Roundup of Dogs in the News

This weeks roundup of stories are incredibly inspirational and are a great read!

Service Dog Gives Girl Without Arms A Helping Hand

WILX in Lansing, Michigan shares the story and video of a Zeo Bosanic who was born without arms, but thanks to her Golden Doodle, is able to overcome that obstacle.

Mochi, her dog, has been working with Canines for Change to learn the situations where Zoe needs assistance, and how to provide it. For example, if Zoe drops something, Mochi can pick it up and place it where Zoe access it. Thanks Mochi and Canines for Change, and Congratulations Zoe for your strength and courage!

Canine Companions for Independence features Megan Moving Away From Home

Megan, who graduated from law school in Boston, didn’t let her deafness interfere with her independence. Struggling with how to manage daily tasks without her parents, she realized that a service dog would be able to provide what she needed to move away from home.

Canine Companions for Independence worked with Meg to match her with the right dog (his name is Ras). Ras provides her with the confidence and reassurance that she won’t miss vital alerts in the world.

Mutt-i-grees Student Ambassador Program Runs Adoption Event

Mutt-i-grees Student Ambassadors in conjunction with North Shore Animal League host an adoption event in New York’s Prospect Park which ends up with 9 rescue dog adoptions!

Students in the program took the lead in the event, raising awareness, and collecting signatures for a petition, as well as working the adoption event. This great community partnership was a win-win for everyone as the students gained organizational and leadership skills, and several dogs found forever homes!

Mutt-i-grees also has curriculum that teachers can incorporate into any classroom setting. Check out the links on their site.

Saline Memorial Hospital Hires Therapy Dog For Staff, Patience

Recognizing the benefits of therapy dogs, Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton, Arkansas has brought in furry assistants to ease the nerves of anxious and stressed patients and staff.

“Get her in your lap and love her for a little bit. You’ll forget about your troubles,” said Ruth Phillips, a patient.

Often, patients must spend extended periods in hospital as they recover from a procedure or experience reucurring treatments, they must leave their familiar home and pets. Having just a touch of something ‘from home’ or a happy-go-lucky dog can bring a smile and calmness to any heart.

This Is Why Firehouse Dogs Are Dalmatians

MSN did a writeup this week answering the question why dalmatians are associated with firehouse dogs. The article goes into greater detail, but when the firefighters would run into buildings, the dogs would stay with the horses, calming them, and keeping pickpockets away.

Clearly, in today’s age, the mechanized firetruck has replaced the horse-drawn wagon, but the imagery of the dalmatian sitting on the back of the fire truck, or laying at the entrance to a firehouse has remained.

Also, check out this longer article from Live Science with pictures of dalmatian fire dogs in action, riding along to the scene of fires. https://www.livescience.com/33293-dalmatians-official-firehouse-dogs.html

Is Climate Change Causing Disease Spread?, Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Helps Adoption, and The Most Dog-Friendly Work Places. Those Topics And More In This Weeks News

Climate Change Causing Spreading Diseases

USA Today had an interesting article about how the changing climate is causing animal diseases to show up in parts of the country where they either haven’t’ been seen before, or weren’t very prevalent. The article quotes veterinarians as saying the warmer weather is allowing diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme disease, and heartworm.

Not only are the diseases spreading out from their traditional territory, but there are also new strains being introduced – and can survive – in areas they have not before. The Heartland Virus and the Bourbon Virus are two new entrants that have caused hospitalization and in some cases death. This story is a reminder of the importance of preventing and dealing with the changes associated with our changing world.

MuttNation Sees 61 Adoptions After Event

It’s rare that country music would show up in a dog-focused blog, but Miranda Lamber’s project MuttNation held its fourth annual drive this month and helped 61 dogs move from shelter to permanent homes. In collaboration with the Nashville Humane Association, they held a one-mile “Mutt March” through Nashville to raise awareness.

Miranda is quoted in the article as saying “To the initiated, it probably sounded like dogs barking, but to me, knowing the pure joy that comes from owning a rescue dog -or eight- it was music to my ears. We were marching on behalf of MuttNation to raise awareness for shelter pet adoption and in support of animal rescues across the country – and because its fun and it’s our passion.

