Every pet parent wants to make their pets happy and comfortable.

Since our canine friends are family, they deserve space where they can relax without interruptions.

If your home has enough space, you can create a room for your fur buddy. This is a great way to ensure that your pet stays active, comfortable, and doesn’t destroy your home while they’re alone.

Try to choose a room with a floor of sealed concrete or tiles because they’re easier to clean. If you don’t have a room like that, you can replace the flooring of an existing room to a more easily maintainable material.

One of the best indoor dog room ideas is to use semi-gloss paint free from organic volatile chemicals or non-toxic satin paint. These paints make it easy to wipe away paw prints compared to glossy paints.

Lucy Hales Emotional Support Dog

Lucy Hale believes she knew her dog Elvis in a previous life because they are “entirely too connected”.

The Pretty Little Liars star adopted the Maltipoo in June 2016 and the canine has become so famous that he even has his own Instagram account. And in an “Ask Me Anything” video interview with Elle U.S., Lucy made the surprising admission that she believes she and Elvis were somehow connected in a past life.

In response to the request to complete the sentence, “In my past life I was…”, Lucy replied: “Absolutely in my dog Elvis’ life. I don’t know if I was his owner, or if he was my owner, or if we were friends. I totally believe in reincarnation and I know for a fact that I’ve known Elvis in a life before because we are just entirely too connected – he’s the best.”

The 30-year-old actress has been in lockdown with Elvis, who she considers her “emotional support dog”, during the coronavirus pandemic, and she “simply doesn’t know” what she would have done if she didn’t have her dog to keep her company during these unprecedented times.

And while she’s thinking about getting another pooch to keep Elvis company, she isn’t sure whether or not to make the leap.

“I’m thinking about possibly getting another one. But I just don’t know how I could love another dog as much as I love him. It just doesn’t seem possible,” she grinned.

Coast Guard Mascot

A beloved member of the U.S. Coast Guard’s St. Ignace crew has advanced in the ranks thanks to her loyalty and good work.

Onyx, a 13-year-old black Labrador retriever, received a shiny new pin — a gold anchor with a gold star — denoting her advancement to Senior Chief Petty “Pawfficer” for her service as a station mascot and morale dog.

The pin was placed on Onyx’s pink collar in an advancement ceremony on Friday, May 1. The ceremony concluded with the newly pinned officer receiving a treat.

The station’s Chief Petty Officer Tyler Benson said it had been about three years since Onyx’s most recent advancement, meaning it was time for her to once again rise in the ranks.

“We notified the headquarters in Washington, we went through the chain of command, and they said it’s well-deserved and due,” Benson said.

Born in February 2007, Onyx joined the Station St. Ignace crew in June 2008.

While she isn’t trained to perform search and rescue, the pup has long accompanied fellow crew members to events to teach people about water safety, and continues to provide comfort and companionship to the station’s crew, their families, and the community.

She is also something of a literary star, as the main character in a children’s book series, The Adventures of Onyx, written by Benson.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic stay-home orders began last month, Benson has been reading the Onyx books to children via Facebook Live, often along with Onyx herself.

It’s one of the many ways Onyx continues to excel at her “duties” of bringing joy and warmth to people as an emotional support dog.

“When the guys come back from a rescue case, she greets them at the door,” Benson said. “She’s keen at sensing when people are down or stressed, even during this COVID crisis. She’ll put her head on their lap or watch TV with them.”

While Onyx may no longer be as spry as she was during her early years at the station — her muzzle is graying, and she spends much of her days now napping comfortably on a couch — she’s still very much deserving of the honor of her new rank, Benson said.

“It’s neat to see her working through the ranks like the rest of us,” he said. “She’s slowing down now in her older age, but she’s really good at just being there for the crew.”

RCMP Service Dog

There was no time to ask Dr. Bonnie Henry for a special exemption from social distancing as police service dog Griff caught a suspect in the middle of a break and enter at a ranger station at the Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park.

