News

Veterans organizations are making a difference and you can help, too

April 3, 2020

According to U.S. Census data, Dallas County is home to more than 95,000 U.S. military veterans. And, nearly 109,000 veterans live in Tarrant County. Many of these men and women suffer the effects of their sacrifice to such an extent that they have great difficulty being with their families, holding jobs or even finding places […]

Texas veterans unite with service dogs

April 3, 2020

In October 2008, Army Captain Alli LaCombe was just two weeks away from coming home to Keller, Texas, from her second deployment in Iraq when her life changed in an instant. Her unit was in the countryside preparing a space for incoming American troops when insurgents broke through the perimeter of the site and a […]

Working dog

April 2, 2020

He wasn’t hired only for his fabulous hair, or even for his ability to stay cool under pressure. Rocket was handpicked to be the first-ever facility dog at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital because of his advanced, specialized training from Canine Assistants, a Georgia-based service dog organization. Since the two-year-old golden […]

If you cats get coronavirus, experts say it is nothing to worry about

April 2, 2020

A newly-hatched study out of China, so raw that it’s not yet been peer-reviewed, has some disturbing news for cat lovers. Our furry feline friends appear to be susceptible to catching Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Even worse, the cats in the study were able to infect each other, although they […]

18,000 pounds of dog food donated to shelter & food bank

April 2, 2020

Service Dogs Inc. had scheduled its annual fundraiser The Mighty Texas Dog Walk to support the training of service dogs for March 28. It had to postpone it, picking a new date of Oct. 31. Purina already had shipped 18,000 pounds of dog food to the Austin American-Statesman, where the dog walk was supposed to […]

Finding something to do

April 2, 2020

There is nothing I love better than to delve into a good book. Food for the mind and balm for the soul. Now into the second or third week of the self-quarantine restrictions, it seems that the big bag of books I had previously checked out of the library … have all been read. Now, […]

Owner is ‘winding down’ business, Dogs were not abandoned

April 2, 2020

SINGAPORE: The dogs at breeding facility The Animal Lodge have not been abandoned, said the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) on Thursday (Apr 2), after messages circulating on WhatsApp claimed that 120 dogs were found at an abandoned dog farm. “We received feedback that dogs in a dog breeding facility were allegedly abandoned and commenced […]

For Veterans loneliness can be deadly.

April 2, 2020

Legislation already exists to get our service members the help they need through animal companions. We must make sure it passes and soon. While implementing social distancing and self-isolation are exactly the right steps if the United States is to slow the quickly increasing spread of COVID-19, we need to worry about the impact these new […]

Homewood resident paired with life-changing service dog

April 2, 2020

For most of her life, 15-year-old Homewood resident Rachel Smolin has been under constant watch. She has epilepsy, so being alone for even five minutes could mean that a seizure goes unnoticed for too long. But with the help of Trixie, a golden retriever service dog, Rachel could eventually live a safe, independent life. Rachel […]

Working from home? Tips for dog owners

April 2, 2020

As the coronavirus quarantine continues, the nation’s pet owners are spending an unprecedented number of hours working from home with their dogs. And while man’s best friend can be a source of great comfort during these difficult times, dogs can also impede the work process. Local dog-centric businesses have some advice for dog owners who […]

Cops discover dog behind the wheel after high-speed chase: ‘I wish I could make this up’

April 2, 2020

A Washington resident was arrested on Sunday, March 29, following a high-speed chase. However, the man arrested wasn’t actually the one doing the driving; evidently, that was all his pit bull. The man, a resident of Lakewood, Washington, hit two cars while driving at more than 100 miles per hour before state troopers stepped in, […]

COVID-19 patients and medical researchers hoping for cures

April 2, 2020

The coronavirus is impacting every community in our nation and is being met with a fierce fight from leaders across the U.S. On the front lines of this fight are medical professionals. The focus on this virus is leaving some medical issues on the back burner for the time being. Fred Carlson suffers from Amyotrophic […]

First service puppy trainee for the NHL

April 2, 2020

The New York Rangers’ most significant recent free-agent acquisition might not have been superstar winger and MVP front-runner Artemi Panarin. Instead, their best signing might turn out to be a benchwarmer who managed to chew and claw his way into their hearts. The Blueshirts became the first NHL team to add a service-puppy trainee to […]

Cats can get coronavirus and pass it to other cats; dogs are much less susceptible to the virus: study

April 2, 2020

Cats are susceptible to contracting the novel coronavirus, a preliminary study in China found. The researchers concluded that cats also can pass the coronavirus to other cats via “respiratory droplets.” This was determined by placing uninfected cats in enclosures adjacent to cages holding infected cats and closely monitoring their interactions. While the study showed that […]

Shenzhen becomes first Chinese city to ban consumption of cats, dogs

April 2, 2020

The Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen has become the first city in the country to ban the sale and consumption of cat and dog meat amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report. The move comes after the outbreak of the illness — which emerged in Wuhan — has been linked to wildlife meat, prompting authorities […]

The adorable service Labrador helping with the coronavirus pandemic

April 1, 2020

Across the world there are countless doctors, nurses and medical professionals helping in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. In one hospital in particular across the pond, there is a special someone helping to reduce stress among the brave health workers. A one-year-old service dog called Wynn is doing her bit in the Rose Medical […]

Therapy dog visits children at home

April 1, 2020

These are difficult, anxious times for families holed up with small children. Ladd is here to help. The service dog normally does his calming and comforting at North Arlington’s Zentai Martial Arts studio. But these days, Allen DePeña, owner and operator of Zentai Martial Arts, has been taking him around to his younger students’ homes to deliver bags full of slime […]

‘We Don’t Deserve Dogs’

April 1, 2020

Despite humanity’s often bad behavior toward people and animals alike, we still receive unconditional love and support from our darling, wet-nosed companions. In documentarian duo Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker’s “We Don’t Deserve Dogs,” the filmmakers’ dogged determination to showcase man’s best friend as mankind’s savior pays off as an essential experience. On all levels, it conjures the […]

A helping paw

April 1, 2020

The health care needs of each person are multifaceted, consisting of various factors that makes everyone unique. Therefore, effective health care requires collaboration between various professionals to support healthy and meaningful lives. We celebrate April as National Occupational Therapy Month. Occupational therapists (OTs) play an important role across the lifespan in a child’s development or […]

Pets deliver happiness

April 1, 2020

After receiving news that elderly residents were isolated to their rooms in local living facilities due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, a group of community members decided to share some germ-free smiles any way they could. “I started brainstorming things that could be done to help, such as putting bird feeders and […]