Willow Brings Joy To Students

A 1-year-old black Labradoodle named Willow helped brighten the lives of St. Marys Catholic Elementary School students this year, and is still doing so for some during the coronavirus closure.

Kim Sloff, inclusion coordinator at the school, is an avid animal lover. Her son was diagnosed with autism at 2 years old, and the family looked into a therapy dog then, but found it would be costly.

Sloff’s background includes working as a preschool aid and in mental health and case work, she said. Since the school doesn’t have a special education department, her position was developed to better serve children with special needs.

In February 2019, she attended an inclusion conference, visiting a school with a therapy dog in action, where the idea of securing one for the St. Marys school was inspired.

The Sloff family got Willow when she was a puppy. She’s classified as an emotional support dog, and was officially certified in February of this year.

“She went into the school every day as a puppy and walked around with me,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how she took to the process at just five months old. She became a fixture immediately, and the kids loved her.”

Sloff’s responsibilities include tutoring, testing and reading to children, she said, many of whom have extreme test anxiety or struggle with behavioral issues. Some children will sit and pet Willow for comfort and for others she is part of a “reward” program.

“If a student comes in upset, by the time they leave us, they’re laughing and smiling,” Sloff said.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sloff says she has been doing tutoring sessions via video chat, and Willow will sit next to her. She has sent a video of herself and Willow to a boy struggling at home during the closure.

“It made his day,” she said.

Willow is such a part of the school that she is even pictured in the yearbook under faculty, Sloff adds.

Not just during quarantine, but all the time, Willow brings so much comfort and unconditional love to Sloff and her family’s life, she said, referring to her as her “kindred spirit.”

“I have an absolute connection with her I’ve never had with any animal,” she said.

RCMP Service Dog

RCMP say they were conducting a training session with a service dog before an officer shot an “aggressive” dog that was off-leash in the downtown area of Yellowknife.

In a news release Thursday, RCMP say around 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, the police force’s Police Dog Services — which included a police service dog named Hoss and his handler — were training near 49th Avenue and 44th Street. RCMP dog training sessions can often happen in public areas, like back alleys, the release says.

During the training, police say Hoss and his handler had “an interaction with two aggressive unleashed dogs.”

They say a police dog services member was injured, as was Hoss. The release says the interaction continued and the member then discharged his fireman. Police say as a result, one of the off-leash dogs was injured and taken to a veterinarian for treatment.

Hoss and the handler were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

RCMP say they’ve initiated an Independent Officer Review of the incident — which will be conducted by a commissioned officer of the inspector rank or higher — who was not involved in the incident. The officer will determine if the RCMP’s policies and procedures were followed in the given circumstances of the incident.

RCMP Investigation Update

Today (Thursday, June 4th) Yellowknife RCMP released an update on the investigation into the incident yesterday where a police officer discharged his firearm at an aggressive dog.

The release says NT RCMP has initiated an Independent Officer Review (IOR) of the incident to determine if the RCMP’s policies and procedures were followed in the given circumstance.

The review will be conducted by a commissioned officer of Inspector rank or higher, who is independent of the involved incident.

The release also included a correction to the time of the incident, originally 11:30 am, to approximately 10:45 am.

According to RCMP, on Wednesday Police Dog Services (PDS) were conducting a training session in the area of 49 Ave and 44 St in downtown Yellowknife.

PDS training sessions may include urban public areas, such as back alleys.

During the session, Police Service Dog Hoss and his handler had an interaction with two aggressive unleashed dogs. The PDS member was first injured, with PSD Hoss also sustaining an injury.

As the interaction progressed, the member discharged his firearm injuring one of the two unleashed dogs as a result. The injured dog was taken to a local veterinary office for treatment, and both the PDS handler and Hoss were treated for non-life threatening injuries and released.

The release then states that PDS handlers and Police Service Dogs are highly trained, valuable members of the RCMP, and PDS handlers understand the unique bond between an owner and a dog and share a concern anytime a dog is injured.

In normal circumstances, RCMP would not give details on an ongoing investigation however, due to the nature of the incident, and within the restrictions of the ongoing investigation, RCMP deemed it necessary to provide some context to the incident.

The IOR is ongoing, and no further details will be released.

RCMP Police Dog

In a statement that amended some earlier information and contained new detail, RCMP said both an officer and a police dog were injured before any shot was fired.

The RCMP account of what took place contradicted several elements of the account provided by Lawrence Mantla and Lori Dashney, who own Rocko, the pitbull shot in the encounter.

On Wednesday, Mantla told Cabin Radio his dog had been bitten by a police German shepherd first before reacting in self-defence. Mantla said he had been holding on to his dog and asking police not to fire when Rocko was shot.

The pitbull, said by his owners and several other residents to be gentle in nature, received a gunshot wound to the throat.

Neither Mantla nor RCMP, in their first statement, had mentioned the presence of a third dog.

However, in a second written statement on Thursday, RCMP said a police dog named Hoss and his handler “had an interaction with two aggressive unleashed dogs.”

Police said the handler had been conducting a training session near 44 Street and 49 Avenue at the time – 10:45am, a revision to Wednesday’s statement, which had placed the incident at 11:30am.

