Vicktory dog Lucas update

I love reading anything about the fate of the Vick fighting dogs, so here is a follow-up of one of them for you to see that these dogs were worth saving. Please read this article from Best Friends and visit their site.  Maybe you could even consider a monetary donation to help these dogs?  I know I did and I feel quite good about doing my part to help them. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 12, 2011 : 9:35 AM ET By Cathy Scott The adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover” could not be truer when describing Lucas, one of the 22 former Michael Vick dogs who arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary more than three years ago. A pit-bull terrier with telltale battle scars and one of the toughest backgrounds imaginable, Lucas is one of the most popular of the Vicktory dogs (as they are now called). Lucas The life of neglect the Vicktory dogs led before coming to the Sanctuary has caused some of them to have chronic medical issues. While their emotional and physical scars continue to heal, some of their more serious medical issues are not apparent to the naked eye. Ten-year-old Lucas arrived at the Sanctuary with a condition called babesia, a blood parasite that can be passed between dogs through deep puncture wounds, like those inflicted during fighting. The condition can be managed with medication, but one of the side effects of babesia is anemia. When Lucas’s anemia worsened, he was given a full checkup. Tests showed that he was having other complications in addition to anemia. After exhausting other methods of testing and to take a closer look at possible masses seen on ultrasound, he was scheduled for exploratory surgery. Late last week, several masses were removed from his enlarged spleen, which are being biopsied. While undergoing surgery, the veterinary team also took a biopsy of his liver which looked abnormal. “Surgery went pretty smoothly,” says Dr. Patti Iampietro, who performed the procedure. “Lucas is doing well.” But, she adds, he’s still in recovery and “not out of the woods yet.” Lucas is improving with some help from his friends. Now in the midst of recovery, he is improving with the help of our medical staff and everyone who loves him. He has many friends across the Sanctuary and fans who have followed his story. Life for sweet Lucas truly began the day he and the other 21 dogs landed in Angel Canyon, a world away from the horrific lives they once knew. Lucas, who was court-ordered to spend the rest of his days at Best Friends, is proof positive that dogs who have known only neglect and abuse can begin anew and be the loving companion animals they were born to be. John Garcia, a trainer and manager at Dogtown, where canines live at the Sanctuary, first met Lucas when John traveled to the facility where the Michael Vick dogs were kept before moving on to rescue groups, i ncluding Best Friends. “I was helping one of the employees there mix food one morning,” John says. “[The employee] had mentioned that he had always been afraid of pitties from a fighting background, so he was terrified to hear he’d have to work with the Vick dogs.” But the caregiver’s face lit up when he spoke about Lucas. “He told me it only takes one to change your views,” John says. “This was an amazing thing to hear, that someone who was afraid of a certain breed had the courage to still work with [the] dogs. And to put it so simply — it brought tears to my eyes. This truly shows how dogs like Lucas have influenced people all over the world and how much animals in general can teach us.” Lucas, the consummate optimist Once at the Sanctuary, with patience, one-on-one training and ‘round-the-clock care, the dogs, many of them frightened, gradually acclimated. Lucas, the consummate optimist, hit the ground running. He’s done so well, in fact, that he spends part of his time in the offices hanging out with executive assistant Brenda Escher and chief executive officer Gregory Castle. At the end of the workday visits, he returns to Dogtown. A few weeks after arriving in January 2008, the Vicktory dogs were introduced to the world at a news conference held on the Sanctuary grounds. Many of the dogs were shut down and scared because of their past. Not Lucas. He welcomed visitors with kisses, surprising national media with his resilience. As caregiver Carissa Hendrick said at the time, “He knows he’s safe.” “I think Carissa was right that Lucas did feel safe here,” says Dogtown manager Michelle Besmehn, “but I also think that Lucas is just a confident dog. It is part of his nature.” Lucas, simply put, is happy, and that is what Brenda says stands out the most for her. Lucas helps out at the office. “When some visitors come into the office and sit down, he welcomes them by  jumping onto their laps and lavishing kisses on them,” Brenda says. “That tells me that he’s not the menacing, dangerous dog that far too many people feel his breed might be. He only wants to be loved. We all are better people for having had the experience of having him in our lives.” For Dr. Patti, his easy nature is also what has touched her: “The thing that stands out most to me about Lucas is his overflowing love of people. He is so kind and gentle despite what humans in the past have put him through. It really teaches a lesson in forgiveness and understanding that we humans should strive to equal.” Michelle agrees: “We can learn a lot from him. He has been a very happy dog despite his background and despite all of the ups and downs he has had medically.” Dr. Patti says, “It is always a rewarding feeling to help any animal, but helping those animals at Best Friends who have no one else, especially a dog like Lucas who came from such a horrific background, is especially fulfilling to be able to play a positive role in his health and happiness.” The clinic team continues to monitor his progress while waiting for the biopsy results. Updates on his condition will be shared as we know more. Brenda visited Lucas after his surgery and spent time just sitting with him. “He recognized me immediately, and I think he’s the trooper we all know him to be,” she says. The gentle side of Lucas, despite his past, continues to inspire those who know and love him. “His joy for life and a can-do attitude are something we can all strive for,” says John. “Lucas really does symbolize the American dog Despite a very difficult past, he is affectionate and forgiving. We are all pulling for him to get better.” Photographs by Best Friends photographers

Related articles

• VIDEO: Checking in on the Vicktory Dogs (dogs.icanhascheezburger.com)
• Vick pit bulls on the slow road to recovery (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Luca, finally new photos..... (staffyrescue.wordpress.com)

The dogs of Kayenta, AZ -- the saga of one person's drive to help abandoned dogs

This isn't the post I was going to make today.  I was going to talk about taking Satchmo to the vet this morning for his check-up and the exam of a small lump under his front leg.  However, I will post that later.  Instead, I'd like to post about a blog called Sharkey Pup.  On this blog, there are several posts that are about abandoned dogs in Kayenta, Arizona and one person who decided to do something to try to help them out. 

