Two-by-Four fall, 2013
Guide Dog Users of Canada
Newsletter, Published Quarterly
To Contact Guide Dog Users of Canada, our mailing address
is:
Guide Dog Users of Canada
300 Hedonics Road
Apt. 1009
Peterborough, Ontario
K9J 7T1
Email to: guidedogs@gduc.ca
Telephone/Fax: 1-877-285-9805
Website www.gduc.ca
Editor: Penny Leclair
Vice-President GDUC
Email mail to: twobyfour@gduc.ca
Your suggestions or submissions are always appreciated.
Contact Penny at the address given above.
In This Issue:
Editor's Notes
President's Report
report of 2013 Annual General Meeting and Conference
Meet the New Members of Your Board
GDUC Addresses, Committees and Representatives
Resolution Passed Prompts Special Project
Purina Hall Of Fame
And the Lucky Winner of Trekker Breeze at Our AGM Was
Navy Ceal Dogs
Dogs help sniff out ovarian cancer
Assertive Action with Negative Attitudes
Thunder Storms and Dogs
Canadian Transportation Agency decision involving
customer Allergies and Dogs
Dogs Are People Too
A Guide Dog’s Prayer
God Made A Dog
Prairie Dogs' Language Decoded by Scientists
Many Veterinary Bills Include 'Inappropriate' Costs
Gone To The Dogs And Loving It-A CD of Poems
Bloating In Dogs
Editor’s Notes
Penny Leclair
Guide Dog users of Canada has 70 paid members as of
September 2013. Each member is important to this
organization. If there is a reason why you joined, then maybe
a friend who is a guide dog user may also join GDUC for the
same reason you did, please tell your friends about why you
are a member and how they can become a member too.
Please contact the board members if you are willing to work
on any of the committees listed. GDUC can only become
more known if we all do the work it takes to reach out to
others. If you know of guide dog users, please give them the
information to join, or if you know of a group that would like
information about GDUC, or would like to have a speaker
come talk about what we do, contact the board and we will
try to arrange for a member of GDUC to make a
presentation.
Thank you to all 70 members. Thank you everyone who
supports GDUC with your life-time and annual membership.
Annual Membership is due December 31, unless you paid at
the annual general meeting this year, or just prior, your
membership is good until December 2014.
President’s Report October 2013
A few words from your president.
Here’s a quick look back over the last year since our 2012
AGM. The board finally gained access to funds within a
bank account that went unclaimed when (CAGDU), the
Canadian Association of Guide Dog Users dissolved
following the untimely passing of its president, Mary Spice.
I'm pleased to be able to tell you that thanks to excellent
record-keeping by our previous secretary, Laurie Scott, and
hard work and persistence on the part of our outgoing
secretary, Christine Duport Switzer, we have transferred
$2,200 into GDUC accounts. 45% of that went into our
Wellness Fund, another 45% went into the Mary Spice
account, and *the remaining 10% went into our general
account.
I also mentioned last year that your board was under the gun
to come up with a response to a suite of standards being
proposed by a committee composed of members of an
Ottawa-based organization called Animal Services &
Integrated Support Teams (ASIST, and Mehgan Search and
Rescue Association (MSAR, Winnipeg). I can tell you now
that consultations are almost at an end. *As GDUC’s
representative on this committee, one question that I intend
to place before them while they're still talking, has to do
with on-line sales of assistance dog equipment, especially
as it relates to dogs who haven't had the necessary training.
That subject wasn't addressed in their original proposed
suite of standards, but it is a major concern expressed by
Alan Conway as well as many other members of GDUC, and I
think we should inquire as to where the committee stands.
You may recall that a year or so ago, the federal government
department that deals with charities gave us a lengthy list
of bylaws that all charities are expected to comply with if
they want to maintain their charity status. Vic Pereira has
been monitoring that situation to make sure that we are in
compliance, and Penny will continue this work. It is ongoing,
but should not affect our way of operating.
Fundraising continues to be a major concern for your board,
especially as it relates to our Wellness Fund. GDUC
continues to receive requests from people whose guide dogs
require medical attention. One thing I should point out here
is that it's only the bigger training programs in the States
that pay veterinary expenses. The rest of the programs
don't, which is why we place so much emphasis on putting
as much money as we can into our Wellness Fund. We
wouldn't ever want that fund, or any of our other bank
accounts to run dry, but fundraising takes work. That's why,
during this past year, we replaced our Mary Spice
Committee with a fund development committee. Now, what
we need is for some of our members to step forward and
volunteer to sit on that committee.
Looking forward to 2013 2014, Our next Conference and
AGM will take place in Toronto. Although members
suggested Montreal, we don’t have members there who
offered to chair the committee or provide significant help to
organize a conference in Montreal. You will hear more about
the AGM in the next newsletter.
Your board would really like to see the establishment of a
committee to plan activities for International Assistance
Dog Week which takes place at the beginning of August
each year. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to raise public
awareness about the work that guide dogs do, and a time
when we could do some fundraising, too. We shouldn't let it
pass us by. During this year, we also want to research how
GDUC can reach out to Francophone guide dog users if our
French-speaking members feel that that would be helpful. I
can't stress too much, though, that none of the work we'd
like to do can happen without a commitment on the part of
the membership to do a portion of the work. The members
of your board are volunteers, too, and they can only do so
much on their own.
If you're particularly interested in some aspect of the work
of GDUC, please speak to someone on the board. We could
definitely use your help and ideas.
Retiring from the board as of September 21 are Laurie
Scott, Vic Pereira, and Christine Duport Switzer. Lui Greco
will resign his post as treasurer as of January 1, 2014. He
has kindly committed to working to transition Shep Shell
into the position of Treasurer of GDUC.
We have been incredibly fortunate to have had these fine
members on our board for the past three years. I know you'll
join me in wishing them all the best of luck in their future
endeavours, and thanking them for their continued interest
in GDUC.
We welcome Bhakti Patel, Lynn Raloff, Phil Goodwin, Shane
Davidson and Vivian Sollows to our board. You will learn
more about each new member of the board later in this
newsletter.
We have several volunteers who will continue to support
GDUC with their efforts by sitting on committees.
Please note that the following people have agreed to
continue giving of their time and experience.
