Free Services for Service Dogs
The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO), Pet Health Systems (PHS), and Merial are launching the ACVO National Service Dog Eye Exam event the week of May 12. More than 140 certified veterinary ophthalmologists and 1,300 general veterinarians across the country will provide free sight-saving eye exams and preventative health reports to service dog groups, including guide dogs, handicapped assistance dogs, detection dogs, and search and rescue dogs. The canines must be working dogs certified through a formal training program or organization to qualify for these free services. Veterinary pharmaceutical company Merial is the official event sponsor, with additional assistance from a host of non-profit organizations. For more information, visit www.ACVOeyeexam.org.
DFG Puts Dogs to Work
The amazing olfactory powers of dogs are being put to practical use these days by The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG). Its new K-9 team, deployed in February, isn’t just sniffing out your typical contraband. In an effort to control poaching of various animals, the dogs have been trained to detect bear parts, salmon, deer, elk, abalone, and waterfowl.
“Our K-9s add depth to the abilities of our Game Wardens to stop criminal activities,” said Nancy Foley, DFG Enforcement Chief. “The dogs’ detection abilities will speed up searches while also providing protection for their handlers.”
The dogs are also trained to search out missing persons and crime suspects, as well as evidence like spent ammunition and hidden firearms.
A Different Kind of Rescue
Once again, dog lovers have shown their compassionate stripes. On April 2, a dog owner in Los Angeles called for help when his pet was stranded in a rugged canyon near their home.
The fire department responded with a helicopter and hoisted the dog to safety. The rescue was broadcast on television and the department was soon inundated with calls from viewers offering to adopt the animal.
A spokesman was quick to announce that the dog didn’t need that kind of help, since his injuries were not life-threatening and he was in the custody of his owner.
Oprah Pounds Puppy Mills
A Cocker Spaniel named Sophie, Oprah Winfrey’s beloved canine companion for 13 years, passed away in March. About that same time, Oprah – and countless other Chicago motorists – saw a freeway billboard that read, “Oprah: Do a show on puppy mills. The dogs need you.”
The message was from Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue, and it worked. Oprah learned the facts from Smith and a program was scheduled that would shine a spotlight on the abusive practices of so-called “puppy mills,” massive breeding operations that have no concern at all for the health and well-being of animals.
There are reputable and humane breeders in the world, but many of the pure-bred dogs sold in pet stores and via the Internet are born and raised in deplorable conditions.
“It is my belief that when you actually see this, America, with your own eyes,” Oprah said of the program, “you are not to going stand for it.”
“You can find any kind of dog you want, any age you want, at a shelter or rescue,” she added. Although Sophie and Oprah’s other dogs were not adopted from shelters, she has vowed to always do so in the future. In addition to shelter adoption, the program advocates for the spaying/neutering of animals as a way of stopping the runaway overpopulation of dogs and cats.
News Flash: Dogs Can’t Drive
A Utah woman recently settled her case against the local police department and will receive $300,000 for the serious injuries she incurred when a police dog put an official vehicle into gear, which hit her as she was collecting her mail.
The police surmise that Ranger, a German Shepherd, jumped from the bed of the idling truck into the front seat through a sliding window and knocked the automatic transmission into gear.
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