Please read this article below, then click over to read all the rest about the plight of these poor dogs.  There are several other posts, and I suggest you read them all and in order.  This woman is amazing and deserves our appreciation for going out of her way to help innocent animals.
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Burger King To The Rescue

As I drove through Kayenta, Arizona this past week I noticed something odd.  I passed the McDonalds and clustered around the front was a group of about five or six dogs. Same with Burger King and the gas station. Each location had its own group of dogs hovering in the sunshine. With three of my own in the car I didn’t have the opportunity to do anything but get gas and keep traveling. On the way back through, however, I made some inquiries.

 

As I pulled up to the window of Burger King’s drive-thru to get my Whopper Jr. I asked the gal at the window the story about all the dogs.

 

“They get dropped here from all over,” she said. “They’re all strays with no place to go.”

 

“Don’t you have a local shelter or rescue?” I asked. 

 

“Nope, they are on their own here.” She pointed to a larger brown dog just across the drive by the gas station. “That one over there was hit by a car about two months ago. Nobody took it to a vet, that’s why it drags its back leg around.”

 

I looked at the dog she indicated and at the others sitting or walking about. There was an Aussie that was obviously nursing pups she had hidden someplace. The other six or so looked cold and rightly so. It was below freezing at 2:00 in the afternoon.

 

“Where do they go when the temperatures get cold?”

“Wherever they can find to get out of the wind. They are lucky if the kids use them for target practice. At least they’re put out of their misery,” she replied.

 

I was shocked not only by the plight of all these dogs, but by the casual way she talked about them being used for target practice. I pulled into the lot, got out and counted the dogs then went back into Burger King and bought a hamburger for each – the largest I could buy. 

 

I walked out with the bag and all wary eyes were on me. There was snow on the ground but I imagined a good drink of water was also hard to come by. I got out the water bowls I always keep in my vehicle and filled them from the gallon I also haul with me. The dogs all looked at me, the injured one and the mother of pups kept to the back of the group. If they were going to get any food they’d need to be fed separately from the rest.

 

Unwrapping the burgers brought them all in closer, but still they were wary. I quickly threw all but two burgers further across the lot and approached the other two dogs. Setting the food in front of them I stepped back and they ate. My presence kept the rest of the pack away. When they finished I looked around. The others were drinking as if they hadn’t had a drink in weeks. I took one bowl over to the other two and let them drink also. The one that was struck by a car got up and wagged its tail and came close enough to let me stroke his head. He was dragging one leg behind him. The tears came as I sat there a minute giving this poor soul a bit of kindness. I’d have taken them all home with me if I could have but that was impossible. I wished I had a truck and trailer so that I could go back for them. I’d make it my mission to find some no-kill shelters for them, but those are hard to come by as more and more pets are abandoned. 

 

I made some calls today to the state of Arizona. There was no shelter within 100 miles that was willing to go rescue these animals. I felt helpless and hopeless thinking of them out in the sub-freezing weather.  My three were safe in Sandy's care.  They are among the lucky ones.

To read the rest of the story go here:
 http://www.sharkeypup.com/blog/blog/140111024523/The-Dogs-at-Kayenta---The-Story-Continues-by-Susan-R.-Stoltz.htm

How can anyone be so cruel--The story of Jack, the Heeler mix

Dispatch from the Espanola Valley Humane Society, March 25, 2011

On Thursday, a local police officer brought a Heeler mix he called Jack into the Espanola Valley Humane Society. The sight horrified those present, and the stench permeated the entire shelter grounds. Jack’s right front leg had been mutilated, and the injury was clearly not new. According to the officer, the dog had been hit by a car about six weeks ago, and he was now worried maggots would begin eating away at the infected limb.

I met Jack yesterday (Friday), after he’d already undergone the amputation surgery. He lifted his head just a tad to sniff my fingers before resting it again on the blankets, still groggy from the sedation. The shelter behaviorist and I sat with him a few minutes, trying to be of some comfort, but knowing the only real relief would come with time — and the strongest legal painkillers.

The photos taken of Jack at his arrival will likely be used as evidence in the court case against his owners. (The images are difficult to look at, but one is available here— view at your discretion.) From the socket hangs what looks like a partially-eaten chicken drumstick. In places, no skin, no cartilage, no tendons. Just completely exposed bone with a knob at the bottom where his paw turns under and a round, deadened area at the top connecting the leg to what was left of his shoulder.

In New Mexico, animal neglect is a misdemeanor. Outright animal cruelty is considered a felony, but like in many states, rarely prosecuted. No question this dog endured extreme neglect, but he was also a victim of outright cruelty. How does a person live day in and day out, for six weeks, with an animal in obvious excruciating pain? I’m not being flippant when I say that ignoring the sight and stench would have had to have taken more effort than simply asking for help.