Laurie Scott, Betty Meacher, Margaret Thomson, Chris
Schiafone, Anthony Tibbs, Vic Pereira, Christine DuportSwitzer, Alan Conway, Heather Walkus and Denise sanders
Paula Crebbin has stepped forward as a new volunteer. We
welcome others to please do the same so that we can do
the work we need to do, to be a successful guide dog users
group. I know members are interested in working on the big
project with Alan Conway regarding the use of fraudulent
Identification and harnesses, we will report more on who
will be involved with this project in the next newsletter.
All members can find ways to help this organization. If you
have an interest in a particular subject, Please contact me
at
theharness@bell.net
Devon Wilkins, GDUC President
Report of 14th GDUC Annual General Meeting and
conference
Submitted by Penny Leclair
September 20 to 22 , 2013
Location: Extended Stay Hotel
141 Cooper Street
Ottawa, On
Guide Dog Users of Canada recognizes and thanks our
sponsors for their generous contributions, to making our
conference such a success:
Via Rail, train tickets
Dynamic Dots, bus to BBQ and back to hotel,
T-Base Communications, bbq,
Humanware, Trekker Breeze for raffle,
CNIB, portion of meeting room and lunch,
Guide Dogs for the Blind, door prizes,
Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, door prizes,
Fidelco, door prizes,
individual GDUC members, door prizes.
The conference started with an arranged tour of the
parliament building with a lot more description and
opportunity to touch items than what visitors usually
experience. The tour lasted an hour and a half. It was a
warm beautiful day for the walk from the hotel to Parliament
buildings and back. We gathered at a nearby pub called Fox
and Feather for an evening full of fun. They provided 15%
discount on all regular priced items on the menu. We had a
corner reserved for GDUC members and friends.
Twenty-four people attended the Annual General meeting.,
plus volunteers. Steve Desroches, Deputy Mayor, (on behalf
of Mayor Jim Watson), welcomed everyone to the nation's
Capital city and thanked GDUC for the important work we do
each year.
Members enjoyed a panel discussion from representatives
of five guide dog schools regarding training techniques,
changes the schools have made over the years and
information about their programs. We were pleased to hear
from:
Brenda Bush Guide Dog Foundation
Peter Nowicki and Rachel Caruso FIDELCO
Dave Ponce, Guide Dogs of America
Jessy DiNapoli Guiding Eyes
Ben Francis Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind
We stayed in the meeting room to enjoy lunch together. Our
first guest speaker was Mr. Terrance Green who is a lawyer
living in Ottawa. He has Represented guide dog and other
service dog users for access in public space and currently is
On a national committee for standards in training of service
dogs in Canada.
Terrance green has three University degrees:
B.A. from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia;
LL.B. from University of Ottawa; and, M.P.A. from University
of Winnipeg.
He spoke on dogs and Human Rights, with a focus on the
difficult problem of fake working dogs and that Canada does
not have legislation to ensure that those who train service
animals are properly qualified to train dogs or, match the
best dog to the correct user.
Terrance reinforced the fact that guide dog handlers do
have rights, and should work at keeping these rights as they
cannot be taken for granted. He also reminded us that the
type of assistance animals has broadened, and blind guide
dog handlers may encounter other service dogs such as
dogs used to alleviate PTSD, hearing dogs, dogs for autistic
people, etc.
Our last guest speaker was Zafer Rustom who provided an
informative presentation on creating better understanding
between guide dog users and Muslim service providers.
Lynn Raloff was the lucky Winner of the grand Door prize of
a Trekker Breeze GPS, Donated by Humanware Inc.
The following members were elected to the board of GDUC:
DEVON WILKINS
Penny Leclair
Lui Greco staying to transition Shep Shell until January 2014
Shep Shell:
Jerry Smith:
Bhakti Patel:
Shane Davidson:
Phil Goodwin:
Lynn Raloff
Vivian Sollows:
After the AGM we all travelled, via two small buses, to the
home of Sharlyn Ayotte for a wonderful BBQ. Though the
weather didn’t cooperate, we all had a cozy time and
enjoyed socializing. GDUC expressed our thanks to Sharlyn
by presenting her with two matching pots with bamboo
plants in each pot. Ian, Sharlyn’ s husband, worked hard to
cook the burgers and we all enjoyed several tasty salads.
Those with sweet urges were not disappointed, tarts and
cookies, such a satisfying meal. This BBQ, sponsored by Tbase Communications, was a perfect ending to the 14th
Conference and AGM of Guide Dog Users of Canada.
Meet the New Members of Your Board
Phil Goodwin lives in Oshawa Ontario with his wife and
guide dog army. Army and Phil graduated from guide dogs
for the blinds San Rafael California in 2008.
Phil has worked for General Motors for over 38 years. Phil is
a union awareness trainer. He has held many jobs within his
union. He was recently elected to the executive board of the
local union.
Phil has worked with many provincial and federal
campaigns. He is a provincial volunteer for the Trim Gift of
Life Organ and Tissue Donation Network. Phil speaks to
schools to tell students about Earth Day. Phil speaks to
small and very large groups explaining the importance of
registering to donate their organs.
Lynn Raloff and her guide Martin live on the south shore of
Nova Scotia, 20 minutes north of Bridgewater. Lynn and her
husband have 7 dogs, including Martin. She operates a dog
day care and boarding business from their home. Lynn is a
certified groomer.
Lynn is a foster parent for the local shelter. She is president
of the New Germany garden club. In the past, she
volunteered to be part of the Unit action committee at the
hospital where she worked. She also headed the weekly
rounds.
Lynn describes herself as a good planner, and
communicates well on the phone. She has a lot of
experience working with the media. She has done public
speaking to school children and other organizations.
Vivian Sollows is interested in the work of guide dogs. She
lives in Ottawa with a partner and two boys 10 and 13. Her
son was born with several challenges so that Vivian became
an excellent advocate to acquire the services of a special
educational assistant at school, and other therapies he
needed. She took advocacy courses to understand how to be
a good advocate. Vivian fought for two years with the local
school board for his right to a good education. Things with
her son have stabilized recently so Vivian has decided to be
self-employed. She is busy taking business courses and
working on a project to produce a video about the various
ways blind people see and how they accomplish the things
they do.
Vivian has a passion for playing classical guitar and she
writes music. This is difficult now because she can’t read
music, even if it is magnified. She loves to sing as well.
Before Vivian lost sight she worked at an accounting firm
where she learned, on the job, how to do all the tasks to
become an executive manager, responsible for internal
books and training other employees to prepare tax returns,
from individual to corporate returns.