“On May 2, Griff was conducting foot patrols with his Integrated Police Dog Service human police partner when the pair heard a loud bang coming from the Ranger Station which had been the target of a recent break-in,” according to the RCMP in a press release.

“The IPDS was in the area to do pro-active patrols because there had been a break-in at the station,” said Corporal Mike Rail, spokesperson for the UFVRD, according to the news release. “An investigation into the source of the noise led Griff in a close face-to-face with a man allegedly attempting to break into the station. The 46-year-old man was quickly arrested by police.”

The man was later released from custody and all circumstances of the investigation are being forwarded from the RCMP to the BC Prosecutors Service for their assessment of criminal charges.

“From one hero to another, Griff begs Dr. Bonnie Henry’s forgiveness for the social distancing faux paw, just this one time,” according to the release.

Activities For You And Your Pet

It’s no secret that pets provide love, loyalty and affection. This is even more apparent now that you’re spending more time at home with them. In fact, according to the 2020 Purina Pet Ownership Survey, 94% of pet owners rely on their pet for emotional support, which is particularly important during times of uncertainty.

You may be tempted to spend your time snuggling with your furry friend, but there are a lot of fun new things you can do to engage your pet mentally and physically while you are at home together. Now is a great time to integrate enrichment activities that will keep both of you healthy, happy and engaged.

“Setting and keeping a daily pet care routine to feed and walk your pet is important in alleviating stress for your pet. But scheduling play and incorporating enrichment activities into your pet’s day can also do wonders in keeping them happy and healthy,” says Alex Johnson, senior designer & pet enrichment specialist at Purina.

Johnson shares her favorite at-home pet enrichment tips and ideas:

Making it new: It is important to expand your pet’s world by providing opportunities for exploration. Try creating temporary indoor spaces to explore with boxes and paper bags or closing off a bedroom for a week to give your pet a space to rediscover. Hide some treats or favorite toys in the room before reopening it. Remember to keep toys in rotation to help create newness.

Treat time: While at home all day, it can become difficult to track when your pet gets a snack, so try adding a treat time to your schedule. Keep in mind, pets should get no more than 10% of their daily calories from treats. If you have kids, let them earn the reward of treating the pet that day by cleaning their room or finishing homework early.

One-on-one time: Having everyone constantly at home together can be stressful for pets. Provide opportunities for pets to have time on their own in addition to one-on-one time with family members. Spending 15 minutes together in a quiet space with no distractions can allow you to focus on engaging and bonding with your pet.

Exercise: When stuck inside, it’s important to find indoor activities to help pets burn energy. Try tug toys, laser pointer play, or playing tag or hide and seek. If you live in an apartment building, try throwing toys up or down steps in the stairwells or down hallways (if your landlord permits). If you’re spending more time watching TV, consider keeping a drawer or basket close by with some of your pet’s favorite toys, feather wands, tug-toys, balls, lasers, cat dancers, mechanical toys and stuffed animals. These toys allow you to interact with your pet from the comfort of the couch.

Box of invisibility: Providing pets with safe spaces is a great way to give them some downtime while still being close to everyone. For example, set out a box or sign in the family room, and when the cat is in the box or the dog is in the designated area, have the whole family pretend you can’t ‘see’ them, as if they were invisible. If the rule is followed, your pet will learn they can enjoy downtime in these spaces.

Community Helps 6-Year-Old

Back in early 2019, the Bowling family had a goal. They wanted to get a service dog for their 4-year-old son, Mason Bowling, but they didn’t have enough money. Mason has autism and a genetic chromosome disorder, so they thought a service dog would help him in his daily life.

However, an autism service dog costs about $25,000, so they had to find a way to get that much money. To their surprise, they received an incredible amount of support. Many kind community members helped raise money to get Mason’s new service dog named Kevin.

Danielle Bowling, Mason’s mom, wanted to get a service dog for Mason to help him develop socially. She hoped that the dog would help calm him down and make him happier. Sadly, Mason has a hard time making friends at school, but a service dog would help him feel more confident. Of course, the dog would also ideally be like a best friend for him.