While RCMP said such sessions often take place in downtown back alleys, police did not directly answer a question from Cabin Radio regarding whether the incident had taken place on public or private property.

On encountering the two dogs, RCMP said their officer “was first injured” and the police dog was also hurt. Neither injury had been reported by police in their Wednesday news release.

“As the interaction progressed, the member discharged his firearm. One of the two unleashed dogs was injured as a result, and was taken to a local veterinary office for treatment,” Thursday’s statement continued.

“Both the handler and Hoss were treated for non-life threatening injuries and released.”

Rocco, a pitbull owned by Lawrence Mantla and Lori Dashney, is pictured after being shot during an incident on June 3, 2020.

RCMP said the incident was now the subject of an independent officer review, meaning a commissioned officer of inspector rank or higher will examine whether RCMP policies and procedures were followed.

“The [review] is ongoing and no further details will be released,” Thursday’s statement concluded.

Mantla could not immediately be reached for comment.

On Wednesday, he had described holding Rocko’s chest at the moment the dog was shot.

“That dog bit my dog twice, then my dog turned around and bit him on the lip, hanging on to the lip,” Mantla said in his account of the same incident.

“He shot my dog point blank. Their dog attacked my dog and now they’re blaming us.”

Rocko had a suspected ruptured esophagus, Mantla said on Wednesday evening, and may require surgery in Calgary.

“Police Dog Service handlers and police service dogs are highly trained, valuable members of the RCMP,” police said in Thursday’s second statement.

“Handlers understand the unique bond between an owner and a dog, and share a concern any time a dog is injured.”

Let’s Love Our Pets

When spring semester started, I headed home to Las Vegas for a semester-long school project for my parent’s pet harness business. Because of the business, I get to see all kinds of dogs, cats, pigs— I kid you not — goats, guinea pigs and more wearing my parent’s product. I also see the smiles on pet owner’s faces when showing off their pets to others.

Pets, with their adorable mannerisms, do things that not a lot of people do— provide a great distraction for our troubles. Of course, they could never replace family , but they sure make a wonderful addition to them.

We at Scroll believe that pets provide great support in trying times.

Although pets have been helpful many times in people’s normal lives, they have been especially helpful during quarantine. According to the New York Times, The Best Friends Animal Society saw a nationwide increase in adoptions due to quarantine giving people more time at home. Living in isolation can be stressful for many, even inside a family setting.

Buddy, my parent’s French bulldog, has been a stress reliever for us during quarantine. He always finds a way to put a smile on our face even though he cannot say a word — unless you count his barks.

According to ABC News, some Zoom classes use therapy dogs for students to relieve stress and teach social and emotional development. Some might think this is too distracting for students, but the children in the ABC News’ report say therapy pets help set an example of good listening.

It is important to understand that pets are only as good as they are treated. As great as they are to have around, they require a lot of attention from their owners. Who has not had a moment where their cat or dog pooped or peed on the floor, broken something valuable, or barked nonstop at something passing by the window? Pets do a lot of dumb things, but for most, it ends up being moments to laugh at.

Personally, I believe they solve more problems then they create. Pets help us to think outside of ourselves. When we take good care of our pets, we are spending more time helping them with their problems instead of thinking about our own. Many people learn this message through their own children, but pets help remind us of that fact.

God created all living things not just for food, but to be helpful companions. Many animals have been pets for mankind since Paleolithic times, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Cats were even universally worshiped during ancient Egypt — which makes sense since my sister’s cat, Apricot, is always demanding my attention whenever I come to visit.

I love how the Encyclopedia Britannica also mentions the relationship between owner and pet to be a symbiotic one, meaning that the love they have for one another is mutual. It is something that differentiates them from just mere cattle. The time we spend and the love we give to our pets defines that relationship.

Quarantine has given us more time in our homes than most of us care to have, but with that time, we have found ways to appreciate things we thought we did not have time for. For any new or veteran pet owners out there, please take care of your animal family members. They will teach us to think outside of ourselves, on top of many other benefits. They may be tedious and needy at times, but the benefits outweigh the time required.

Medical Services Dog

Are you a veteran or do you know someone who is a veteran and would be interested in a medical service dog?

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is working with the community to help pair medical service dogs with vterans experiencing PTSD, mobility issues, seizure disorders, and/or diabetes.

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs mission is to raise, train and donate medical service dogs to veterans, first responders and individuals to mitigate the challenges of both permanent visible and invisible disabilities.

The program reports it has had zero deaths by suicide among its recipients in its 10-year history compared to a devastatingly high statistic for veterans around the country – on average 20-22 veterans commit suicide in the United States each day.

The nonprofit reported 92 percent of veterans with PTSD have reduced or eliminated medications after receiving a service dog (*According Medicine Study.)

Although Guardian Angels is headquartered in Florida, the organization has donated over 330 dogs spanning 24 states in the past decade.

Police Dog Service

An Albertan was arrested and facing several criminal charges after police from in Revelstoke, Sicamous, Salmon Arm and Vernon teamed up June 3.