Vivian is quite comfortable writing letters and doing
research. She is Always interested in learning new things.
Bhakti Patel lives in Maple Ontario her little guide is a black
lab from Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind Her name is
Whasabi but Bhakti calls her Sabi to avoid comedy from her
friends and family. She is 2 years old, and weighs 60 pounds.
They graduated in June, 2013.
Bhakti is currently in her second year of four years, in
Financial Services Management Bachelor of Commerce
Program, at Seneca College, Toronto. She chose this field
because she enjoys corporate, leadership, and management
industries. Bhakti is pleased to share her skills and talent
with GDUC to make it a successful organization.
Shane Davidson, and his guide Yagger they currently live in
Toronto, Ontario. Shane is 26 years old.
Shane has been a guide dog user since 2012, (the baby of
the board), lots to learn. His skills range from customer
service, to public speaking to technology.
Shane is an avid reader, see the to read list that’s I think 6
pages single spaced in an MS word file, and growing all the
time. Lol.
Shane stepped forward to the board to help GDUC grow, and
to thrive. Weather that’s via doing his part in managing lists
and web content, coordinating committees, and anything
else the board asks of me.
Shane believes in the GuideDog lifestyle. He thinks each
school, (lawsuits and stupid decisions by upper
management/boards of a couple schools not withstanding),
and will do his part to uphold the rights we have worked so
hard to achieve.
GDUC Committees and Representatives
Guide Dog Users of Canada.
Guide Dog Users of Canada invites you to renew your
membership or become a member for $5.00 by following this
link:
https://members.gduc.ca
please do the following
1.
Log into the system with your email address and
password. If you cannot remember your password there is a
link that will email it to you immediately below the Login
button.
2.
Find and press enter on the Renew Membership link.
3.
Fill in the resulting form and press enter on the
Renew Membership button.
4.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete your
payment.
GDUC has a paypal account so the
charge will show up as guide dog
users of Canada.
Memberships, and or donations can be mailed to Lui Greco
1916 23 Avenue NW
Calgary, Alberta
T2M 1V8
all cheques should be payable to GDUC and if possible, a
note in braille telling Lui what the funds are for.
Subscribe to Friends of GDUC email list:
To join the discussion email list go to
http://lists.gduc.ca/mailman/listinfo/g
duc-members
If you'd like to make a donation, we have a presence on
www.canadahelps.org. you just search for GDUC or Guide
Dogs of Canada and a page will come up with our
information.
pay pal works very nicely as it provides people with an
automatic receipt and leaves a good audit trail for GDUC.
Current GDUC Board Members
Devon Wilkins, (President)
mailto:president@gduc.ca <mailto:president@gduc.ca>
Penny Leclair, (Vice-President)
Shep Shell, (Treasurer)
mailto:treasurer@gduc.ca
Bhakti Patel, (Secretary)
mailto:guidedogs@gduc.ca
Directors
Jerry Smith:
Shane Davidson:
Phil Goodwin:
Lynn Raloff
Vivian Sollows:
Committees
Lynn Raloff, Chair Wellness fund committee is : assisted by:
Laurie Scott, Betty Meacher, and Margaret Thomson.
Vivian Sollows, chair of the bylaw committee: assisted by
Penny Leclair
If you have experience with bylaws and are willing to
help please let the board know
Shane Davidson, chair of the Membership Committee: with
help from Penny Leclair, Chris Schiafone and Paula Crebbin.
Shane Davidson chair of the Tech committee: assisted by
Anthony Tibbs and Vic Pereira
Phil Goodwin chair, Fund development: assisted by Jerry
Smith
Devon Wilkins chair Advocacy committee: assisted by Penny
Leclair Juliette Lynn Raloff, Patti Ellis, Alan Conway
This committee has the Project under Alan Conway,
issue fake service animals
Assisted by : Patti Ellis, Joyce Main, Chris Schiafone, Lynne
Raloff, Teresa Eaton, Sharon Ruttan, Christine DuportSwitzer, Anthony Tibbs, Heather Watkus, Susan Neveubhatti, Kevin Frost. Kevin specifically volunteered for media
related assistance.
The second project Guide Dog protection.
If you have an interest in either of these issues please let
the board know.
Representatives for GDUC
Alan Conway will attend Canadian Transportation Agency
Advisory Committee, which meets annually.
Penny Leclair and Denise Sanders will attend The Coalition
of Blind, Deaf-Blind and Partially Sighted Rights Holder
Organizations Of Canada Together they take responsibility
for the communication component of the coalition.
Penny Leclair is our GDUC representative of the consumer
Advocacy group.
Resolution Passed Prompts Special Project
Alan Conway will help GDUC organize a project that will
address Protecting rights of working dogs through
legislation to stop the use of fraudulent harnesses and fake
identification used by people who take their pets into public
places or businesses where pets are not allowed.
Resolution passed states
Whereas the proliferation of fraudulent service dog gear and
Identification is on the rise and:
Whereas this situation threatens the respect of our rights
and the safety of our dogs;
Be it resolved that Guide Dog Users of Canada seek changes
to existing legislation to discourage this unregulated
practice; and
Be it further resolved that Guide Dog Users of Canada
consider ways in which the federal, Provincial and Territorial
governments might assist us in this matter.
Purina Animal Hall of Fame™
For more than four decades, the Purina Animal Hall of
Fame™ has honoured an elite group of pets and service dogs
for their extraordinary acts of heroism and bravery, which
have saved human lives. From sensing deadly medical
conditions to saving their owners from wild animal attacks,
more than 150 inductees have been recognized including
132 dogs, 26 cats - and one horse!
Since 1992, the program expanded to specifically recognize
the key role of service dogs in protecting the public and
providing independence, comfort and hope to so many
Canadians. To date, 18 service dogs have been honoured for
their acts of extreme bravery and courage.
New pet heroes are inducted annually into the Purina Animal
Hall of Fame™ at a private ceremony in the spring
The bond we share with pets can be lifesaving and inspiring.
Come and learn about all the pet and service dog Inductees
at PawsWay Pet Discovery Centre located at Harbour front
Centre in Toronto, and the permanent home of the Purina
Animal Hall of Fame™. Open year-round, general admission
is free.
Snickers, Oshawa, ON
Snickers is a 4-year-old, male, Border Collie/Pointer cross,
that owner Gregory Gould brought home in February of 2012.