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Ready to go at the #MuttNationMarch starting line! 💕 #CMAFest

A post shared by Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation (@muttnation) on Jun 6, 2019 at 6:28am PDT

Most Dog-Friendly Workplaces

Inc.com posted a list of the most dog-friendly companies. Not surprising was the list of pet-focused companies, and super-large employers like Amazon and Salesforce. What was interesting was we have moved from a mentality of ‘its okay to bring your dog’ to ‘here is what we are doing for you if you bring your dog’.

On-site treats, toys, pet relief areas, dedicated rooms and furniture are all a great way to make the experience of bringing a dog in more enjoyable (for non-dog people as well), but also a great retention tool to keep talented and motivated people working for your company. In this tight labor market, going the extra mile to make life easier for dog owners is a way to ensure employees stay connected to their company.

Another interesting twist on this topic is how Work From Home has now become more prevalent, allowing dog owners the opportunity to stay in the environment most comfortable to them and their dogs. Seeing the rise of co-working pace also decreases commute time for those eligible employees letting them spend more time with their pets before and after work.

Ironically, Inc also posted this story in 2016 “The Problem With Dog-Friendly Offices“.

If you are looking for the complete list of the Top 12 Most Dog-Friendly Companies, here it is:

• Amazon
• Procure Technologies
• Trupanion
• Petsmart
• Airbnb
• Nestle Purina Petcare
• Petco Animal Supplies
• Zogics
• Ceros
• Uber
• Salesforce
• Chewy.com

Travel Time: Keeping Your Pooch Safe on the Road

So, we’re coming into the summer season where school is letting out across the United States, and more families are traveling for vacation to exciting places and to see far off family.

This week, there were a few list articles that popped up on the radar:

Top 10 Cities for Dog-Friendly Urban Hiking

Teach Your Dog To Ride In the Car: Prevent Anxiety and Motion Sickness

The Best Dog-Friendly Bars In Each State (and D.C. too)

It’s great to see that dogs are welcomed out in public more and more, and with the rise of pets replacing children in young couples who put off raising children (until they can afford them – but that’s another story) dogs are becoming not just ‘home companions’ but now ‘travel companions’.

SleepyPod makes all kinds of canine vehicle and air travel restraints. Check out their products here on Amazon to keep your pal safe on your travel.

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60+ Best Mother's Day Gifts of 2019 via @gearpatrol includes Sleepypod's Clickit Sport safety harness for dogs. See the list at  https://gearpatrol.com/2019/04/27/best-mothers-day-gifts-2019/ – link in profile today Special shout out to these pet loving companies – @britaxus , @gearpatrol

A post shared by Sleepypod (@sleepypod) on Apr 30, 2019 at 9:09am PDT

Top Therapy Dogs 08.12.18

Check out these great stories of therapy dogs for the week ending August 15, 2018

Children Read to SwedishAmerican Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs from SwedishAmerican Hospital gathered at Klehm Arboretum where little children were able to bring in their favorite book to read to the dogs. The dogs spend their time visiting cancer patients at the hospital. Check out the video on the 23WIFR site!

Baltimore PD’s new K-9 Is A Therapy Dog

It’s great to see that dogs are taking a more active role in policing, not only in catching criminals, but also comforting law enforcement! Their work is stressful and emotionally draining, so having this cute goldendoodle to comfort and calm them will be a huge benefit.

Indiana Schools Adds Certified Therapy Dog

Check out the video at the site above how Dugger Union School brought on a certified therapy dog, Maggie, to help ease the anxiety of reading in front of others, or to help calm nerves.

RCMP Therapy Dog Retires

This is a bittersweet moment for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Max is a crisis and therapy dog working for the Prince George RCMP’s Victim Services Unit. In fact, Max was the RCMP’s first professional therapy dog in Canada. The RCMP recently hosted a retirement party for Max. Check out the article above for Max’s accomplishments and the details of his celebration!

Follow Bark4Treats on Twitter for more uplifting stories!

National Assistance Dog Week

 

 

That’s right! It’s here! A week specifically set aside to raise awareness of the service dogs that make our world a better place.

The goals of National Assistance Dog Week are to:

• Recognize and honor assistance dogs
• Raise awareness and educate the public about assistance dogs
• Honor puppy raisers and trainers
• Recognize heroic deeds performed by assistance dogs in our communities

While not all working dogs are service dogs (the Americans With Disabilities Act has a specific definition for a service dog, our canine friends hold may positions in our lives.