So far, the Espanola sheriff’s office sees it that way too. A case is being made to prosecute Jack’s owner (if and when they can establish that the man who surrendered him was indeed his owner – the officer has since changed his story) on felony charges. A clip from the local news is avaliable here.

Espanola is not a wealthy community, and the actual shelter building reflects the area’s depressed economic conditions: cement floor, blocky brick walls, makeshift signs, and ramshackle shelving. What it lacks in beauty and warmth is made up for by an utterly devoted staff. When Jack arrived, there was no question they’d do everything they could for him, despite knowing his medical care would cost thousands of dollars. This dog would not be failed by humans again.

As I write this story on Saturday morning, the official update from the shelter reads: “Jack is awake today but having a hard time. We are working on getting him through this rough spot.”

Please consider helping. Donations can be made online at www.evalleyshelter.org/donate (in honor of Jack), over the phone at (505) 753-8662 or mailed to Espanola Valley Humane Society, 108 Hamm Parkway, Espanola NM 87532 (just put "Jack" in the check memo).

Read previous Shelter Dispatch
Read all Shelter Dispatches

Jack, recovering Saturday morning

Topics Dog Rescue And Animal Rescue Stories, News

Related articles

• 76 dead dogs found at Lower Valley Pike shelter (daytondailynews.com)
• Hoosick man arrested again on animal cruelty charges (troyrecord.com)
• Nevada Bill Seeks to Upgrade Animal Cruelty to a Felony Offense (news.change.org)
• 100 dogs remain at fairgrounds (dispatch.com)

Family dog is not harmless, new study says

When I first read this article, I was really angry.  The last thing we need is "new research" that helps people to distrust pets and react by taking them to the shelters to be destroyed.  After thinking about this article, I think I am guilty of overreacting, myself.  This article simply states that pets and children need to be supervised at all times. 

It is true that the most common victim of dog bites is a child.  That's a fact.  But who thinks about the mental health issues of that dog that had to bite a person to stay safe?  Anyway, with this new perspective, I decided to post this article here and see if you have anything to add or an opinion to share about it.

After reading this article, please click over to my Squidoo lense about dog aggression and read the article there that I wrote entitled, "Dog Bites -- The Ultimate in Dog Aggression".  Leave me a comment there or come back here and tell me what you think.
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As much as we write about the wonderful attributes of dogs and cats, we are sometimes reminded they're not always angels. 

This isn't really news to me, but Fido needs to be supervised around young children, according to a new study.

The study, done by Vikram Durairaj of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, found that dogs usually target a child's face and eyes and most often it's a breed considered "good" with children, like a Labrador Retriever.

"People tend to think the family dog is harmless, but it's not," said Durairaj, associate professor of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. "We have seen facial fractures around the eye, eye lids torn off, injury to the tear drainage system and the eyeball itself."

The study says the likelihood of a child getting bitten in their lifetime is around 50 % with 80 % of those bites involving the head and neck. If a dog bites once, it's likely to bite again with the second attack often more brutal than the first.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year and 885,000 require medical attention. The total cost is estimated at up to $250 million.

The study looked at 537 children treated for facial dog bites at The Children's Hospital on the University of Colorado's...[read more]

Related articles

• Unsupervised Kids at Risk for Dog Bites (children.webmd.com)
• 12 Tips for Dog Bite Prevention (michigandogtraining.wordpress.com)
• Pet Bites and MRSA: A Cause for Concern (everydayhealth.com)
• Keeping Kids Safe From Dog Bites (everydayhealth.com)
• Small dogs are itsy-bitsy biting machines (theglobeandmail.com)
• Let Sleeping Dogs Lie... and Other Ways to Prevent Dog Bites (ecosalon.com)
• Why Children Suffer the Greatest Risk for Dog Bites (psychologytoday.com)
• Some intersting info about dog bites (apitome.wordpress.com)

Police use deadly force on dog; Owner wonders why

This story was posted on my Facebook and I really felt it needs to get as much exposure as possible, so I am posting it here also.  It is from the WLOX channel 13 out of Gulfport, MS.

This story is so sad.  I know there is probably more to this, but the fact is that this officer discharged her weapon in a residential area and a dog died.  There really is no excuse.  What if that dog was yours?  How would you react?  This man took his mortally injured dog to the vet for care and ended up euthanizing her.  Can you imagine his pain and anger?  I certainly can.

Please read the comments below this article on the original site.  There are some interesting facts there. 
Posted: Mar 22, 2011 3:26 PM CDT Updated: Mar 22, 2011 4:19 PM CDT