Greg adopted the dog from a previous
owner, but he had no idea at the time that, in turn, Snickers
would save Greg's life.
In the early morning hours of March 19, 2012, Constable Rob
Garnett and his partner were called to investigate a local
complaint regarding a dog pacing
in a resident's driveway, barking incessantly, and blocking
their repeated attempts to leave for work. Upon arriving at
the scene, he and his partner encountered
Snickers, who was obviously agitated. A dog lover himself,
Constable Garnett immediately recognized this as unusual
behaviour and questioned the resident
who had placed the call. New to the neighbourhood they
hadn't met everyone just yet, however, thanks in large part
to a tip provided by their daughter,
it was concluded that the dog lived next door.
Constable Garnett went to knock on the door, and Snickers
followed closely. After banging on the door several times
with no response, he peered through
a window and saw Gregory Gould unconscious on his livingroom floor. Mr. Gould suffers from Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and depends on
an assisted breathing machine. The levels on his machine
weren't on the correct setting, which had knocked him
unconscious. As he lay there, he was slowly
suffocating.
The Constable and his partner immediately sprang into
action, breaking through the front door, assessing the
situation, and calling paramedics. Snickers
sat by Mr. Gould's side as they waited for medical help to
arrive. At this point, Constable Garnett started looking
around the house, and uncovered Snickers'
escape route: the glass in the back screen door was
shattered and the latch had been triggered. Based on his
observations, he concluded that Snickers –
in a determined effort to get help for his owner – had thrown
his body repeatedly against the screen door until he was
able to escape to the backyard.
Once outside, Snickers then ran to the back corner of the
yard where some weaker, cross hatched fencing had been
put up. He had broken through that as
well. All of this happened at approximately 3 a.m., which
means that Snickers had sought help for upwards of two
hours. He was drawn to the neighbours'
home when their lights went on around 5 a.m.
Thanks to Snickers' keen intuition, persistence, physical
strength and determination, Mr. Gould received the medical
attention he needed in the nick of
time. Doctors said that if he had remained on his living room
floor for one hour longer, he would not have survived. Mr.
Gould and his family – especially
his son Jeff, daughter-in-law Kiran, and granddaughter Hazel
are very grateful to Snickers for saving Greg's life. He's their
family hero.
And the Lucky Winner of Trekker Breeze at Our AGM Was
A member who bought three tickets hoping she’d win. A
member who had used an older version of Trekker and
wanted a newer one with more features. A guide dog user
who lives near the south shore of Nova Scotia, 20 minutes
north of Bridgewater. Lynn Raloff was so excited to win the
grand prize, she has never won a prize of such value. Lynn
says she likes many of the features of Trekker Breeze,
particularly the feature of inserting land marks and being
told the type of intersection she is approaching. Lynn finds it
useful to have when travelling in unfamiliar places. We are
happy the grand prize went to one of our newer members,
and a member who has already decided to volunteer to chair
the wellness committee of GDUC.
Training DVD developed by Canadian Transportation Agency
Submitted by Penny Leclair
DVD of the “Accessibility for All” training program
This training program is intended to be used by
transportation service providers (air, rail, marine and
terminal operators) to help them train their staff in order to
comply with the Canadian Transportation Agency’s
Personnel Training for the Assistance of Persons with
Disabilities Regulations and will help ensure the
accessibility of the federal transportation network. The DVD
is very comprehensive. You can order a DVD from Canadian
Transportation Agency by contacting:
Matthieu Labelle
Matthieu.Labelle@otc-cta.gc.ca
Analyst | Analyst
819-934-2776 | télécopieur/facsimile 819-953-6019 | ATS/TTY
800-669-5575 Matthieu.Labelle@cta-otc.gc.ca Transports
accessbiles | Accessible Transportation Direction générale
du règlement des différends | Dispute Resolution Branch
Office des transports du Canada | 15, rue Eddy, Gatineau QC
K1A 0N9 Canadian Transportation Agency | 15 Eddy St.,
Gatineau QC K1A 0N9 Government du Canada | Government
of Canada
Navy Seal Dog
When U.S. President Barack Obama went to Fort Campbell ,
Kentucky , for a very private meeting with the commando
team that killed Osama bin Laden, only one of the 81
members of the super-secret SEAL DevGru unit was
identified by name: Cairo, the war dog.
Cairo, like most canine members of the elite U.S. Navy
SEALs, is a Belgian Malinois. The Malinois breed is similar to
German shepherds but smaller and more compact, with an
adult male weighing in the 30-kilo range.
(German shepherds are still used as war dogs by the
American military but the lighter, stubbier Malinois is
considered better for the tandem parachute jumping and
rappelling operations often undertaken by SEAL teams.
Labrador retrievers are also favoured by various military
organizations round the world.
Like their human counterparts, the dog SEALs are highly
trained, highly skilled, highly motivated special ops experts,
able to perform extraordinary military missions by Sea, Air
and Land (thus the acronym SEAL).
The dogs carry out a wide range of specialized duties for the
military teams to which they are attached: With a sense of
smell 40 times greater than a human's, the dogs are trained
to detect and identify both explosive material and hostile or
hiding humans.
The dogs are twice as fast as a fit human, so anyone trying
to escape is not likely to outrun Cairo or his buddies.
The dogs, equipped with video cameras, also enter certain
danger zones first, allowing their handlers to see what's
ahead before humans follow.
As I mentioned before, SEAL dogs are even trained
parachutists, jumping either in tandem with their handlers or
solo, if the jump is into water. Last year canine parachute
instructor Mike Forsythe and his dog Cara set the world
record for highest man-dog parachute deployment, jumping
from ore than 30,100 feet up - the altitude transoceanic
passenger jets fly at. Both Forsythe and Cara were wearing
oxygen masks and skin protectors for the jump.
As well, the dogs are faithful, fearless and ferocious
“incredibly frightening" and efficient attackers.
When the SEAL DevGru team (usually known by its old
designation, Team 6) hit bin Laden's Pakistan compound on
May 2, Cairo 's feet would have been four of the first on the
ground.
And like the human SEALs, Cairo was wearing super-strong,
flexible body Armour and outfitted with high-tech equipment
that included "doggles" - specially designed and fitted dog
goggles with night-vision and infrared capability that would
even allow Cairo to see human heat forms through concrete
walls. Now where on earth would anyone get that kind of
incredibly niche hi-tech doggie gear? From Winnipeg , of all
places.
