News

Courthouse Dogs

May 26, 2020

Sometimes a dog hears the heart before a human ever could, showing love and patience where needed the most. That’s why courthouse dogs will soon join legal teams in Stephens County: to help provide care for a child or victim and assist their emotional needs inside the courtroom. Sunny, a courthouse dog who doubles as […]

Carolina Puppies

May 26, 2020

Charlie Petrizzo has a calling to nurture puppies to become successful service dogs for those in need of healing. Petrizzo is the founder and CEO of Project 2 Heal, a nonprofit organization that breeds and trains Labrador retrievers and donates them to service-dog organizations. “The reason we do what we do is because most service […]

Virtual Visits With A Therapy Dog

May 26, 2020

Jagger, a floppy-haired goldendoodle who lives in Half Moon Bay, typically spends his days meeting new people. As a member of the SFO airport’s Wag Brigade, a friendly crew of volunteer therapy dogs (and one pig), Jagger’s job depends on delighting large crowds with his adorable antics. But when the coronavirus hit, his job became impossible […]

Therapy Dog Gohan

May 26, 2020

Gohan greets visitors with excitement, jumping up and licking their faces, and holds a special role on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s campus to help relieve student stress. The four-year-old Shiba Inu has served as an in-house therapy dog at HKUST under an animal-assisted support programme introduced at the university last year. “Studying […]

Online Dog Training

May 26, 2020

COVID-19 restrictions created new challenges for the kennel but ended up impacting the business in a positive way. “You can purchase all different types of packages from basic boarding, which includes two walks a day, all the way up to a fully trained dog by the time you pick it up,” said Kristi King, owner […]

Putting Service Dog Training On Hold

May 26, 2020

This Memorial Day we honor those who have served our country. But the COVID-19 pandemic is posing new challenges to our nation’s veterans, especially those battling mental health issues. On a farm in rural Virginia, United States Navy veteran Danique Masingill and her team train service dogs for veterans. “We custom train the specific triggers […]

Veterans Making Sacrifices

May 26, 2020

Today, the country honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. But for some veterans who returned home safely, their service meant sacrifices that continue to affect them in civilian life. For local Marine Corps veteran Deanna Gehman, her service meant living her life with post-traumatic stress disorder, which debilitates […]

Family With Emotional Support Animals

May 26, 2020

An Odessa woman and her two daughters are living in tents in the parking lot of Kingston’s Belle Park because they cannot find emergency housing that will accept their emotional support animals. Kelly Hennessey and her two daughters, ages 12 and 13, left their home in Odessa after feeling unsafe living in the same triplex […]

Retired Military Dog

May 26, 2020

An Army Sergeant reunited with his Military Working Dog (MWD), now retired, on Saturday. U.S. Army Sgt. Jake Ferkin was reunited with his Retired MWD, Iskra T160, after being separated for two years. Iskra is a 10-year-old Czech Shepherd who was a Patrol and Explosive Detection Dog. Sgt. Ferkin and Iskra were paired up in […]

Blue The Therapy Dog

May 26, 2020

Blue the therapy dog and his handler Judy Bailey usually spend their days visiting nursing homes, schools and hospitals in Beauregard and Vernon Parish to bring a little tail wagging joy to everyone they encounter. However, coronavirus has impacted Blue and Judy’s ability to visit the residents that see Blue as their own dog, a […]