Samuel Lovato                         Melmo           

Click image to enlarge

By Doug Walker - bio | email
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) - Samuel Lovato is still in shock as he recalls the terrible moment when he lost his beloved pet, Melmo, in an instant.
Police were called to a possible break-in at the house next door in the Brentwood subdivision.
"I'm coming out of the house, I just got out of the shower, to go get my dog and I'm opening my door and I see a female cop. And she shot between five and six rounds at my dog," Lovato remembered. "I looked at her and I was shocked. And I said, 'I can't believe you just shot my dog,' and I proceeded to go back in the house."
Melmo was a big dog, more than 120 pounds, but the animal was on a chain in Lovato's back yard. Lovato questioned the use of deadly force.
"The officer was standing approximately right about here, about 30 feet away from where the chain ends."
After the shooting, the dog's obviously distraught owner brought the animal for treatment at the Gulfport Veterinary Hospital, but it was too late. The wounds were too severe and the animal could not be saved.
Dr. Jerry Spears is the veterinarian who treated Melmo.
"From the wounds that I examined, it looks like it had a spinal injury which paralyzed him from the hind legs," Dr. Spears said. "Profuse bleeding from his mouth, plus some internal injuries, both of which led us to euthanize the animal."
Police are looking into the incident, according to Lt. Craig Petersen with the Gulfport Police Department.
"First, we need to conduct our internal investigation," Lt. Petersen said.  "I feel really bad for the gentleman and the loss of his dog, but we'll conduct the internal investigation."
He also said that officers have to make life and death decisions in an instant, including assessing threats from animals.
"The officer has discretion in how to protect themselves in these situations, totally up to the officer based on the facts and circumstances of that particular case."
But this case has left a hole in Lovato's heart that won't heal anytime soon.
"I've had her for 11 years. Eleven years. She was a great dog, a good dog and she was just in her yard doing her job and just being a dog."
There is no timetable for when the investigation will be completed.  The officer involved in the shooting remains on active duty.
Copyright 2011 WLOX. All rights reserved.

Forget the Treadmill. Get a Dog.

This is an article from the New York Times, written by my favorite author, Tara Parker-Pope.  This article shows the health benefits of having a pet in your life.  I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did.  It's always nice to be validated, especially in such an authority place like the New York Times!

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By TARA PARKER-POPE

 

 

Kevin Moloney for The New York Times UNLEASHED Among dog owners who went for regular walks, 60 percent met federal criteria for regular moderate or vigorous exercise, a new study says.

 

If you’re looking for the latest in home exercise equipment, you may want to consider something with four legs and a wagging tail.
Several studies now show that dogs can be powerful motivators to get people moving. Not only are dog owners more likely to take regular walks, but new research shows that dog walkers are more active over all than people who don’t have dogs.
One study even found that older people are more likely to take regular walks if the walking companion is canine rather than human.
“You need to walk, and so does your dog,” said Rebecca A. Johnson, director of the human-animal interaction research center at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s good for both ends of the leash.”
Just last week, researchers from Michigan State University reported that among dog owners who took their pets for regular walks, 60 percent met federal criteria for regular moderate or vigorous exercise. Nearly half of dog walkers exercised an average of 30 minutes a day at least five days a week. By comparison, only about a third of those without dogs got that much regular exercise.
The researchers tracked the exercise habits of 5,900 people in Michigan, including 2,170 who owned dogs. They found that about two-thirds of dog owners took their pets for regular walks, defined as lasting at least 10 minutes.
Unlike other studies of dog ownership and walking, this one also tracked other forms of exercise, seeking to answer what the lead author, Mathew Reeves, called an obvious question: whether dog walking “adds significantly to the amount of exercise you do, or is it simply that it replaces exercise you would have done otherwise?”
The answers were encouraging, said Dr. Reeves, an associate professor of epidemiology at Michigan State. The dog walkers had higher overall levels of both moderate and vigorous physical activity than the other subjects, and they were more likely to take part in other leisure-time physical activities like sports and gardening. On average, they exercised about 30 minutes a week more than people who didn’t have dogs.

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Dr. Reeves, who owns two Labrador mixes named Cadbury and Bella, said he was not surprised.
“There is exercise that gets done in this household that wouldn’t get done otherwise,” he said. “Our dogs demand that you take them out at 10 o’clock at night, when it’s the last thing you feel like doing. They’re not going to leave you alone until they get their walk in.”
But owning a dog didn’t guarantee physical activity. Some owners in the study did not walk their dogs, and they posted far less overall exercise than dog walkers or people who didn’t have a dog.
Dog walking was highest among the young and educated, with 18-to-24-year-old owners twice as likely to walk the dog as those over 65, and college graduates more than twice as likely as those with less education. Younger dogs were more likely to be walked than older dogs; and larger dogs (45 pounds or more) were taken for longer walks than smaller dogs.
The researchers asked owners who didn’t walk their pets to explain why. About 40 percent said their dogs ran free in a yard, so they didn’t need walks; 11 percent hired dog walkers.
Nine percent said they didn’t have time to walk their dogs, while another 9 percent said their dogs were too ill behaved to take on a walk. Age of the dog or dog owner also had an effect: 9 percent said the dog was too old to go for walks, while 8 percent said the owner was too old.
“There is still a lot more dog walking that could be done among dog owners,” Dr. Reeves said.
And the question remains whether owning a dog encourages regular activity or whether active, healthy people are simply more likely to acquire dogs as walking companions.
A 2008 study in Western Australia addressed the question when it followed 773 adults who didn’t have dogs. After a year, 92 people, or 12 percent of the group, had acquired a dog. Getting a dog increased average walking by about 30 minutes a week, compared with those who didn’t own dogs.
But on closer analysis, the new dog owners had been laggards before getting a dog, walking about 24 percent less than other people without dogs.
The researchers found that one of the motivations for getting a dog was a desire to get more exercise. Before getting a dog, the new dog owners had clocked about 89 minutes of weekly walking, but dog ownership boosted that number to 130 minutes a week.
A study of 41,500 California residents also looked at walking among dog and cat owners as well as those who didn’t have pets. Dog owners were about 60 percent more likely to walk for leisure than people who owned a cat or no pet at all. That translated to an extra 19 minutes a week of walking compared with people without dogs.
A study last year from the University of Missouri showed that for getting exercise, dogs are better walking companions than humans. In a 12-week study of 54 older adults at an assisted-living home, some people selected a friend or spouse as a walking companion, while others took a bus daily to a local animal shelter, where they were assigned a dog to walk.
To the surprise of the researchers, the dog walkers showed a much greater improvement in fitness. Walking speed among the dog walkers increased by 28 percent, compared with just 4 percent among the human walkers.
Dr. Johnson, the study’s lead author, said that human walkers often complained about the heat and talked each other out of exercise, but that people who were paired with dogs didn’t make those excuses.
“They help themselves by helping the dog,” said Dr. Johnson, co-author of the new book “Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound,” to be published in May by Purdue University Press. “If we’re committed to a dog, it enables us to commit to physical activity ourselves.”