At around 1 p.m. Wednesday, an officer with Trans Canada East Traffic Services (TCETS), based in Revelstoke, failed to stop a vehicle for speeding on Highway 1 near Malakwa.

The lone occupant of a black BMW fled westbound toward Sicamous. The traffic officer didn’t chase the vehicle for public safety reasons, BC RCMP Traffic Services said, but he called ahead to warn officers in the neighbouring regions.

The driver of the BMW evaded Sicamous RCMP and continued toward Salmon Arm.

Officers patrolled the secondary roads between the two communities and located the vehicle abandoned.

At around the same time, Salmon Arm RCMP located a person on the same highway not far from the BMW.

Following questioning, RCMP found the Alberta man in his late 30s was the driver of the BMW which was determined to have been stolen from Calgary a month ago.

The Police Dog Service from Vernon was used to track the driver’s path from the recovered BMW to where he was found by police. Several items belonging to the driver were found along the way.

The Integrated Forensic Identification Section was utilized to gather evidence from the vehicle which will be used to connect the car to the driver.

A police helicopter was also deployed, providing support from above to officers on the ground.

“This investigation is an excellent example of seamless teamwork and communication among various Units and Detachments that brought this file to a successful conclusion without injury to any members of the public,” BC RCMP Traffic Services said in a statement.

The Alberta man was taken into custody without further incident and was later released for a future court date.

He is facing several charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police and possession of stolen property.

Paws Puppies

Why This Service Dog Stays Home

Like many people with disabilities, I have been in isolation since the outbreak began. Shortly after, an interesting topic came up among service dog handlers: Is it safe to use service dogs during this time?

The first step in my decision about whether my service dog would be doing public access work during the pandemic was research. I scoured the internet for trustworthy articles about the likelihood of the virus being spread from my dog’s fur to me. While most of my research found that you cannot contract COVID-19 from your pet, nothing mentioned transferring it from your pet’s fur. This is the key research I need that hasn’t been done. Fair enough. There are more important things to worry about.

This led to the next step in my decision-making process: using my brain. I had to adapt existing research and warnings to my situation. I used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation about washing clothes to make the connection that my dog’s fur is his clothing. Therefore, if he were to work in public, I would need to bathe him when I got home.

After assessing the risk, I took a realistic look at my situation. I have gone out in public three times since the pandemic started — twice to the doctor and once to the lab. Would it have been easier to bring my dog? Two of the three times, yes. Was it unmanageable? No. Would I realistically have the energy to bathe my standard poodle after every outing? Absolutely not.

Here is where I want to bring light to a very real part of being a service dog handler. Not every situation is safe for using a service dog. It is important to have other coping mechanisms in place in those cases.

This is also the part where you need to be honest with yourself about risk versus benefit. Due to the limited times I have been in public, the fact that those trips have been as short as possible, and that I had other means of support, I concluded that the benefits did not outweigh the risks.

If you do see a service dog working in public, please be extra sure you are giving that team space. If you see a handler without their service dog, please do not think that they do not need one. We are all doing our best to navigate these crazy times, and no two situations are the same.

The Impact ESA Make On People

A dog in the grocery store; a cat in the cabin of an airplane; a bird in a coffee shop – companion creatures labelled as Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are showing up more and more in places previously understood to be animal-free. It’s part of a growing trend which includes “certifying” animals to provide emotional assistance to a person with a diagnosable mental condition or emotional disorder.

Jeffrey Younggren, a forensic psychologist and clinical professor at The University of New Mexico’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, recognized the growing trend presents an ethical challenge for therapists asked to certify emotional support animals for their patients. “Emotional Support Animal Assessments: Toward a Standard and Comprehensive Model for Mental Health Professionals” outlines the ethical challenge and offers possible solutions to better serve both people who feel they need ESAs and those who must comply with the animals such as landlords and airlines.

In their third paper on this topic, published by the American Psychological Association, Younggren and his coauthors propose a four-prong standard assessment model for practitioners to follow when asked to provide a patient with an ESA certificate. These guidelines include:

1. Understanding, recognizing and applying the laws regulating ESAs.

2. A thorough valid assessment of the individual requesting an ESA certification.

3. An assessment of the animal in question to ensure it actually performs the valid functions of an ESA.

4. An assessment of the interaction between the animal and the individual to determine whether the animal’s presence has a demonstrably beneficial effect on that individual.

“In this model, you have to take the animal into consideration. Somebody has to certify that the animal is able to do what you’re asking it to do. And there are avenues by which animals can be evaluated regarding their capacity for these kinds of experiences,” Younggren adds.

For example, a patient with an anxiety problem can takes a pill to calm down, and the effects of the drug are measurable and backed by scientific testing and research. But Younggren says there is very little evidence to scientifically support that animals ameliorate a patient’s symptoms.

By making such guidelines and practices standard, the hope is that there will be fewer instances like the one recently, which resulted in a flight attendant needing stitches after being bitten by an emotional support animal.

According to Younggren, service animals must be trained to provide a function otherwise inaccessible to their owner. But ESAs are not held to that standard, which is partially what his new research aims to correct.