Additionally, Mason’s service dog would also be trained in search and rescue to help prevent Mason from getting lost. Danielle thought that all these skills sounded perfect for Mason, but they still had to find a way to get the money. So, Danielle created a Facebook group to help reach out to the community. In the group, she shared charity events for Mason as well as updates on their progress. At first, donations came in slowly, but every day, more and more people stepped up to help. Damon Johnson, a former professional basketball player, even organized a special charity event to help Mason. Johnson set up a charity basketball tournament, raising thousands of dollars for Mason’s service dog. Thanks to Johnson’s help and the generous donations of many other community members, Mason eventually met his goal. All the family’s dreams were about to come true!

Now, Mason is 6 years old, and he finally brought Kevin home in April. Kevin is an adorable black Lab who is being trained specifically to help Mason. Currently, Kevin is working on controlling Mason’s meltdowns and aggression, along with helping his social interactions. He’s even being trained for search and rescue and for retrieving medication just in case either is needed in the future.

Even though Kevin has only lived with the family for a short amount of time so far, he has already bonded with Mason. The sweet dog is already adjusting to Mason’s lifestyle, and he seems to feel comfortable with his new family. Mason even got to graduate Kindergarten with his new best friend by his side. His family took plenty of adorable graduation photos of the two of them together. It might’ve been a long and difficult journey to bring Mason and Kevin together, but judging by the happiness on their faces, all the hard work was worth it. Congratulations Mason and Kevin!

Shelter To Soldier Receives Donation

Shelter to Soldier recently announced a generous donation from The Patriots Connection under the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation to supply turf to build five new pet play yards and one new training yard at the Shelter to Soldier training facility in Oceanside. The new training yards provide the Shelter to Soldier training team with ample space to observe “social distancing” during the COVID-19 outbreak as well as increase space for dogs to relieve themselves for potty breaks and a new training yard to increase the amount of training sessions occurring simultaneously. Shelter to Soldier is taking extra precautions to protect both clients and team members during the pandemic.

Shelter to Soldier (STS) serves the post-9/11 veteran population by providing psychiatric service dogs at no charge to veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and other injuries associated with wartime deployments. The national statistics in this category show that on average, 670,000 dogs are euthanized nationwide annually. Every day, an estimated 16 U.S. veterans lose their lives to suicide; and in 2018 alone, 6,317 veterans succumbed to suicide. STS has achieved significant results to help alleviate the burden of mental illness for veterans and provide a new purpose for homeless dogs, documented by success stories on the STS website at sheltertosoldier.org.

According to Kyrié Bloem, co-founder and vice president of Shelter to Soldier, “We’re tremendously grateful to The Patriots Connection for providing us with funding for the additional turf needed to create the expanded space to train the dogs we adopt to help our veterans in need. Our overhead to feed, house, train and clean our facilities continues to grow along with the veteran population who need our services, so we are particularly grateful that The Patriots Connection has stepped up to assist us in meeting the demand.”

Shelter to Soldier is fortunate to have a pet turf partner in Envirogreen, which has heavily discounted the product and installation for all of Shelter to Soldier’s turf projects to-date. Anthony (Tony) Gourlay, owner of Envirogreen, lost his son to suicide and has been a supporter of Shelter to Soldier for three years. Gourlay’s son, AJ, was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, a dearly loved son, brother, friend, and dad to his cherished dog, Gunner.

Bloem elaborates, “From the time of adoption, our service dog trainees spend, on average, 12-18 months in our care, enjoying play and training sessions several times every day. The yards at our training facility are utilized to not only exercise our dogs, but also provide a place to receive elite service dog training and learn very important task work that will one day serve their veteran suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), insomnia, memory loss, hyper vigilance, mobility assistance and more. With this grant from The Patriots Connection, we are able to build new yards and replace very outdated turf that was there when we took over the facility in September 2017.”