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Related articles

• Dog Walkers Are More Active Overall (webmd.com)
• Dog walking lauded for improving fitness (money.marksandspencer.com)
• Fido May Help Keep You Fit (nlm.nih.gov)
• Walking the Dog Helps Human Health, Too (lockergnome.com)
• Dog owners are healthier than people without pets (dailymail.co.uk)

Service dogs graduate from prison

Here's a really nice article about how dogs are helping with our prison population.  It seems that even when the humans think they are doing the work, the dogs are really the ones that give assistance to the humans.

I found this on the Killeen Daily Herald, out of Killeen, TX.  I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did.

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By Colleen Flaherty
Killeen Daily Herald

                                                                        

GATESVILLE — Rhonda Lee spent seven years in the Crain Unit women's correctional facility for a drug-related offense. Her additional two-year parole ended Tuesday.

She celebrated her "freedom day" by returning to the Gatesville correctional complex in a much different role from that in which she'd arrived.

Lee is now employed full-time by the nonprofit, Rockwall-based organization Patriot Paws. She visited the maximum-security Lane Murray Unit to hand over Rockxi, the spunky black Lab service dog she's been training, to her new owner during a canine graduation ceremony.

"It gave me a chance to give back," Lee said following the celebration, which included a trick demonstration by current trainee dogs and their incarcerated trainers. "It gave me the confidence that I can do anything."

Lee began training service canines during her own incarceration. Patriot Paws dogs live 24 hours every day for a year or more with their trainers in their cells, with the exception of regular outings to avoid institutionalization. Once the dogs are assessed as ready for service, they are paired with a disabled veteran.

The dogs make the matches, Patriot Paws owner and chief executive Lori Stevens said.

"One of the keys is that we let the dogs pick the veterans," she said, "two to three days after meeting with them. We watch."

Three dogs graduated from Patriot Paws training during Tuesday's ceremony. Two disabled veterans and one disabled civilian with a chronic illness, an exception to the program's policy, traveled to Gatesville one week prior to meet and begin training with the dogs they'll take home today.

Over the course of that week, for example, Stevens said, a yellow Labrador retriever named Maverick "had the patience and curiosity to work with Juan."

Staff Sgt. Juan Amaris, currently assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, lost both of his hands and suffered severe burns during a truck explosion in Iraq in 2006.

Amaris, 29, applied for a dog a little more than a year ago and hopes that Maverick will help him regain some of his independence.

"If I drop something, I'm not going to have to rely on someone to pick it up," he said, adding that his prosthetics aren't particularly agile.

Patriot Paws dogs are trained to get help during emergencies; recognize and avert symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder; pick up and retrieve items; open and close doors; pull wheelchairs; help with chores, such as laundry; and take off shoes and shocks.

Maverick comes with one additional benefit, Amaris said. His kids, ages 6 and 11, can't wait for a dog.

LaQuita Davis, 27, can relate, she said. She's been incarcerated at Lane Murray since she was 16 for conspiracy to commit capital murder and passed a rigid application and interview process to become a trainer just six months ago.

Being with the dogs gives her something to focus on, she said, and she's planning to work as a trainer upon her eventual parole.

"This is something I want to do."

About 20 inmates are currently training puppies and dogs in Gatesville.

The women involved in the program have been successful due to hard work, Lane Murray head warden Melodye Nelson said.

Eleven women have been paroled since Patriot Paws began in 2006. Ten are working in dog-related fields, and the recidivism rate is zero, according to information from the organization.

The program is 100 percent publicly funded and looking for donations and volunteers, Stevens said.

"Freedom's not free," she said, "and we have to have people who do what they do."

For more information on Patriot Paws, go to www.patriotpaws.org or call (972) 772-3282.

Contact Colleen Flaherty at colleenf@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7559. Follow her on Twitter at KDHfeatures.

More about how our pets can help in Japan

 Here is an excerpt of an email I received and feel that I should pass along to you.  Our wonderful dogs can be of service to us during and after natural disasters.  Here is only one group that utilize dogs natural abilities to help find victims of this horrible disaster. 

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By: : Janet Reineck, Search Dog Foundation Development Director

SUNDAY, MARCH 13 – 8pm PST

Six Canine Disaster Search Teams trained by the National Disaster
Search Dog Foundation (SDF) have arrived in Japan and will soon
be traveling to the devastated region where the skills of the
canines are critically needed to use find people still trapped in
the rubble.