“Our research has nothing to do with service animals. Seeing eye dogs and therapy dogs are animals that help individuals manage their disabilities in certain situations – but that’s not what an ESA is. An ESA is an example of a well-intended idea that has metastasized and developed into a world of nonsense,” Younggren said.

Cassandra Boness, University of Missouri Ph.D. candidate and second author on the paper, says the model will better align ESA certifications with professional and legal practices, while also providing guidelines for mental health practitioners.

“One of our biggest goals is to disseminate this information in order to better educate mental health providers, as well as policy writers, about the need for ethical guidelines around ESAs,” Boness said.

In addition, Boness said her hope is that this paper will encourage others to pursue research on the impacts of ESAs on patients, so that there is a more scientific pool of data to cite.

“Mental health professionals who lack full awareness of the law will likely fail to recognize that writing such letters constitutes a disability determination that becomes a part of the individual’s clinical records,” the paper states.

Currently, in order to receive waivers for housing or travel purposes where animals are banned, the law requires patients must have a mental or emotional condition diagnosable by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). If patients are given certifications for an ESA, it means they, and the therapist signing the certification, are declaring the patient to be psychologically disabled with significant impairment in functioning.

“[The guidelines] will require that those individuals who certify these animals must conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the individual to determine that they have a disability under the DSM-5,” Younggren concluded. “That disability has to substantially interfere with the patient’s ability to function, which is what the ADA requires. And the presence of the animal has to ameliorate the condition, which means you have to see the person with the animal.”

Should this proposal influence an industry standard, Younggren says it will become more difficult for people to receive certification, but on the whole safer for society.

Companion Canines

Caroline Delaney finds out how rescue charities are coping after Covid-19 pressed paws on adoptions

When Dave Fleming got ‘matched’ with his dream dog from a rescue charity he was thrilled.

There was just one hitch though — the logistics of getting Bumble on the 150k journey to his ‘forever home’ with Covid-19 restrictions limiting non-essential travel to 2, and then 5k.

Bumble was being well looked after in Kerry but Dave was keen to get him settled as a key family member and was also aware that all the enforced free time would be great to use for walks.

So Dave, an Abbey actor who’s currently in lockdown at his partner’s family’s farm in Laois, put out an appeal on Twitter.

He asked if there were any essential workers travelling that particular route who would be willing to help out. His post was shared hundreds of times and he spoke to a few good samaritans.

Now Bumble is home and enjoying being walked and praised and being top dog.

“He’s a very handsome dog alright and he has settled right in here. We’re delighted with him,” says Dave.

Bumble is a collie mix and Dave believes he may have been up for adoption due to not making the grade as a sheepdog: “We quickly realised that he has eyesight problems — cataracts.

“He’s able to find his way around alright so it’s not a huge problem. He hadn’t been mistreated as he has a very easy-going temperament so we reckon he was just rounding up the wrong things!”

A bright new ‘vest’ alerting passers-by to Bumble’s sight difficulties will help people understand any clumsiness.

Even in ‘normal times’ the process of matching dogs with owners can take some time if prospective owners are keen for a pet of a particular breed or age.

Agencies rehoming pets have to interview owners and assess their home for any dangers or escape routes that a new owner might not have spotted.

The Cork Society for the Prevent of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA) had to close its door for the past two months but is now aiming to restart viewings by appointment only from June 3.

Manager, Vincent Cashman, said: “This, of course, will depend on how things are working regarding the Covid-19 outbreak and governmental advice and will be subject to change if we deem it necessary.

“This is a big change for our normal way of operating — as many of you know, you could just walk in for viewings previously but we need the full cooperation of you the public for this to work.”

However, his big concern is that people who bought a dog on a whim due to being home from work or to help keep children entertained during lockdown will not want to keep it once they return to work and children’s sports and school activities resume

“We have only had eight dog surrenders over the past two months. Normally we would have that many in a week. And other animals too such as cats, goats, rabbits and even Giant African snails.

“But we do fear that it may suit some people to have a dog around now and that they won’t keep it once this is over. I need to say this: you don’t need a dog to just go for a walk. You don’t need ‘an excuse’.”

Unusually, the CSPCA doesn’t have any cats for rehoming at the moment: “That’s probably because people are selling then online to whoever instead.”

The new pet adoption arrangement plans include bringing the dog to meet the prospective new owner in the exercise run.

Home inspections or will be carried out on a limited basis — if the garden is accessible through a side gate for example.

“All this is totally dependent on the latest safety guidelines and everything can change depending on expert advice,” warns Vincent.

The CSPCA also plans to rely on recommendations from trusted volunteers who could vouch for an owner.

He is concerned that people are paying exorbitant prices to dog ‘dealers’ online. “There is no care put into their breeding.

“Problems are being bred into them.

Dispatch’s Emotional Support Dog

Bella is a 6-year-old British bulldog that was found abandoned in a car after her previous owner fled the scene of a crash. The city of Webster’s dispatch center adopted Bella as an emotional support dog in late 2019.

Most days at the City of Webster’s dispatch center are chaotic, according to Assistant Chief of Police Pete Bacon. The center takes calls from fire departments, emergency medical service stations and police departments across the region 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which often takes a toll on the mental health of the telecommunications officers (TCOs).