Debbie Anderson, Rancho Santa Fe Foundation programs director, explains, “The Rancho Santa Fe Foundation is honored to partner with ‘Organizations of Distinction’ such as Shelter to Soldier. We, at the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, believe it’s very important to support our local military, veterans and their families and we are very thankful for the programs and expertise of our grantees in addressing our communities continual needs, particularly as they support these individuals.”

Helping Service Dogs

Two sisters, Sherry Ross and Lorette Vanourny, both of Cedar Rapids, founded a local non-profit to train and match service dogs with people in need several years ago.

Some of the first people they helped were hearing impaired, leading to the organization’s name — Deafinitely Dogs.

Ask Sherry Ross what it is about Deafinitely Dogs that brings her joy, and she pauses for only a few seconds. Then she recalls a text she received last fall.

It was from a Marine combat veteran whose motorcycle organization had partnered with Deafinitely Dogs for three years, helping match service dogs with vets with PTSD.

“After working with you these last few years and seeing the changes these dogs have had on their person — I want to be happy and laugh again,” Ross summarized. “I want to apply for a dog.”

“I was on vacation when I got that text, and I had tears in my eyes when I responded,” she said.

Ross put the meeting and training process in motion, and the former Marine was matched with his own service dog, a lab named Reggie, in December. They’ve been inseparable ever since.

Ross, 52, and her sister, Lorette Vanourny, 54, now receive frequent texts from the man with videos of him and his service dog out for walks and playing together.

“They are thriving together — I say better together because of each other,” she said.

Deafinitely Dogs provides highly trained service dogs to people who need assistance — whether it’s someone with mobility issues, anxiety or post-traumatic stress conditions, medical conditions, or blindness or deafness. The dogs are trained as puppies and eventually matched to their “person.”

“At Deafinitely Dogs, part of how we are different is that we let our dogs pick their jobs,” Ross said. “We watch what the dogs enjoy doing and gear their career toward that field.”

For example, a soulful dog that wants to be close to one person, and looks them in the eye, would be geared toward PTSD or autism work. A dog that loves to retrieve items might be a mobility assist dog. An extremely social and calm dog would be geared toward facility dog work.

The puppies are fostered by “puppy raisers” who take them into their homes and attend classes through the organization — the dogs stay in each home from six months to two years, depending on the amount of training required.

The pups are trained on age-appropriate behavior using only positive reinforcement training, Ross said.

“Our puppy raisers attend classes and go on public outings and to public awareness events with us,” she said. “The dogs get trained, but they also get to be dogs — playing ball, going on walks and playing with other pets in the home.

“Puppy raisers teach our dogs basic obedience cues, public manners and socialization.”

Communication between the foster homes and Ross and Vanourny is constant, Ross said.

The puppy caretakers provide insight to what the dogs enjoy doing and any preferences they may have — working with men or women, preferring children or being more comfortable with older adults, for instance.

“We let our dogs show us what they enjoy doing so we can put them in a job they love,” she said.

When it comes time to match, Ross said, the dogs are the ones that do the choosing. Reggie, the lab, met several applicants before meeting “his” Marine veteran. Reggie hadn’t warmed up as much to anyone else, but when they met, he went over and laid his head on the veteran’s boot.

“After the dogs tell us who ‘their’ person is, they enter advanced training to work with Lorette, our lead trainer. She teaches each dog the specific tasks needed for the individual the dog is being trained for,” Ross said. “Every dog is unique in what it learns to best help their future person live a more independent life.”

Once the dog has mastered advanced tasks, they go through one more training — this one with their new person. The dog’s person — and their parents, if it’s a child — learn things together, including how to work together.

Deafinitely Dogs places around 15 to 20 dogs per year. Last year, it placed 18 dogs and was on track to place 12 this year before the coronavirus pandemic shut things down.

Families don’t pay for service dogs.