Jim and Gloria Slater's Manitoba hi-tech mom-and-pop
business, K9 Storm Inc., has a deserved worldwide
reputation for designing and manufacturing probably the
best body Armour available for police and military dogs.
Working dogs in 15 countries around the world are currently
protected by their K9 Storm body Armour.
Dogs Help Sniff Out Ovarian Cancer
Early detection could lead to better survival rates
The Associated Press, August 9, 2013
If dogs can isolate the chemical marker of ovarian cancer,
scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center will work to
create an electronic sensor
to identify the same odorant. (Matt Rourke/Associated
Press)
Researchers trying to develop a diagnostic tool for ovarian
cancer are hoping dogs' keen sense of smell will lead them
down the right path.
An early detection device that combines old-fashioned
olfactory skills, chemical analysis and modern technology
could lead to better survival rates for the disease, which is
particularly deadly because it's often not caught until an
advanced stage.
Using blood and tissue samples donated by patients, the
University of Pennsylvania's Working Dog Center has started
training three canines to sniff out the signature compound
that indicates the presence of ovarian cancer.
If the animals can isolate the chemical marker, scientists at
the nearby Monell Chemical Senses Center will work to
create an electronic sensor to identify the same odorant.
"Because if the dogs can do it, then the question is, Can our
analytical instrumentation do it? We think we can," Monell
organic chemist George Preti said.
More than 20,000 Americans, and some 2,600 Canadians,
are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. When it's
caught early, women have a five-year survival rate of 90 per
cent. But because of its generic symptoms - weight gain,
bloating or constipation - the disease is more often caught
late.
About 70 per cent of cases are identified after the cancer
has spread, said Dr. Janos Tanyi, an oncologist whose
patients are participating in the study. For those women, the
five-year survival rate is less than 40 per cent, he said.
The Philadelphia researchers will build on previous work
showing that early stage ovarian cancer alters odorous
compounds in the body. Another study in Britain in 2004
demonstrated that dogs could identify bladder cancer
patients by smelling their urine.
Dr. Leonard Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the
American Cancer Society, said while the canine concept has
shown promise for several years, there haven't been any
major breakthroughs yet.
"We're still looking to see whether something could be
developed and be useful in routine patient care, and we're
not there yet", said Lichtenfeld.
Cindy Otto, director of the Working Dog Center, hopes to
change that with the help of McBaine, a springer spaniel;
Ohlin, a Labrador retriever; and Tsunami, a German
shepherd.
"If we can figure out what those chemicals are, what that
fingerprint of ovarian cancer is that's in the blood - or maybe
even eventually in the urine or something like that - then we
can have that automated test that will be less expensive
and very efficient at screening those samples," Otto said.
Ovarian cancer patient Marta Drexler, 57, is heartened by
the effort.
Drexler describes herself as a textbook case of the disease
not being detected early enough because she had no
symptoms.
After two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy,
Drexler said she didn't hesitate when Dr. Tanyi, her
physician, asked her to donate tissue to the study. Last
week, she visited the Working Dog Center to meet the
animals whose work might one day lead to fewer battles like
hers.
"To have the opportunity to help with this dreadful disease,
to do something about it, even if it's just a tiny little bit of
something, it's a big thing," said Drexler, of nearby
Lansdowne.
The ovarian cancer detection study is being funded by an
$80,000 grant from the Madison, N.J.-based Kaleidoscope of
Hope Foundation.
Assertive Action with Negative Attitudes
Joyce wrote:I too gained support for my rights when I least
expected it a few years ago when I was at University, I was
completing a Practicum in Law and Justice . My assignment
required me to attend Division court sessions That day, I
decided to eat lunch at a restaurant next to the Court
House.
I entered the restaurant, sat down at a table and placed
Dallas under the table.
The manager asked me to leave Dallas, my first guide dog
outside. I politely explained about my rights and showed
him the photo ID I carry. I also told him about the penalty in
Ontario . He still insisted I leave so I asked him to call a
police Officer to verify what I was saying.
Before he could reply, 3 gentlemen came toward us;
introduced themselves as a Judge, Prosecutor and another
Attorney; regular customers of this restaurant.
Needless to say, there was an apology from the Manager
who told me I would not have to pay for lunch and that I and
any friends with registered Guide Dogs would always be
welcome in his restaurant
Joyce and Guiness
***
Margaret wrote:
Years ago, when I was at a meeting in Ottawa, I went out to
dinner at a very nice Indian restaurant; my then guide dog, a
very large, quiet golden retriever went under the table and
lay down. The Manager came over and asked us to leave
and when I asked why, he said dogs were not allowed in his
establishment. I explained, very quietly that he could be
fined $1000 and, at the table next to us, there was a crowd
of American women, listening to all this, so one of them
spoke up, in a very loud, authoritative voice and said, "and if
that dog leaves - we all leave and we'll tell anyone
approaching this place to go elsewhere. The guy just
walked away, and we all soon got served, and I thanked the
woman at the next table - and she said, "Honey, I meant
every word of it - and I may just report this"! Anyway, it's
great when members of the public that an injustice has
taken place - but it's an ongoing struggle.
Margaret and Gianna.
***
Years ago when I was still living in Montreal I belonged to a
group that met weekly at the Montreal Association for The
Blind but was not directly connected with them. Twice a
year we went out to lunch at Christmas and in June when
we closed for the summer. I and one other lady in the group
had a guide dog. One June I was being given a lift in by one
of the sighted volunteers who worked with us,. It was the
morning of our end of year lunch and she was describing the
difficulty she'd had in booking us a table because many of
the local restaurants did not serve lunch. I mentioned one in
particular (an Italian restaurant) that had been open for
many years and that I had lived literally next door to and
visited often (we are talking about a good fifteen years here)
before and after I had a guide dog. She said that she'd
phoned them but when she'd explained that two members of
the party had guide dogs they'd refused to book a table. I
was very annoyed but she'd made the decision and it was
too late to deal with that. However, it had been arranged
some time in advance that a sighted friend and a blind
couple we both knew and I would be going to dinner at said
restaurant that evening. Since all three of us had dogs I was
Really looking forward to that night. I and my sighted friend
came in first, and it is in a sort of semi basement so you
come down a steep flight of stairs as you enter. The person
creating problems was first on the scene and started to tell
me I'd have to leave (needless to say this was a newer
person who I had not been so lucky as to run into before),
then he looked up and passed me and trailed off in horror as
he spotted our two friends with their dogs coming down the
stairs. It was really a moment I would have adored seeing
the expression on his face. He was going to continue but
spotting the manager at that point he called him over to tell
us to leave. He was a gentleman I knew and as soon as he
got close enough to understand what the waiter was on
about the man was promptly told to be quiet and find a good
table for our party. They were particularly fortunate that it
was so quickly and easily resolved since one of my friends
with a dog that night, was more than willing to speak out for
the right to take his dog where the dog had the legal right to
go. To be quite honest, he took it further than I would, since
a really angry cab driver isn't one who's car I would want to
be in. But that three dog moment was priceless.