“There are times when there are phones ringing off the wall constantly,” Bacon said. “It’s a pressure-cooker environment.”

The center is run by 14 TCOs that are the city’s first line of defense in emergency situations. Bacon said after Hurricane Harvey inundated the call center in 2018, it was decided the TCOs would benefit from more mental health services, such as an emotional support dog.

Since Harvey, the city has been searching for ways to help alleviate the stresses TCOs deal with on a day-to-day basis. At the end of 2019, officers found the perfect answer when the city adopted a deaf, 6-year-old British bulldog named Bella.

“Bella is a calm and affectionate bulldog. She is deaf, which is a good thing since the call center can be pretty chaotic,” TCO Tiffany Swanson said in a Facebook post from the city. “You can’t stay upset when you’re petting a dog.”

“She [Trover] is a behind-the-scenes hero, she doesn’t get enough credit for what she does,” Bacon said. “She recognized that that dog was the right fit for us and she was right.”

Bella lives at the dispatch center and is cared for by the 14 TCO’s and police officers that routinely drop in to visit her. Dog beds are spread throughout the call center and she has her own spot in the employee lounge where she spends her time snoozing and snacking. A local veterinarian visits Bella once a week for free and has helped the dog recover from her kennel cough and an ear infection that she was diagnosed with when she first came to the center.

Since news of Bella’s adoption spread, Bacon said she has basically become famous. Bella is even attracting potential employees that Bacon said have reached out and said they wanted to apply simply because of the adorable bulldog they know would make their job much more enjoyable.

“The social media feedback we have had has been overwhelmingly positive,” Bacon said. “Just the fact that we have Bella [also makes] a difference for us in recruiting.”

Bacon said adding Bella to the center has been a win-win for everyone involved. The officers enjoy her company during stressful situations and Bella has been given a new lease on life.

“She is just very sweet and loving and calm,” Bacon said. “She loves to visit with people and her favorite game is to chase the officer’s flashlights on the ground. She is a very gentle soul.”

Life Is Better With An Animal

Dog Comforts Protesters

A woman brought her dog to the Peaceful demonstration at the Governor’s Mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota Monday, where the dog helped comfort many grieving people during the sit-in.

Approximately 2,000 people gathered for Monday’s peaceful protest, calling for more aggressive charges the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day.

The owner shared photos of her dog, EnVee, at the demonstration, showing protesters petting and hugging EnVee.

In one photo, EnVee is licking the face of a sobbing protester. EnVee’s owner told FOX 9 EnVee is not even a service dog…”she’s just a lover.”

A Veteran’s Service Dog

Port Charlotte Navy veteran Thomas Andrews says his dog, Chief, helps him get through the day.

“I’m one hundred percent on disability. I’ve got PTSD through the military so he’s actually a comfort dog to me,” he said.

So when his usually playful pup stopped moving around over the weekend, fear set in.

“He wasn’t walking, wasn’t doing nothing,” Andrews said. “I got rather nervous. As a veteran, I get paid [disability] once a month…I didn’t have any money at that time. I started calling around a bunch of vets to see if they would let me make payments on a vet bill and just about all of them I called said, ‘No, absolutely no.’”

That was until he called Burnt Store Animal Hospital.

“Dr. Justin Kerr didn’t even hesitate. He said, ‘Come on in,’” Andrews said.

That’s because Kerr is passionate about helping his heroes and their pets.

“My grandfather was in World War II on the D-Day beaches. They do so much to enable our best lives that we can just do anything we possibly can to give back at any point in time,” he said. “If I can help out a person and their pet, specifically one that’s put the ultimate sacrifice out there for us, then I’m happy to do so.”

Now, Andrews is happy to watch Chief recovering from his knee injury, thanks to a compassionate clinic.

“I’m just thankful,” he said.

Burnt Store Animal Hospital also offers standing discounts for all veterans and active duty, along with first responders in our area. Kerr says they want to thank those who enable us to live our best lives through their service.

Lifesaving Dog

Craig Hodgkins and his medical service dog Foxy have been together just a few days, but the Pittsburgh man said he already feels like it’s been a life-changing experience.

And a life-saving one.

“This was my last hope … She looks in my eyes and I feel relief,” he said.

Thursday at Memorial Park in Grove City, Foxy, a long-haired German shepherd, leaned up against Hodgkins. The dog studied the man’s face, and sensed emotion.

That’s what Foxy was trained to do.

Hodgkins was one of five people who received a service dog this week through Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, a nonprofit agency based in Williston, Fla.

The organization, founded about 10 years ago, has paired more than 350 dogs with veterans, first responders, and people with disabilities.

Service dogs are sponsored by businesses and other organizations, so there is no cost to the recipients, said Joanne Werner, a traveling trainer.

The trainers had planned to bring the dogs and their new humans together in March in Florida, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to make other arrangements, so the group came to Mercer County.

The trainers introduced the dogs to their humans this week at the Avenue of 444 Flags in Hermitage and the pairs have been together ever since.

Over the past several days, the dogs and their recipients have undergone training, learned about each other, and visited businesses so they both could get a feel for what it’s like to be in public together.