“We do not charge for our dogs,” Ross said. “But we do require recipients or families to do fundraising on behalf of the dog. We do this because if people aren’t willing to do any work before they get the dog, chances are good they will not keep up with the work and reinforcement.

“And honestly, these dogs are expensive to train and place — about $25,000 to $30,000 — so we need assistance raising the funds to cover the costs.”

Despite following different career paths as adults, Ross and Vanourny knew from an early age that bringing dogs together with people who need them was their calling.

As children growing up in Cedar Rapids, they showed an early compassion for the most vulnerable: Lorette would “bring home any dog that was out loose — stray or not,” Sherry said, while Sherry would bring home kids from school who were having a difficult time at home.

“Our parents were amazingly supportive and allowed many dogs into our home, and multiple kids lived with us over the years,” Ross said.

The two founded Deafinitely Dogs in 2014 and haven’t looked back. Their success stories keep them going, Ross said.

“A Marine’s wife texted us a week after her husband received his dog and said, ‘Thank you, I saw my husband smile for the first time since he was deployed,’” Ross said.

The man went from isolating himself from everyone — including his family — to being engaged with his family and other veterans suffering from PTSD. The dog made such an impact on the family, Ross said, that for their anniversary, the couple had the dog’s name engraved on the inside of their wedding bands.

“We had a family who got to go on vacation for the first time in seven years because they were not afraid of having their daughter away from her mental health providers,” Ross said.

“That’s what makes us happy — not just hearing about a successful placement, but knowing that families get to live their fullest lives, enjoying time and experiences together that had previously been taken from them.”

Good Canine Citizen

From not being able to take your dogs on a walk to dealing with their frequent mood swings to rescuing dogs and puppies during lockdown, there are multiple issues to deal with for animal lovers. Paramita Das, a canine trainer and behaviourist — trained by renowned dog trainer and behaviourist Shirin Merchant and John Rogerson, a pioneer in dog training — chats with The Telegraph over phone about her journey from corporate life to pursuing her passion for dogs and also shares solutions for various problems faced by dog owners during the pandemic. Dogs who are used to long walks and outdoor activities will miss going out now. Especially for younger dogs, they will have excess energy, which needs to be directed appropriately with indoor exercises that can provide mental stimulation like scenting games — Find It (with treats and toys), Hide and Seek, Retrieving and Fetch games. Also, training your dog to new commands and tricks, practising commands that your dog already knows but is doing it differently will also provide mental exercise to them. Have fun with your dog indoors and he/she will miss their walks less.

Training Service Dogs

On the heels of graduating from college, a brother’s injury led a Villager to teach her German shepherd to help him.

To neighbors looking out their windows, it appears that Cheryl Williams is using her wheelchair to take her dog for a walk.

But the story is much different.

Williams is a puppy raiser through New Horizons Service Dogs in Orange City, and she’s been working with Rollins, a golden retriever, since February, getting him prepared for his work as a service dog with a wheelchair-bound recipient.

Sometimes her therapy Maltese, Elmo, jumps up in her lap during the training. She walks Rollins in the wheelchair, which is a heavy old-fashioned model someone donated to her.

“He’ll get on my lap, and then I’ll go on the wheelchair with the other dog,” the Village of Dunedin resident said. “I’m gonna have some guns on my arms.”

There’s a lot to look at outside for a curious dog, but it’s not a casual stroll.

“You can’t let him pull you,” she said. “(There’ll be) a bunny, a squirrel, and people out and golf carts going by, and the dog has to not be distracted.”

Dog Trainer Offers Classes

When the novel coronavirus pandemic forced longtime dog trainer Pat Rapaport to temporarily shut down her facility, she was concerned about her four- and two-legged clients.

It prompted her to offer online training classes as an option, and Ms. Rapaport said Monday it’s proven so successful she plans to continue offering them when she reopens the facility for group sessions.