I might add the volunteer having a somewhat short term
memory forgot her previous experience and we ended up
lunching there as a group the next Christmas. It is amazing
what one uninformed employee can do for a business'
reputation though, ... if I hadn't known them for so long and
been sure she'd just come across one loser on the phone
who knows.
One of the best experiences I ever had was in a little
sandwich place in Montreal, on St. Catherine's right in down
town, the last place you'd expect a problem. We went in and
first the young man behind the counter asked us to please
leave because of “the dog.” I'd only had her a couple of
months so was surprised but still really patient. (Afraid
years of these sort of scenes have worn away at the
patience, ... this time I was glad.) This was obviously all
news to him. He then asked if we could sit further away
from the counter where the food was displayed because of
public health. Again we explained that no, the dog and we
could sit where we wanted. I'm not quite sure what
happened, I think he thought about it for a bit (by this time
we had our order and were sitting where we wished and
must confess we sort of thought he was sulking), but after a
little he came over and began asking all kinds of questions
about guide dogs, what they could do, where they could go,
everything. He was sincerely interested and since it was
coming up to the annual fund raising walkathon for our
chapter I invited him to come to it where he'd have a chance
to learn more. When he heard the date he said he couldn't
come because he was working but insisted on making a
donation. I have to say I was and am still touched that after
his little lesson he was so interested and impressed that on
his very minimal salary he donated twenty dollars. It was
one of the most positive pleasant experiences I ever had.
(And I'd like to add that he was a Canadian with no accent,
had no national or religious background on which to pin his
ignorance.) I think of him still as a sad but inspiring
example both of what education Can accomplish, and how
uninformed the public still is! Absolutely nothing pleases me
more than to be somewhere like a store or public building
and hearing a child proudly explaining to another child or an
adult that there is a guide dog you can't pat him because
he's working! Second best is hearing a parent kindly
explaining to a dog obsessed child that the dog is doing his
job, and what that job is.
Juliette
Thunder storms scary for some dogs
Jamie Hall
Edmonton Journal, Aug. 5, 2013
The first clap of thunder always sends Scout scurrying for
his toy basket in search of his favourite squeaky, a plush red
bone. Once found, the five-year-old miniature schnauzer
picks it up in his mouth, runs into owner Jackie Dawson's
bedroom and noses it under one of the pillows on her bed.
"It's like he's protecting it," says Dawson, "which is hilarious
considering how scared he is. If I'm in bed, he's usually
curled up next to me, shaking like a leaf."
On the other hand, Riley, an eight-year-old golden retriever,
builds a nest for himself when thunder starts, systematically
dragging the mats from the laundry room and bathroom into
the adjoining family room and placing them in a heap on the
floor.
"Our other (golden retriever) Catie used to jump into the
bathtub," says Carmen Mc-Connell, Riley's owner.
"We went looking for her one day and there she was,
peeking out from behind the shower curtain."
Thunder and lightning - particularly the former - terrifies
many pets, especially dogs, who often pace, whine, howl or
drool and do seemingly strange things to escape the fury
and noise of electrical storms. This summer, light shows
have become a daily feature of the weather, the words
"chance of a thunderstorm" practically a mantra for
Edmonton area forecasters.
So, what is it exactly that dogs find so frightening about
storms? And what, if anything, can pet owners do to help
them? Belinda Wagner, Edmonton Humane Society animal
behaviour consultant, says just like people, some pets
respond to the changes in barometric pressure that often
precede a storm, and to the noise and vibration that
accompanies it. "Some animals are really sensitive to touch
and sound and smell," says Wagner, "and the big thing is
that once a storm hits, you can't desensitize them in the
moment because it's so loud."
She says dogs naturally try to escape the static charge in
the air by moving toward items that are electrically
grounded. Many thunder-phobic dogs seek shelter in the
basement, around the toilet, shower, near pipes, or, like
Catie, in bathtubs. They may also try to get underneath
something, or find a place to hide, typically small enclosed
spaces.
She says dogs who are frightened by thunderstorms are
sometimes susceptible to loud noises in general, like
fireworks, sirens, vacuums and lawn mowers.
Cats, on the other hand, are a lot less domesticated than
dogs so are less likely to be affected by thunder and
lightning. Still, says Wagner, they are masters of body
language and will become agitated and nervous if their
owners' movements are out of the norm, so it's important to
keep a calm demeanour.
A survey conducted by the Journal of the American Animal
Hospital Association showed that some dog breeds appear
to be more predisposed to fear of thunderstorms, among
them herding dogs and hounds. Rescue dogs were also
likelier to be fearful than the rest of the dog population.
Wagner says while it's human nature to want to soothe our
pets when they're anxious, too much coddling sends the
wrong message.
"You're really rewarding the wrong behaviour," she says. "It
may make you feel better, but it's not doing much good for
the dog. You've got to work with them before the storm hits,
not in the middle of it."
She says vets sometimes suggest anti-anxiety medications
that can be helpful, but she recommends first trying
behaviour modification. She says dogs can't learn anything
when they're agitated, so the best time to implement
desensitizing techniques is when the weather is calm and
the skies are blue.
"Systematic desensitization" is a way to slowly expose your
pet to the stimulus that triggers their fear.
"Recordings of thunderstorms, for instance, are available on
CDs and can be purchased at many pet stores, including the
EHS shelter. The idea, Wagner says, is to play it at a very
low volume several times a day, while rewarding your dog
with treats and praise when they are calm. Over time, you
can increase the volume level until your dog is OK with the
noise.
The shelter also sells "thunder shirts," a body-hugging
garment that's designed to press on certain pressure points
to induce relaxation.
As it happens, McConnell recently purchased one to see if it
would help her apprehensive pooch, who has abandoned his
nest-making ways, at least for the moment.