The recipients said their dogs are great matches and they couldn’t wait to to head home with their new best friends.

“He’s a lot like me … I’m very, very happy,” said Ryan Yoder of Harrisburg about Rikki, his service dog.

He’s been calling the 1-year-old German shepherd “Rik,” and said he feels like they already share a special bond.

Yoder, who served in the Marine Corps for four years, is veterans coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.

He learned about Guardian Angels through his state post and learned that medical service dogs can provide assistance to veterans, especially those living with disabilities and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Yoder said he was excited to meet his new buddy, and looks forward to bringing Rik home to meet his wife and kids.

Rik is trained to help with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Yoder credited the organization and Carol Borden, Guardian Angels founder and chief executive officer, for its work.

Guardian Angels is sending the recipients home with supplies, including dog food, and prevention treatments for fleas, ticks and heartworm.

Hodgkins served 21 years in the Marines. He said 5-year-old Foxy is calm and reassuring, which helps with balance and anxiety issues.

Hodgkins said he has always loved dogs – he’s had several Great Danes. But after a doctor recommended a service dog, he said Foxy came into his life at just the right time.

He was in a “low place,” and having Foxy has made him feel comfortable for the first time in many years.

Jim Grossman of Hermitage, who served in the Marines, heard about the organization from his counselor.

He said he was a little uncertain about the idea at first, but he’s now glad he decided to apply.

“He’s very calming to me. We just seem to click,” said Grossman, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5286 in Farrell, as he looked at 4-year-old Judd.

Grossman said Judd is already helping him sleep better.

Alexis Taggart of Philadelphia, who served in the Army from 2011 to 2016, spent quite a bit of time researching service dogs.

The Guardian Angels application process is long and includes a background check, but she said the wait was worth it.

“I cried my eyes out,” she said of her first meeting with Doc, a female German shepherd who is almost 2.

They have a really strong bond, and Doc helps her with panic attacks – like she has a sixth sense, said Taggart, who is studying to earn a doctorate degree in psychology.

Jay Cox of Charlotte, N.C., is retired, having worked in diplomatic security for the U.S. Department of State and as a police officer in Maryland.

Cox worked in special weapons and tactics, and as a detective, investigating homicides, kidnapping and serial murder – what he called “the absolute worst of society.”

And it affected him, he said.

Cox was seriously injured in the line of duty. During a hostage situation, another officer detonated a flash-bang grenade near Cox’s head, which left him with a traumatic brain injury.

Someone recommended a service dog, and his daughter Carly Cox, whom he calls a “hero,” helped him with the application. Cox said he prospect of getting a dog gave him something to look forward to.

“This is the first thing I’ve been excited about,” he said.

He’s excited to go home to his wife with Whaler, a German shepherd who helps him with PTSD.

The dog is intense and strong-willed, and he has already helped Cox deal with nightmares by jumping into bed at night and redirecting his attention.

“He broke that loop. I couldn’t believe it,” Cox said.

Sponsors of the dog were PNC for Whaler, Yellow Ribbon Fund for Rik, Armstrong for Judd, and the Colcom Foundation for Foxy and Doc.

Training a medical service dog can take up to two years, and the organization looks for dogs with low or medium energy and are willing to learn and work, Werner said.

The organization itself owns the dogs, and the recipients sign a contract that imposes conditions including getting the dog established with a veterinarian and securing pet insurance.

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs checks in on the dogs to make sure things are going well. The organization plans to open a second facility, in Moon Township, Werner said.

She also works with inmates at the State Correctional Institution at Mercer in Findley Township. The inmates are veterans, and she teaches them how to train the service dogs.

A lot of thought goes into pairing dogs with recipients, and that first meeting is always a tearjerker.

“It’s amazing … It’s very humbling and rewarding,” Werner said of her job.

Attorney’s Office Gets ESA

An emotional-support dog is joining the staff at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Barrett joined the office in late December and is its first emotional-support animal, the office said in a news release.

“Having an emotional-support animal like Barrett in our office will provide much-needed stress and anxiety relief to our staff members, as well as the witnesses and victims we work with during cases,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement.

According to the county attorney’s office: Barrett is a golden doodle; he is 75% standard poodle and 25% golden retriever.

Barrett is in “sensory” training to introduce him to the sounds, smells and sights of the office.

His full-time work starts in a year.

He is expected to work five half-days a week.

“His full-time engagement will follow a rigorous training schedule that will outfit him with the skills needed to support Hennepin County Attorney’s Office employees, witnesses and victims,” the office said.

Barrett was acquired as a joint decision of the special litigation division and victim witness advocates because research supports the benefits of emotional-support animals, the news release said.

Barrett lives with an employee of the office.

Hero German Shepherd

A mom’s reaction to being reunited with her lost child – found by Küsse, a German Shepherd rescue dog – was to smother both with kisses and hugs.

Indeed, the name Kusse – German for “kisses” – fits Corey Speegle’s rescue dog to a “T.” With her innate ability to find lost people, Küsse has earned huge praise during her short career.