The teams have their gear ready and are waiting to leave the
Misawa Air Base and head to Ofunato City on the North East coast
of Japan where they will be conducting reconnaissance and primary
searches. The group is divided into the RED team (Jasmine &
Cadillac, Eric & Riley, Gary & Baxter), and the BLUE team
(Bill & Hunter, Linda & Joe, Ron & Pearl).

The teams were called into action on Friday by USAID as part of
Los Angeles County Task Force 2. They traveled on a chartered
plane out of LAX together with Virginia Task Force 1 (America’s
other international Task Force). Some 75 tons of rescue equipment
and supplies for each Task Force were sent into the disaster zone
via military transport.

The teams flew by way of Alaska where the plane touched down to
re-fuel. An airport van shuttled the dogs and their handlers to
the snow so they could stretch their legs (and paws!). They
landed at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan on Saturday at
10:30pm PST. The group of 12 dogs did well on the flight over and
bedded down with handlers to rest after their long journey.

The job of the dogs is to find live victims, conscious or
unconscious, in the debris left by the earthquake and Tsunami.
All rescue personnel will be awaiting a “Bark Alert” from the
dogs, letting them know there is someone in need of rescue.
Everything the teams have learned during their intensive training
will be put to use in saving lives.

Since SDF’s founding in 1996, their teams have been part of 75
deployments—including the World Trade Center attacks, Hurricane
Katrina, and the Haiti disaster, where they helped bring 12
people to safety. Each time the teams deploy they come back with
crucial lessons that are shared with all Search Teams to sharpen
training techniques and tactics and enhance emergency response in
our country…and abroad.

SDF will train 21 new teams in 2011 at a cost of $15,000 per team
to be ready for the next local, national or international
disaster – at no cost to taxpayers or the government.

For more information about the Search Teams or to make a donation
to turn rescued dogs into rescuers, help form our new 2011 teams,
and provide the highest level training to our existing teams:
visit www.SearchDogFoundation.org, and follow the teams on
Facebook and Twitter.

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Tuesday True Story -- Dog helps save man paralyzed in biking accident

This is a true story from right here in my home town of Austin, TX.  Just shows you how much we get from our pets!

by JIM BERGAMO / KVUE NEWS

This story sounds like something out of a movie: A freak accident leaves a cyclist unable to move, so his dog takes over.
Five weeks ago, on Oct. 30, Paul Horton set out for his morning bike ride.  As always, his dog Yogi, went along for the run. However, this ride would end like no other and offer proof why dog is "man's best friend."
Paul Horton, 57, wound up at St. David's Rehabilitation Hospital after he failed to negotiate a seemingly little jump from trail to paved road near Lake Travis.
"I had probably done that 100 times, 200 times," said Horton.
But on the morning of Oct. 30, he did not.
"I went over the handle bars and landed on my head on the concrete ... and life changed," said Horton.
Life changed because he was now paralyzed from the chest down.  Horton lay motionless for 45 minutes. With no one in sight, he realized his four-year-old golden retriever, Yogi, who had been along for the run, was still by his side.
"I expected him to behave like Lassie and run down to the police station and tap out my location in Morse code or something," said Horton.
Yogi did not do that, but did something just about as impressive.  Horton's neighbor, Bruce Tate, recalls walking down Mountain Trail with his wife when they were met by Yogi.
"Yogi is a quiet, happy dog, he's never noisy at all, but he was barking furiously to get our attention," said Tate.
The Tates followed Yogi throughout the wooded area and down the hill.  When they saw Horton,  they called 911.  To this day, the Tates wonder what would have happened if Yogi had not interrupted their walk.
"I don't think we would have seen Paul without Yogi," he said.  "I think Yogi saved his life."
"For somebody who cannot move and cannot ask for help, you can develop a pressure ulcer, you develop an infection, a clot, and you can die if you are not rescued soon," said Dr. Juan Latorre, the Medical Director of St. David's Rehabilitation Hospital. "So I think the dog was critical."
"He is my hero, I mean he is my hero. It is possible that if he had not done what he did, they might have walked right on by and gone down the road and there is no telling when somebody else would have come by," said Horton.
Horton has some movement in his arms, hands, and upper body. His rehab specialist says in just a month he has made the kind of progress it takes some patients a year to achieve.
Horton and his wife Shearon are extremely grateful to St. David's, their friends and neighbors, and most of all, to Yogi.

Cover via Amazon I'm currently reading the book, The Lost Dogs, about the Michael Vick fighting dogs and the efforts that went into saving them from destruction.  I had previously watched all the news about the fighting dog bust and I saw the DogTown special about the arrival and treatment of these dogs on television.

This book is difficult to read, especially the part where they describe the destruction of those dogs that either lost fights or wouldn't fight by the Bad News crew.  Michael Vick did personally participate in the torture and killing of many of those dogs, despite what his PR reps say. 

I like pit bulls.  I have had opportunities to be around them on and off all of my life.  I knew these dogs before they were given such a viscious reputation.  I used to watch the Little Rascals, whose dog was a pit bull.  I believe that some of what is said about these dogs is true, but I also believe that breeding and training are what have given us the really "bad" examples we often hear about.  The bottom line is that this breed of dog is just that, a dog.  They share the same tendencies and needs of every other breed of dog.  It's a shame that we humans have decided to "demonize" the breed by treating them badly and by encouraging them to bastardize their normal instincts.