"When I put it on him, he becomes paralyzed," she says,
laughing.
"He just stands there, stunned. It takes a bit of coaxing to
get him to move.
"He doesn't seem to pant as much, or pace, but he still
follows me around. I think it helps a bit, though; it kind of
just snuggles him in and makes him feel safer."
Canadian Transportation Agency Decision Involving
Allergies and Dogs
A summary of CTA | Interlocutory Decision No. LET-AT-A-822013
CONCLUSION
[79] The Agency has made the following final determinations
and preliminary finding:
Final determinations
Disability
[80] The Agency finds that Mrs. Greenglass is a person with
a disability for the purposes of Part V of the CTA as a result
of her alergy to dogs.
Obstacle/Appropriate accommodation
[81] The Agency finds that the following provides the
appropriate accommodation required to meet the needs of
Mrs. Greenglass and persons with disabilities as a result of
their allergies to dogs when at least 48 hours advance
notification is provided by persons with a dog allergy
disability, with best efforts to do the same when less than
48 hours advance notification is provided:
With respect to dogs carried as pets
[82] On aircraft with air circulation/ventilation systems using
HEPA filters or which provide 100 percent unrecirculated
fresh air:

a seating separation that is confirmed prior to boarding
the flight and that provides a minimum of five rows
between persons with a dog allergy disability and pet
dogs, including during boarding and deplaning and
between their seat and a washroom; or,

a ban on pet dogs in the aircraft cabin in which a person
with a disability as a result of their allergy to dogs is
travelling.
[83] On aircraft without air circulation/ventilation systems
using HEPA filters and which do not provide 100 percent
unrecirculated fresh air, provide:

a ban on pet dogs in the aircraft cabin in which a person
with a disability as a result of their allergy to dogs is
travelling;
[84] When advance notification of less than 48 hours is
provided by persons with a dog allergy disability, a ban on
pet dogs is to be provided if no person travelling with a pet
dog has already booked their travel on the selected flight. If
a person travelling with a pet dog has already been booked
on the flight, persons with a dog allergy disability must be
provided with the same flight ban accommodation within 48
hours on the next flight available on which there is no
person with pet dog already booked. If the next available
flight is beyond the 48-hour period, persons with a dog
allergy disability must be given priority and provided with
the accommodation measures applicable when the 48-hour
advance notice is given by the person with a dog allergy
disability.
With respect to service dogs
[85] On aircraft with air circulation/ventilation systems using
HEPA filters or which provide 100 percent unrecirculated
fresh air:

a seating separation that is confirmed prior to boarding
the flight and that provides a minimum of five rows
between persons with a dog allergy disability and service
dogs, including during boarding and deplaning and
between their seat and a washroom.
[86] On aircraft without air circulation/ventilation systems
using HEPA filters or which does not provide 100 percent
unrecirculated fresh air:

give the booking priority to whoever of the person with a
dog allergy disability and the person traveling with a
service dog first completed their booking. A person with
a dog allergy disability and a service dog will not be
accepted on the same flight using aircraft that do not
have HEPA filters or which do not provide 100 percent
unrecirculated fresh air.
Dogs Are People, Too
By GREGORY BERNS
FOR the past two years, my colleagues and I have been
training dogs to go in an M.R.I. scanner - completely awake
and unrestrained. Our goal has been to determine how dogs'
brains work and, even more important, what they think of us
humans.
Now, after training and scanning a dozen dogs, my one
inescapable conclusion is this: dogs are people, too.
Because dogs can't speak, scientists have relied on
behavioral observations to infer what dogs are thinking. It is
a tricky business. You can't ask a dog why he does
something. And you certainly can't ask him how he feels.
The prospect of ferreting out animal emotions scares many
scientists. After all, animal research is big business. It has
been easy to sidestep the difficult questions about animal
sentience and emotions because they have been
unanswerable.
Until now.
By looking directly at their brains and bypassing the
constraints of behaviorism, M.R.I.'s can tell us about dogs'
internal states. M.R.I.'s are conducted in loud, confined
spaces. People don't like them, and you have to hold
absolutely still during the procedure. Conventional
veterinary practice says you have to anesthetize animals so
they don't move during a scan. But you can't study brain
function in an anesthetized animal. At least not anything
interesting like perception or emotion.
From the beginning, we treated the dogs as persons. We had
a consent form, which was modeled after a child's consent
form but signed by the dog's owner. We emphasized that
participation was voluntary, and that the dog had the right
to quit the study. We used only positive training methods. No
sedation. No restraints. If the dogs didn't want to be in the
M.R.I.
scanner, they could leave. Same as any human volunteer.
My dog Callie was the first. Rescued from a shelter, Callie
was a skinny black terrier mix, what is called a feist in the
southern Appalachians, from where she came. True to her
roots, she preferred hunting squirrels and rabbits in the
backyard to curling up in my lap. She had a natural
inquisitiveness, which probably landed her in the shelter in
the first place, but also made training a breeze.
With the help of my friend Mark Spivak, a dog trainer, we
started teaching Callie to go into an M.R.I. simulator that I
built in my living room. She learned to walk up steps into a
tube, place her head in a custom-fitted chin rest, and hold
rock-still for periods of up to 30 seconds. Oh, and she had to
learn to wear earmuffs to protect her sensitive hearing from
the 95 decibels of noise the scanner makes.
After months of training and some trial-and-error at the real
M.R.I.
scanner, we were rewarded with the first maps of brain
activity. For our first tests, we measured Callie's brain
response to two hand signals in the scanner. In later
experiments, not yet published, we determined which parts
of her brain distinguished the scents of familiar and
unfamiliar dogs and humans.
Soon, the local dog community learned of our quest to
determine what dogs are thinking. Within a year, we had
assembled a team of a dozen dogs who were all "M.R.I.certified."
Although we are just beginning to answer basic questions
about the canine brain, we cannot ignore the striking
similarity between dogs and humans in both the structure
and function of a key brain region: the caudate nucleus.
Rich in dopamine receptors, the caudate sits between the
brainstem and the cortex. In humans, the caudate plays a
key role in the anticipation of things we enjoy, like food, love
and money. But can we flip this association around and infer
what a person is thinking just by measuring caudate
activity? Because of the overwhelming complexity of how
different parts of the brain are connected to one another, it
is not usually possible to pin a single cognitive function or
emotion to a single brain region.