Nearly half a million dog lovers across the country have cast their votes for Küsse, one of three semi-finalists for the American Humane Search and Rescue Hero Dog prize. Küsse and Speegle live in Sheffield, Alabama, and she’s the only dog representing the Yellowhammer State. Supporters can vote for Kusse once a day through July 16.

Speegle got Küsse as a pup and began training her at a year old. Küsse’s innate ability to find individuals has primed her to win the national contest this fall, which concludes with a gala and a two-hour special on the Hallmark Channel. She’s among the competition’s top three Search and Rescue dogs. Other categories include Therapy Dogs; Service Dogs; Military Dogs; Law Enforcement Dogs; Shelter Dogs; and Guide/Hearing Dogs.

“Küsse is a beautiful dog, and she loves to serve and help find missing people,” said Speegle, state coordinator for the Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons and a volunteer firefighter for Spring Valley and White Oak Volunteer Fire departments. “Her mother is a German Shepherd from the Czech Republic and the father is a second-generation explosives dog out of Fort Hood, Texas.”

Speegle has trained with the Federal Emergency Management Association, and he and Küsse have completed numerous search and rescue classes.

“I’ve taken advanced building search classes through detection services, and I’ve had boat training to locate bodies in the water,” Speegle said.

He’s accustomed to receiving calls for help from Colbert County Sheriff Frank Williamson. On March 4, Speegle and Küsse were called to work search and reconnaissance efforts in Cookeville, Tennessee, after a powerful EF4 tornado decimated the town in the early morning. Cookeville is the county seat of Putnam County, 79 miles east of Nashville.

“Küsse and I worked for hours on end to help find survivors and bring closure to families with missing loved ones,” said Speegle, who volunteers with the White Oak Volunteer Fire Department’s K-9 Search and Rescue crew. The team also uses highly trained cadaver dogs.

“It was like a bomb went off there,” he said. “We stayed until the last person was accounted for – it wasn’t pretty, as you can imagine.” Despite their round-the-clock search March 4-6, Küsse and Speegle found no survivors among the 27 people missing.

Speegle trained Küsse with the “recall/refind” method.

“I say, ‘show me,’ and she will return to me and lead me to the person,” he said. “When she finds somebody, she gets her purple kong wubba, her favorite toy in the whole world.”

“The new thinking is you don’t want the dog to bark at someone and scare them, so she’s trained to find them and, depending on the distance, she returns to me and makes me know she found them,” he said.

Speegle uses a handheld detection module linked to Küsse’s GPS-monitored collar, which can track her up to 9 miles.

“Occasionally, with small children, the dog won’t leave the child,” he said. “It will lay down and stay with the subject, so we can still track where the dog is.

“She also does scent article finds,” Speegle said. “Küsse locates a person using a scent article – a sock, hat or shirt, for instance.

“Küsse will work on- or off-lead,” he said. “If you have someone lost in a national forest, she can use that scent to find them.”

Küsse recently helped in the search for a 20-year-old marathon runner from Colbert County near Muscle Shoals, Alabama, whose family reported him missing.

“He’d gone running in the evening and it had stormed all night,” Speegle said. “We tracked him 200 to 300 yards but Küsse lost his scent because of the rain. But she assisted law enforcement to go in the right direction to find him.”

Using video, the sheriff tracked the man’s run. The marathoner had been caught in the storm and sheltered overnight in the field house at Muscle Shoals High School. He borrowed a phone the next morning to call his parents.

Colbert County Commissioner Darol Bendall asked Speegle to locate unmarked historic graves at the historic LaGrange Cemetery in Leighton, Alabama. He and Küsse volunteered a weekend in April.

“The ancestors would like to know where they’re at – it’s rough terrain,” said Speegle, who assisted other members of the LaGrange Living History Association. “There are probably 100 graves that are unaccounted for, some of which date to 1815.”

The project was an excellent training opportunity. Speegle, Küsse and his other dogs located nine lost gravesites. During the years,  headstones for a man and his wife, dating to the 1800s, had been moved about 50 yards from their resting place. Volunteers reset the headstones properly. Other graves were found outside the cemetery.

“My cadaver dog found an unmarked grave in a wooded area,” he said.

During the work, a volunteer’s child went missing.

“This little 6-year-old girl had wandered off 200 to 300 yards,” Speegle said. “Küsse found her at the back of the cemetery, at the wood line. It was a little scary for all of us.”

Speegle finds a lot of satisfaction in helping others.

“There was no happy ending in Tennessee, but finding the little girl was a good one,” he said. “Küsse is at the beginning of her career. I hope she serves her community well. If she wins in her overall category, I will be one proud daddy.”

2020 Therapy Dogs

 

Graduation is being celebrated by many, but one special group hasn’t been able to show Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Seniors how much they mean to them– until now.

Therapy dogs have had a large presence on campus since the horrific tragedy on February 14, 2018.

The four organizations assisting the school are Canine Assisted Therapy, Paws Assistance Dog, Share-A-Pet, and the Humane Society of Broward Assisted Therapy.

According to Lori Bale of Canine Assisted Therapy, the organizations work with the Broward County school district on what the needs are. Sometimes, they visit MSD on Therapy dog Thursdays, and other times, they want an extra presence for occasions like code red drills, and the commemoration of the tragedy.