Below is a follow up video about the Vick dogs.  I hope they have not been forgotten by the fickle public, especially with Michael Vick back in football.  He is not a nice person and does not ever need to have any contact with dogs for the rest of his life, unless we can treat him just as he treated these dogs.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

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• Pit Bulls: Vicious Killers or Much-Maligned Breed? (blogcritics.org)
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Therapy dog brings patients joy

Here's another wonderful article about the benefit of therapy dogs on patients.  Please read and enjoy!  The original can be found at Thousand Oaks Acorn.

2010-12-02 / Health & Wellness

By Stephanie Bertholdo

bertholdo@theacorn.com

PUPPY LOVE—Freda Marsh, a patient at Westlake Health Care Center, enjoys a visit from Sophie, a 1-year-old yellow Lab who is being trained as a therapy dog. SANDY PEDEFLOUS/Special to the Acorn Sophie is a pooch with a mission, as is her owner, Sandy Pedeflous.
Sophie is a yellow Labrador retriever on the small side for her pedigree whose training as a therapy dog has made her a giant with bedridden patients, senior citizens and just about anybody who needs a little companionship and compassion.
Pedeflous said she purchased the puppy for two reasons. At the age of 15, her beloved border collie/ German shepherd mix Phoenix was slowing down. Pedeflous thought a spunky pup eager to learn might have the ability to invigorate her older dog.
She also wanted to train a therapy dog. Since Labradors are highly trainable, Sophie was a perfect candidate for the job.
Pedeflous saw firsthand the power dogs have to heal and bring happiness to patients when her sister, Robin Rodgers, was hospitalized with encephalitis and meningitis.
“I got to know patients and saw not only how they responded to (therapy dogs) but how entire families responded,” Pedeflous said.
Pedeflous got Sophie at the beginning of the year and started training her to be a therapy dog when she was 10 weeks old.
The first lesson for therapy dogs is to learn how to listen to their owners. Sophie learned the command “leave it,” which means that even if a treat is right in front of her nose, she cannot take the food. When Pedeflous tells Sophie, “Okay, take it,” the dog is rewarded with the treat.

At a year old, Sophie has a repertoire of skills and tricks that please patients young and old. When Pedeflous commands her dog to place her paws up, Sophie puts her front paws on the walker or wheelchair of a patient who is ready to pet the dog and receive a little love. The dog has been taught not to touch the body of an elderly person because their thin skin is prone to bruising or cuts.
Pedeflous learned how to train Sophie through Love On a Leash trainer Linda Voller. Love on a Leash is a nonprofit organization established in 1984 in San Diego.
Pedeflous is also training Sophie to work with children with disabilities. The dog has been poked in the eyes, had her ears pulled and her belly prodded in order to help her learn not to react negatively to a child.
“We pulled her around the house by her tail,” Pedeflous said.
The most important aspect of training is to expose therapy dogs to every conceivable experience so they do not bark or react, she said.
Pedeflous said that the first time she brought Sophie to a healthcare center in Westlake Village the dog showed fear at the sight of a wheelchair and barked at person using a walker. She was also afraid of the elevator.
“After that she was okay,” Pedeflous said. “She just needed exposure from the beginning.”
Freda Marsh, a patient at Westlake Health Care Center, said, “Sophie brightens my day and makes me smile.”
Sam Sacks of Oak Park said therapy dogs were helpful to him when he was fighting cancer.
“When I was in the (intensive care unit) for cancer and the dogs came in, it was just so uplifting,” Sacks said. “They made me smile and laugh and temporarily forget my problems.”
Pedeflous routinely brings Sophie to the home of her neighbor Jack Hague, who is dealing with several health issues.
“I love it when (Sophie) comes,” Hague said. “She kisses me and really connects with me. She makes me feel so good.”
Pedeflous said that Sophie elicited belly laughs from a 35-yearold woman with permanent brain damage.
“She was like a 4-year-old walking into a candy store,” Pedeflous said of the woman’s delight at seeing Sophie.
Sophie is learning how to entertain people. She knows how to roll over, perform the army crawl and accept a treat without touching a person’s hand.
Pedeflous is teaching Sophie how to salute with a paw and fall down at the sound of “bang, bang.” Pedeflous said the new tricks are expected to be a crowd pleaser at the Veterans Hospital.

Related articles

• Therapy Service Dogs (drdeborahserani.blogspot.com)
• Dentistry Practice Thrives with Addition of Dental Therapy Dog (prweb.com)
• Pit Bulls: America's Dogs Help Wounded Warriors (animals.change.org)
• Happy Ending For Three Special Dogs: Home For Life Animal Sanctuary Welcomes International Dogs To New Lives And Perhaps A Future As Therapy Dogs (prweb.com)
• You: Veterans with PTSD train dogs to help comrades with physical disabilities (washingtonpost.com)

Hope for Hank: 'Forgotten' dog a gentle giant

Image via WikipediaHere's a story that, thankfully, has a somewhat happy ending!  What really is great, besides the rescue, is that this story made the news.  There may be hope for other abused and neglected animals out there, after all.
Just when I am ready to "give up on" human society, a story like this comes around to make my heart and soul happy.  I wish I could thank the person who made that call personally.  I wish I could thank that officer who checked it out personally.  I wish I could thank the vet who is caring for this animal personally.

Please read this article and be thankful that there still are good people out in the world besides yourself.  It gives me hope.  Here is a picture of what Hank should look like and below is a picture of what he does look like.  Makes you want to cry, huh?