“Some people are choosing this time at home to adopt new puppies but are not able to do the normal type of human and dog socialization,” Ms. Rapaport, owner of Hole in the Wall Dog Training facility, said. “Dog owners may also be faced with the possibility of dog separation issues when they return to work. Many dog trainers all over the country are offering online virtual training. It’s a little different from the face-to-face, but it is working.”

Ms. Rapaport offered her first virtual class March 25, teaching owners how to help a newly blind dog navigate its home. She has taught seven other virtual classes since. She’s also doing one-on-one, socially distanced classes at her facility.

Ms. Rapaport said she’s looking forward to when she can open her facility back up for group classes, but until then she plans to continue teaching virtually. She said she has lost about 80% of her business since being forced to close her building on Bridges Street.

“The three options I offered my clients was wait for group classes to start back, take classes virtually or do one-on-one sessions that are socially distanced,” she said. “When I do start groups back, it will only be mini groups. I have plenty of space here, but I know people will still be cautious. I’ll never make back the money I’ve lost. You just don’t make back 80 percent of your loss.”

Ms. Rapaport said she’s filed for emergency funds set up for sole proprietors, but so far has not heard back. She’s working with her landlord on rent. She, like many other small business owners, is hoping she can survive the pandemic.

“I love my profession. I love people and I love dogs and seeing them reach their potential,” she said.

Among those taking virtual classes is Geraldine Carey of Cedar Point and her dog Bentley, a 1-year-old male boxer and pit bull mix. Ms. Carey and her daughter, Addison, 11, were taking Bentley to Doggie Manners classes when the pandemic forced Ms. Rapaport to shut down her group sessions.

When Ms. Rapaport offered the option to continue virtually, Ms. Carey said she jumped on the opportunity.

“We had taken three classes in person and have done two virtually,” Ms. Carey said. “So far it has gone really well. I want to use Bentley as a therapy dog. I have three kids and would like to take him and the kids to retirement homes.”

Ms. Carey, in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, also hopes to take Bentley to the Wounded Warriors Barracks at Camp Lejeune.

To facilitate virtual classes, Ms. Rapaport sets up her notebook camera and uses Zoom to demonstrate dog training techniques at her facility while the dog owners observe from their homes. The owners then work with their dogs on the new techniques while Ms. Rapaport watches and makes suggestions.

Sometimes Ms. Rapaport uses one of her personal dogs to demonstrate, while other times she uses a stuffed demonstration dog.

Ms. Rapaport said she meets virtually once a week with other dog trainers from across the nation to learn new virtual teaching techniques and exchange ideas with trainers.

“The meetings are very helpful,” she said. “This is where I learned about Zoom, small business relief packages and puppy socialization tips.”

Ms. Rapaport said she’s concerned about the impacts of social distancing and saty-at-home orders on dogs, puppies and owners.

“We’ve had a few calls from owners whose dogs are having separation anxiety because the owners are away more or the dogs aren’t getting exercised as often,” she said.

“On the other hand, while it’s nice that many dog owners are home all day because their workplace is shut down, that can create another set of problems because a dog has a set routine. They are used to their owners being gone, and now all of a sudden they aren’t getting their nap or fed at a certain time. I tell owners to try to stay with as much routine as possible. If a dog is normally fed at 6 a.m., continue to feed them then. Also be aware that once you return to work there may be some separation anxiety.”

Dogs many times display separation anxiety by tearing something up.

While she encourages dog owners to continue taking walks and exercising their dogs, don’t overdo it.

“If you’re constantly walking your dog when they’re not used to it, that can be harmful,” she said.

Another issue is owners who aren’t used to being with their dogs all day are losing their tempers with their pets, she added.

For new puppy owners, Ms. Rapaport said it’s important to find ways to expose them to different socialization situations, even with social distancing in place.

“Get them out of the house a couple of times a day, even if it’s just driving around the block. This gets them used to riding in a car. It let’s them see other people and they need to see other dogs,” she said. “They need to be exposed to things in different environments.”