Check out this great article from NBC 10 in Boston about the 10 Jobs that Dogs Do. From acting, to herding sheep, to therapy dogs, and dogs that complete tasks for people who can’t; read about them here!

One of the many important tasks dogs are great at is sensing the state of people. With so many soldiers and law enforcement personnel impacted by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; dogs who can assist to calm, reassure, and bring people out of the symptoms of PTSD are becoming more prevalent. Dog T.A.G.S in Pennyslvania is an organization whose mission it is to “To train, assist, guide and serve veterans who have been diagnosed by a licensed mental healthcare provider with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) through the operation of a Service Dog Program.” Watch a news segment from WFMZ about them.

National Assistance Dog Week also falls around the same time as National Night Out. From National Night Out website, the second week in August is designated as an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

One of the events that fit in well with this mission are police K-9 demonstrations. Watch below to see a police canine stop a suspect.

 

When you think of “Assistance Dog” you are probably thinking of dogs that perform tasks for individuals. Canine Companions for Independence is one such organization. Their mission “enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.” They train dogs in four areas of service, Service Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Facility Dogs (who visit hospitals, nursing homes, and schools), and Skilled Companion dogs.

Paws With A Cause has taken the concept of training service dogs and added a twist. They operate in conjunction with inmates who provide the training. Paws With A Cause enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs. PAWS^® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog Teams through education and advocacy.

Regardless of where they are trained or live, assistance dogs provide tremendous value to our communities and the people they serve.

Therapy Dogs Bring A Calming Paw To An Airport Near You

With studies suggesting that interacting with dogs can reduce anxiety levels, what better place for them than in airports! Long lines, tight deadlines, rigid procedures, and last-minute changes can all make for a stressful situation; especially during busy holiday travel times. In looking for ways to ease the frustration of travelers, many airports are inviting therapy dogs into their concourses to help sooth frazzled nerves.

Vane Airport Magazine complied a list of therapy dog programs available in U.S. airports. Check out their infographic here.

Here is a sampling of news articles of therapy dog airport ambassadors.

Albany International Airport’s Canine Therapy Ambassadors

Albuquerque International Sunport Ambassadors

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Buffalo Niagara International Airport

Denver International Airport – DEN CATS

Gerald R. Ford International Airport: Gentle Fur In Action

Orlando International Airport 

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

Syracuse Hancock International Airport

This article on Syracuse.com says that the first airport therapy dog program started in San Jose after 9/11 to ease the fear of flying passengers were experiencing.

Given how expansive the program has become across so many airports in the United States and around the world, it seems that the presence of therapy dogs will continue to maintain a significant presence for a long time.

According to Syracuse.com, the first airport therapy dog program started in San Jose, California after 9/11 to help overcome the fear of flying passengers were experiencing.

Some of the benefits of the mental health benefits of emotional support animals and comfort pets, from Redbarn Inc, include the list below. Given the benefits listed below, it’s very obvious why dogs are appearing in airports.

• lifts spirits and lessens depression.
• lowers feelings of isolation and alienation.
• encourages communication.
• provides comfort.
• increases socialization.
• lessens boredom.
• reduces anxiety.
• aids children in overcome speech and emotional disorders.
• creates motivation for the client to recover faster.
• reduces loneliness.

If you are traveling through any of these airports, be on the look out for a fuzzy friend to pet or hug. Who knows, maybe it will improve your day more than you think!

Dog Therapy Programs

The Dog Alliance – Texas
Paws For Love – SPCA Serving Erie County
West Michigan Therapy Dogs Inc.
Careing Paws
PAWS of CNY

It’s National Pet Day!

Today is dedicated as National Pet Day to remind us all to give some extra love, and a hug to our pets. It’s amazing how much joy they bring to our lives.

Therapy Dogs are pets that bring comfort and peace to others whether they are in hospital, senior residences, or even libraries for children to read with. Read about the special work that Joyce Akers does with her Shetland Charity at St. Anthony’s Family Center in comforting families in need.

Set aside some time today to give an extra treat or snuggle to a pet who brings you comfort.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday BlogPaws Blog Hop. Check out other bogs using the link below!

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Teeny Treats, New Toy, and Ready To Run!

This week a lot of great things happened. 