Story Published: Nov 19, 2010 at 2:39 PM PST

Comments (21)

Related Content

• Police: Emaciated Mastiff was 100 lbs underweight
• Officials want to know: Who could do this to a dog?
  
• $2,500 reward offered to identify extreme dog neglect suspect
  

ALBANY, Ore. - Police seized a 5-year-old English Mastiff named Hank that weighed only 65 - nearly 100 pounds under his recommended weight - from a backyard lean-to with no sign of food or fresh water earlier this month.
More than a week later, police arrested an Albany woman and jailed her on a charge of animal neglect in the first degree and an unrelated Linn County arrest warrant.
KVAL News met Hank on Friday and talked to the veterinarians who have been caring for him. They said Hank should have weighed 130 to 150 pounds, not 65.
Hank still looks like skin and bones, and nursing him back to health could take another two to three months at the Albany Animal Hospital.

• PHOTOS: See Hank the English Mastiff

There is good news: Hank does not appear to be afraid of people. Vets said the dog doesn't appear to have been physically abused, just forgotten.
The gentle giant has behaved well around people and cats, which bodes well for his future: he might be adoptable by a family, they said.
Police get involved
The investigation started Nov. 8 with a report of an emaciated English Mastiff at 2003 SE 17th Ave.
A Community Service Officer went to the home and was able to see into the backyard and confirm the report, police said. Over the next day the Community Service Officer and police officers attempted to contact a resident at the home without success.
The next day, the Albany Police Department seized the dog and took him to Albany Animal Hospital for examination and treatment. The exam concluded he did not have any disease or parasite that might account for his low weight, police said.
On Thursday, Nov. 18, police arrested Erica Michelle Olsen, 26, of Albany in connection with the investigation and an unrelated warrant.
Hank's health is improving, and he will soon be turned over to Safe Haven Humane Society of Linn County, police said.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Albany Police Department at (541) 917-7680.

Humane responders take on task of socializing 500 dogs from raid

8-week-old Pit Bull puppies Belle, left, and Nellie, are seen in St. Louis. They were born after the July 8 multi-state federal dog fighting raid.

CAPTION

By Dawn Majors, AP

On Sunday, a team of 11 Red Star Animal Emergency Services responders from the American Humane Association will return to a shelter near St. Louis to help care for and socialize some 500 dogs that were rescued in a July dogfighting raid, the biggest in U.S. history, which spanned Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas.This news comes on the heels of guilty pleas from Robert Hackman, Teddy Kiriakidis, Ronald Creach and Michael Morgan entered Monday to conspiracy and other crimes, admitting their roles in breeding, trafficking, fighting and killing pit bulls in a lucrative dogfighting network, the Associated Press reports. A fifth co-defendant, Jack Ruppel, pled guilty Sept. 4.
During the raid, agents also seized "rape stands" used to strap female dogs into place to be bred. One hundred puppies have been born since the raids.
Breeding is crucial to the industry because fighting dogs don't live long, says Tim Rickey, director of the Humane Society of Missouri's anti-cruelty task force.
The Humane Society of Missouri staff "is outstanding," says Red Star Animal Emergency Services program manager Tracy Reis. "This temporary shelter is one of the best run that I've seen. They've been working this shelter since the beginning and are tireless in their efforts to care for these dogs. I'm proud that they've asked us to help."
New video from the Humane Society of Missouri shows dogs chained and caged with ribs showing, lips chewed and legs missing:

"To know that three-legged dogs were forced to fight for their survival is too much," said Rickey.
--By Anne Godlasky, USA TODAY
Article from USA Today

Deputies save injured dog with battlefield medicine

This is a really great article about the new technology and how it can be adapted to help our pets when they need emergency care.  I found this on The Gainesville Sun's online site, Gainesville.com.  Feel free to visit the site and leave them a comment about this article.

The dog and its owner were hit by a car on the morning of Sept. 8.

Karen Voyles

Deputy Kevin Davis got reacquainted with Layla, the dog that lost a leg following a September traffic crash, but whose life was saved because Davis and other deputies helped administer Quick Clot.

By Karen Voyles
Staff writer

Published: Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 4:40 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 11:35 p.m.

( page of 2 )

Calling Layla a lucky dog is an understatement. Sure, she lost a leg earlier this fall, but she is still alive thanks to some Alachua County sheriff's deputies and a relatively new medical substance.

Click to enlarge

Layla lost a leg in a September traffic crash.

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Layla and her owner, Melisse Moehlig, were out for their morning walk on Sept. 8 when they were hit by a car. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Moehlig was propelled over the car that hit them and landed 60 feet from the point of impact. Layla, a nearly 2-year-old black mouth cur, was pushed or dragged about 80 feet before the driver stopped, with Layla's back right leg pinned beneath a tire.

Deputies Kevin Davis and Kathy Zedalis were in a patrol car about 20 feet from the point of impact and saw the accident unfold. While Zedalis rushed to comfort Moehlig until an ambulance arrived, Davis pulled the shrieking driver from behind the wheel of her car so he could get the tire moved off of Layla.

A stunned group of onlookers watched as Layla, who was bleeding profusely and crying, ran from the scene toward her home in the Reflections apartment complex about four blocks away. Moehlig, who broke bones in her right shoulder and left leg, said what she appreciated most about having Zedalis staying with her were the updates on Layla, including that the dog was last seen running on all four legs...[read more]

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