Currently, the dogs can only be seen on virtual visits, which is why their handlers want the seniors to know they haven’t forgotten about graduation.

“The graduates at MSD have been through so much, and we didn’t feel like they got the year they deserved,” said Bale, “We just wanted to do something to congratulate them and tell them we love them.”

She spoke to fellow volunteer Donna Levy, from Share-A-Pet, to brainstorm how they could support the senior class with everything going on, and they decided to put together a zoom to seek advice from the other handlers.

On the call, Tiffany Aaron, who handles therapy animal “Patches the pig,” volunteered her daughter Emily, a Cooper City rising senior, to put together a video.

Emily, who is also mom to Lulu, a former greyhound racer with only three legs, received photos from each of the handlers, and put together a congratulatory video featuring each of the therapy dogs with heartfelt messages.

With some collaboration among the therapy dog handlers, as well as a little help from photoshop, the dogs appearing in the video are River, Molly, Fergie, Schooner, Lulu, Daisy, Rosie, Jessie, Lila, Annie, Coral, Lexie, Emma, Rocky, Addie, Skipper, Shelby, Ripley, Kol, Sophie, Chief, Hammer, Teddy, Astro, Sammy, Duncan, Lola, Grace, and Patches the Pig.

They wanted the video to focus on the graduates, so they kept the dog handlers out of the pictures, and just showed the animals, some students, and school staff.

Principal Michelle Kefford sent the video out through social media.

“We just want to make sure we get it out there, and all the seniors see it,” said Bale, “On behalf of the therapy dogs, “Fly high Eagles, we will miss you! Congratulations, MSD Class of 2020.”

Puppy Love

They started out in rough circumstances, some born in the dirt under a truck, with most of their littermates dying in their infancy.

But three little Labrador retriever pups have flown into a future where they are going to make a difference in the lives of people who need their help.

About nine weeks ago, just as the coronavirus stay-at-home orders were beginning, a man called Karen Martin at the Franklin County Humane Society to tell her he had a young pregnant female lab and that his family didn’t have the ability to take care of a litter of puppies.

“My dog’s about to give birth,” he told Martin. “She’ll probably have them in the dirt under a truck.”

The shelter director knew he was trying to do the best thing, but he wasn’t able to bring the dog in to the Eastpoint adoption center.

The next thing Martin knew the dog had begun her labor, and so she rushed over to help. “She had already given birth to two, and she was actively bringing birth to a third,” she said.

Martin transported to dog, still in labor, to the shelter. “She went on deliver seven more, and all needed assistance,” she said. “Mama is young and she was confused and tired.”

So with the help of an assistant, Martin removed the membranes and cleaned the puppies. “One we had to resuscitate,” she said.

The tiniest of the 10 never had a chance. “One very small one didn’t make it (and died) in three days, even with bottle feeding,” Martin said.

As it turned out the dogs had contracted from their mother canine herpes, sometimes referred to as “fading puppy.”

What happens is that otherwise healthy puppies become sick and die at three to four weeks from the illness, although it doesn’t affect the mother’s health and well-being.

“Nothing can be done,” Martin said. “It’s passed from mother to puppy and any puppy that contracts it will die.”

Of the six black and four blondes that initially comprised the litter, all but two blonde females and one black male survived.

She said based on the look of the puppies, they assume the father was a Labrador retriever as well.

“I told him about the three lab pups we had available and figured we’d ship one to him via commercial airlines,” said Jimerson. “But the commercial airlines, we discovered, were not flying pets right now due to the pandemic.”

“He was concerned about traveling down, so my friend reached out to the Pilots N Paws Rescue organization for help,” he said.

Pilots N Paws, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides an environment in which volunteers can come together and arrange or schedule rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter, and other related activities.

“They quickly got involved and also told Karen Martin about a group in northern Wisconsin, called Crossroads K9 Rescue that wanted the other two pups to train as service animals,” he said.

Also a non-profit, Crossroads rescues dogs left homeless and/or abandoned in overpopulated shelters where they are at high risk of euthanasia, and those in danger of abuse or neglect, and restores them to health, funneling many of them to training as service animals.

“It’s for whatever the dog turns out to be good at,” said Jimerson. “If it’s a better sniffer, they may train it to find an autistic boy who keeps running away.”

Schuh flew the pups to his home in Janesville, Wisconsin, where they spent the night.

The next day, Lerner and wife Deana picked up the blonde female they had named Daisy, after it was flown to Ames, Iowa by pilot Steve Reeves.

Meanwhile, the other two pups, the blonde female Ruby and the black male Ryker were picked up by pilot Gaurav Dogra and flown further north in Wisconsin to Crossroads K9 Rescue in Mosinee, where they will both be trained as service animals, likely to help a veteran dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, or a child whose mental state calls for him to have a devoted companion.

“They’ll be in training as long as eight months. They’ll keep them in their care,” Jimerson said. “All three pups are doing great in their new homes.”

Meanwhile, the mother, who the shelter calls Trixie, is doing well, and once she is spayed, will be returned to her owner.