I was reading on Lapdog Creations of the ASPCA Virtual 5k and, in an effort to stay active, signed up. I’m looking forward to training early in the mornings. This summer ended up being rainy and miserable so I’m optimistic this fall will be nice.

Registration included a numbered bib, a finishers medal for me, and I opted for finishers medal for Dexter. 

The 5k doesn’t have to be done on a specific time or date, and because Dexter gets fairly winded after 1.5 miles, we’ll break up the walk into two sessions. Our team page is here, and our goal is to raise $100 for the work the ASPCA does for animals across the country. Look for pictures when the registration package arrives and when we complete the walk!
Today was grocery day and while at Wegmans shopping picked up some fun things: more Buddy Biscuits, some Bag Balm for Dexter’s foot, and a new toy: a blinking chewy toy.

Buddy Biscuits come in two sizes (regular and Teeny Treats). The Buddies come in two flavors Roasted Chicken, and Peanut Butter, Grilled Beef, and Bacon and Cheese. All of the flavors have limited ingredients, and are equally addictive!

I use the Teeny Treats in a puzzle toy. They fit great and are a huge motivator!

Both dogs at home are chewers. We can’t seem to keep enough to in the house! This fun made by Nerf feels durable, about 7-inches long, and has flashing lights in each end. There package doesn’t give any indication that the batteries are replaceable, and there aren’t any places to access a battery- which is probably a good thing!

Lastly, Bag Balm is a petrolium jelly great got chafed skin, and minor scrapes. Will out on a walk, Dexter got excited and pulled on the leash which ended up in him scraping one of his pads on the asphalt, causing a scrape he was tendering. Bag Balm is useful for people hands and dog (and cat) paws. 

As I’m writing this, a Slow Cook Pork Carnitas rost is cooking away and the house is smelling great! The dogs are going crazy begging for some. Super easy and hard to wait for!

Pie day!

Today is #NationalPieDay and why not share this delicious dessert with our furry buddies!

Jessica Shipman over at Beagles and Bargains has two great recipes to make your own Blueberry or Pumpkin Pies that are okay for your pup to eat!

Check out her recipes here!

2016 UK National Service Dog Awards

In the 20th installment of this British ceremony, 20 nominees were considered for several categories including outstanding contribution of Bravery, Outstanding Achievement and Dedication to Duty made by uniformed working dog sections/teams and individuals from the Armed Forces, Police, Customs, Prison, Fire Service.

The complete list is located at the K9 Working Heroes website.

Two of the nominees are:

Two West Midlands Police officers and their canine partners. The two dogs are being commended for tracking suspects through dangerous conditions, and their prior service as bomb-sniffing dogs in battle.

Source: http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/latest-news/news.aspx?id=4435

Also, John Ball & Search Dog Darcy have been nominated. They were profiled in this K9 Working Heroes series.

The awards ceremony was April 16 to honor the recipients.

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Mwd accepting awards at national bravery award's

A post shared by mick (@k9workingheroes) on Apr 16, 2016 at 7:17am PDT

Eukanuba Friends For Life Award 2016

The Eukanuba Friends For Life awards was presented at Crufts today, March 13; the closing day of the worlds largest dog show in Birmingham, UK.

Before the ceremony started, a member of the West Midlands Police Display Team came to the field as the announcer recognized the work police dogs and their handlers do, and remembered police dog Diesel who was killed in the 2015 Paris terrorist attack and subsequently awarded the Dickin medal for his brave acts at a time of conflict.

This is the twelfth year of the Friends for Life awards. Videos of the finalists were available on the Crufts website where viewers could watch and vote. The four finalists were:

Cohen and dog Azerly helping him cope with Autism
Louise and emotional support dog Teddy Bear
Rosie and dog Boo supporting her through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Sophie and diabetic alert dog Scooby.

Managing Director of Eukanuba UK, Annaliese Reekie said: “They are all amazing dogs and that’s why the Eukenuba Friends For Life competition sis so important to us at Eukanuba. It really showcases how extraordinary dogs are and the important role they play in our lives; and in the case of these amazing four finalists, they truly have transformed their lives.”

Watch a summary of the finalist videos and the presentation ceremony below:

The four-day event has been live streaming on the Crufts YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialCrufts where clips of the entire event can be viewed as well.

Check out more hero dog stories by following @amazingdogstory