Sunday, December 5, 2010

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
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 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.
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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Here is a great way to teach children about empathy for our animal friends!

Make Your Gift

Every pet we save at Bideawee deserves these basics. So does Bettie.

This poor sweet girl clearly has had a difficult life. Left to die on the cold streets of New York, Bettie was found starving, dehydrated and so horribly injured that her right back leg needed to be amputated. As if these terrible conditions weren't enough, her left hip was dislocated and she had terrible skin lesions where some of her skin was actually peeling off.

But Bettie now has reason to hope. She has the hope to be healed by the excellent care of Bideawee's veterinarians that have been charged with her care.

She has hope for a family, a forever home and hope for never feeling the excruciating pangs of hunger and loneliness that she felt just a short time ago.

Bettie's Holiday Wish List will be filled thanks to caring people like you.

Please make your Year-End Gift TODAY to help Bideawee continue our lifesaving mission for all of those sweet innocent pets like Bettie whose holiday wish list includes the basics that every pet deserves.

To ensure that you receive a 2010 tax credit be sure that your envelope is postmarked by December 31, 2010.
To contact us, please send us an email: Bideawee@bideawee.org.

Bideawee is funded 100% by private contributions. To help us continue our vital work to help animals, please donate today.


Saturday, November 20, 2010

Hope for Hank: 'Forgotten' dog a gentle giant

English MastiffImage 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
Hope for Hank: 'Forgotten' dog a gentle giant


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.
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.
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Humane responders take on task of socializing 500 dogs from raid




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
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Monday, November 15, 2010

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




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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Monday, November 8, 2010

Searching for answers to tracking dog's injuries

Here's an article I found on Facebook from Life with Dogs.  It originally came from GoUpstate.com.

It is simply amazing to me that so many human beings feel perfectly entitled to kill and maim pets.
Where this thought comes from, I don't know and I don't really care.  I just know that it is wrong and every time someone harms a defenseless pet we all are made less.  Let me know what you think of this story, won't you?

Croft firefighters want to know who shot search and rescue animal

Injured by birdshot
Injured by birdshot
ALEX C. HICKS JR./alex hicks@shj.com
Casey, a Croft Fire Department search and rescue dog, has been wounded. Here, Joe Merritt, Casey's handler, looks over the dog's wounds.
Published: Monday, November 8, 2010 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 8, 2010 at 12:18 a.m. 
 
Who shot Casey?

Why did someone commit such an act against a creature whose job it is to search and serve?
That's what folks at Croft Fire Department want to know.

They're not even sure exactly when the fire department's search and rescue dog was shot. Their first clue that something was wrong came Friday, when Casey's handler, Joe Merritt, noticed she was lethargic.

Merritt thought her behavior was probably due to the annual vaccinations she received Thursday. But by Sunday, she was no better — she wasn't eating or drinking or leaving her crate.

So on Sunday afternoon, Merritt took Casey to the veterinary emergency clinic, where the staff discovered she had been shot.

Croft Fire Chief Lewis Hayes said they think Casey, a 15-month-old German shepherd, was shot at least twice with birdshot from a shotgun.

“Her whole life is to save people, and then you have a person that tries to kill her. ... It's senseless,” Hayes said.

Firefighters suspect Casey was shot either at the fire station on Thursday night or at Merritt's residence in an Inman subdivision some time Friday. Hayes said she was secured in a pen at both locations.

Hayes said some people have complained about her barking. The department purchased a bark collar, and firefighters bring her inside the fire station at night, he said. Most nights, she sleeps inside Merritt's house...[read more]


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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tuesday True Story -- Believe it: The story of a dog named Ripley

Here is a story from the Orlando Sentinel about a dog that was discovered and saved.  Enjoy!


Believe it or not, this picture is of a dog.


The poodle was found in a ditch in Houma, La., with hair so matted that he couldn’t walk. He was taken in by My Heart’s Desire, a local animal-rescue group, given a shave and a name — Ripley.
“You would have never believed there was a dog under there,” says Tracey Lapeyrouse, co-founder of the shelter. “He looked like the elephant man. All you could see was his snout.”
Enter Orlando-based Ripley’s Entertainment Inc., which is making a $400 donation to the shelter and will give a gift card to Ripley’s future family for pet-related expenses.
“Ripley the dog is what Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is all about,” says Tim O’Brien, vice president  of communications. “It’s unbelievable that a dog could even be in this condition, let alone survive and go on to potentially become a great pet for someone.”
Ripley, after
The company’s connection with animals goes back as far as founder Robert Ripley, who once had a one-eyed dog named Cyclops. So it’s not hard to imagine that Ripley the dog’s story is being considered for an upcoming Believe It or Not book.


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Losing a Pet: What to do to deal with the grief

Losing a pet is an experience that cuts deep. These furry, feathered, or even scaled companions become part of our families, our daily routi...