If an owner doesn’t have a car, they can dress up in different outfits, such as wearing hats and a raincoat, or have a neighbor come over so the puppy sees different people. Owners can also put boxes out in their house so the puppy learns to adjust to different things in their environment.

Adoptions During Coronavirus

The phones started ringing, and emails came pouring in, at shelters for abandoned dogs and cats around the region in mid-March. The inquires have been coming ever since, as families and single people stuck at home decide the time is right to welcome a furry friend into their lives.

It’s one of the more unexpected turn of events in the coronavirus era, animal shelters have been placing dogs and cats in new homes at an unprecedented rate.

“There’s been a major increase in interest,” said Samara Enders, a shelter spokeswoman. “It started right when all the social distancing started to happen, when people were at home, looking for something to do. Having a dog gives them something to do, and it helps out a shelter dog in need.”

“The people seem to be happy, and the dogs are happy, too,” Enders said. “Quality time with dogs is good for mental health.”

Del Guercio, who also works with new pet owners to facilitate the new addition to the family, says dogs have plenty to offer during the shelter-in-place setting.

“It’s such an amazing bonding experience,” she said. “Dogs offer comfort, they also offer responsibility, for families especially with children right now. They’re all therapy dogs. They give a sense of structure when everything is chaotic. It’s a learning experience — I give the kids a task to do, training commands. Getting kids involved in that, it’s educational, and they feel like they have some control in a world that’s out of control. It builds self-confidence and engagement.”

Help Prevent Attacks

The Postal Service continues to fulfill its mission to provide essential services that process and deliver information, communications, and goods vital to residents. To ensure the safety of our delivery personnel, the Postal Service is asking dog owners to keep their animals secured when deliveries are being made.

The Postal Service offers the following safety tips for dog owners:

When a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate glass windows to attack visitors.

Parents should remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.

One bite is one too many. When your mail carrier arrives, make sure your dog is properly restrained or…better yet…just moved inside and secured.

Pets In A Pandemic

Dogs and cats — as well as livestock — appear to have little to fear from the coronavirus pandemic.

While the outbreak is believed to have started when mutated viruses spread from infected animals — likely bats — bats to humans in a Chinese wet market last year, there is almost no evidence to suggest the new virus poses a significant threat to domestic animals.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), only three pets in Hong Kong (two dogs and a cat) and three in the U.S. (two cats in New York state and a dog in North Carolina) have tested positive for the coronavirus. Additionally, eight big cats in the Bronx Zoo — five tigers and three lions — have tested positive.

Health authorities believe that in each case, the animals became infected through contact with infected owners or zookeepers. Each animal experienced a mild respiratory illness and recovered.

“The evidence is overwhelming at this point that COVID-19 is a people problem,” San Francisco-area veterinary practice owner Dr. Carrie Jurney says. “Animals are a very, very, very minor footnote in this story.”

Authorities typically hasten to add there is no evidence to suggest that pets or livestock can transmit the virus to people; however, because dogs, cats and other domesticated animals have long been known to be susceptible to other strains of coronavirus, AVMA veterinarians recommend:

Animal owners without symptoms of COVID-19 should continue to practice good hygiene during interactions with animals. This includes washing hands before and after such interactions and when handling animal food, waste or supplies.

Owners should not let pets interact with people or other animals outside the household.

Cats should be kept indoors when possible, to prevent them from interacting with other animals or people.

Dogs should be walked on a leash, maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from other people and animals. Avoid dog parks or public places where a large number of people and dogs gather.

Until more is known about the virus, people infected with COVID-19 should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just as they would humans.

Reduced contact can pose a challenge for disabled persons who rely on service animals. In those cases, only basic care should be provided for the animal, with little to no petting, hugging, snuggling or sharing of food.

Authorities advise against routine testing of pets or livestock for the novel coronavirus, and they discourage putting masks or other protective gear on animals.

The major challenge for pets is a familiar one: Who will care for them if their owners fall ill.

Shelter To Soldier