News

Peachez And Moose Lift Spirits

December 8, 2020

From a home in Hilliard, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Peachez and a Ragdoll cat named Moose have been dispensing cross-country joy via live video-conferencing. Guided by owner Jennifer Kirkland, they lift the spirits of people who are in hospitals and nursing homes and feel socially isolated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kirkland is a volunteer for the New York-based Animal Farm […]

Therapy Dog Marcus

December 8, 2020

One of the newest members of the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio’s staff has four legs, a badge, a new Instagram account and a whole lot of love and support to give young patients and their families. His name is Marcus, a Labrador-Golden Retriever mix who recently arrived in San Antonio from Georgia. The golden-haired […]

Therapy Dog Program

December 7, 2020

The Paul Bunyan Dog Training Association Therapy Dog Training program has given Park Rapids resident Terese Bervig a new mission in life. “My husband, Gregg, and I always had Labradors,” she said. “We’ve raised them for field trials in the past and for hunting. We picked Ace out of a litter from Bird Dog Labs […]

China Guide Dogs

December 7, 2020

As the Chinese economy has grown into the second largest in the world, the country lags far behind in another marker – the availability of guide dogs for the blind. There are less than 300 guide dogs in China for 17,300,000 visually-impaired people, leaving less than 0.001% of people with access to a guide dog, […]

Service Animals On Planes

December 7, 2020

Federal regulators are firming up a slate of new rules limiting service animals traveling on airplanes in a bid to ensure that the animals are truly assisting people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Transportation said this week that it is finalizing a rule specifying that only dogs trained to aid those with disabilities will […]

Flying With Emotional Support Animals

December 7, 2020

People who fly with their pet because they need them for comfort will notice some changes are coming to airlines. The new airline rules essentially ban emotional support animals, many of which people said could help with an emotional medical condition such as anxiety or panic attacks. Travelers had to register pets online and have […]

Dogs Favorite Person

December 7, 2020

I rescued my little Foxy several years ago. I wasn’t looking for her, but she just crawled up on to my lap and went to sleep, so I took her home. She spent the night with her head on my pillow, and I knew she belonged with me. It wasn’t all green grass and fire […]

Moose The Therapy Dog

December 7, 2020

The Virginia Tech community is mourning the loss of a local celebrity. This comes as its first-ever therapy dog named Moose passed away after a nine-month battle with prostate cancer. Moose Davis quickly grabbed the hearts of Hokies and the surrounding Blacksburg community when he came to Virginia Tech as its first official therapy dog. […]

ESA On Planes

December 7, 2020

A service-dog group and the MSPCA both support new federal rules allowing airlines to bar people from bringing emotional-support animals with them in the passenger section on flights, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says forcing animals to travel in the cargo hold is inhumane — and sometimes fatal. On Thursday, the U.S. […]

Service Dog Gets Degree

December 7, 2020

When Maggie Leptrone, a nursing student at the University of West Georgia, walked across the stage at Commencement Saturday morning, she wasn’t alone. Mona, her Diabetic Alert Dog, fetched herself a diploma, too. Mona, a Labradoodle, became the first canine companion in UWG history to receive an honorary “dog-ree” during in-person Commencement ceremonies that honored […]