But the caudate may be an exception. Specific parts of the
caudate stand out for their consistent activation to many
things that humans enjoy. Caudate activation is so
consistent that under the right circumstances, it can predict
our preferences for food, music and even beauty.
In dogs, we found that activity in the caudate increased in
response to hand signals indicating food. The caudate also
activated to the smells of familiar humans. And in
preliminary tests, it activated to the return of an owner who
had momentarily stepped out of view. Do these findings
prove that dogs love us? Not quite. But many of the same
things that activate the human caudate, which are
associated with positive emotions, also activate the dog
caudate. Neuroscientists call this a functional homology,
and it may be an indication of canine emotions.
The ability to experience positive emotions, like love and
attachment, would mean that dogs have a level of sentience
comparable to that of a human child. And this ability
suggests a rethinking of how we treat dogs.
DOGS have long been considered property. Though the
Animal Welfare Act of
1966 and state laws raised the bar for the treatment of
animals, they solidified the view that animals are things objects that can be disposed of as long as reasonable care
is taken to minimize their suffering.
But now, by using the M.R.I. to push away the limitations of
behaviorism, we can no longer hide from the evidence. Dogs,
and probably many other animals (especially our closest
primate relatives), seem to have emotions just like us. And
this means we must reconsider their treatment as property.
One alternative is a sort of limited personhood for animals
that show neurobiological evidence of positive emotions.
Many rescue groups already use the label of "guardian" to
describe human caregivers, binding the human to his ward
with an implicit responsibility to care for her. Failure to act
as a good guardian runs the risk of having the dog placed
elsewhere. But there are no laws that cover animals as
wards, so the patchwork of rescue groups that operate
under a guardianship model have little legal foundation to
protect the animals' interest.
If we went a step further and granted dogs rights of
personhood, they would be afforded additional protection
against exploitation. Puppy mills, laboratory dogs and dog
racing would be banned for violating the basic right of selfdetermination of a person.
I suspect that society is many years away from considering
dogs as persons.
However, recent rulings by the Supreme Court have included
neuroscientific findings that open the door to such a
possibility. In two cases, the court ruled that juvenile
offenders could not be sentenced to life imprisonment
without the possibility of parole. As part of the rulings, the
court cited brain imaging evidence that the human brain was
not mature in adolescence.
Although this case has nothing to do with dog sentience, the
justices opened the door for neuroscience in the courtroom.
Perhaps someday we may see a case arguing for a dog's
rights based on brain-imaging findings.
Gregory Berns is a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory
University and the author of "How Dogs Love Us: A
Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine
Brain."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/opinion/sunday/dogs-arepeople-too.html
A Guide Dog’s Prayer
Please do not pet me or attract my attention when I am
wearing my harness! My work requires much concentration
and any distraction could endanger my blind friend.
Please ask my blind partner if we need help and how you
can best do so. Touching or holding the harness makes my
companion and I feel insecure. You are most welcome to
offer your help, but do not be angry if my partner refuses.
We are very independent.
Please tell my partner the number of the bus that’s coming
or if the traffic light turns green. I certainly am intelligent,
but reading or interpreting traffic signals are beyond me.
Please stop where traffic signs indicate you should do so. If
you park your car on the sidewalk, I must go into the street
to go around it and that could be dangerous.
Please allow me to enter food stores. The law is definitely
on my side but In spite of that, some people still complain
and refuse me entry. You would not leave your eyes outside
a store would you?
Please do not frighten me with firecrackers or other such
things. In doing so, you compromise my ability to work and
my blind partner loses a reliable guide.
Please restrain your dogs and pass by without stopping. I
am not allowed to sniff or play when working. That said,
when I have free time, and I have plenty, I am always ready
to run around and have fun.
Please do not feed me. I was trained to refuse food from
strangers. Each of your attempts makes me less obedient,
which rightly irritates my blind partner.
Thank you very much for your attention!
Guide dogs; safe and reliable guides for the blind.
Note: This text was originally found in a German guide
dog handlers’ discussion. The author explicitly requests the
distribution of this prayer.
NTD: This text was translated from the French version of
the original German. I do not speak German and could not
have used the original text.
Alan Conway
God Made A Dog
This was a U-tube with pictures all one after the other. I
asked a guide dog user with time and good hearing, to type
the words that were said as the pictures of dogs flashed
across the screen.
Thank you Bob Berrigan
And on the ninth day, God looked down on His wide-eyed
children and said, “they need a companion”, so God made a
dog.
He Said, “I need somebody willing to wake up, give kisses,
pee on a tree, sleep all day, wake up again, give more
kisses, then stay up until midnight basking in the glow of a
television set.” So God made a dog.
God said, “I need somebody willing to sit, and stay, and roll
over. Then, with no ego or complaint, dress in hats they
don’t need and costumes they don’t understand. I need
somebody who’d break wind without a first care or second
thought, who can chase tails, sniff crotches, fetch sticks,
and lift spirits with a lick. Somebody who, no matter what
you didn’t do or couldn’t take or didn’t win or couldn’t make,
will love you without judgement just the same.” So God
made a dog.
God said, “I need somebody strong enough to pull sleds and
find bombs, yet gentle enough to love babies and lead the
blind, somebody who’ll spend all day on a couch with a
resting head and supportive eyes to lift the spirits of a
broken heart.” So God made a dog.
“It had to be somebody who’d remain patient and loyal, even
though loneliness, somebody to care and cuddle, snuggle
and nuzzle and cheer and charm and snore and slobber and
eat the trash and chase the squirrels, somebody who would
bring a family together with a selflessness of an open heart,
somebody who would bark, and then pant, and then reply
with rapid wag of tail, when their best friend, says, "Let’s go
for a ride in the car.”
So God made a dog.
Prairie Dogs' Language Decoded by Scientists
Human-animal translation devices may be available within
10 years, researcher say.
Did that prairie dog just call you fat? Quite possibly. On The
Current Friday, biologist Con Slobodchikoff described how
he learned to understand what prairie dogs are saying to one
another and discovered how eloquent they can be.
Slobodchikoff, a professor emeritus at North Arizona
University, told Erica Johnson, guest host of The Current,
that he started studying prairie dog language 30 years ago
after scientists reported that other ground squirrels had
different alarm calls to warn each other of flying predators
such as hawks and eagles, versus predators on the ground,
such as coyotes or badgers.
Prairie dogs, he said, were ideal animals to study because
they are social animals that live in small co-operative groups
within a larger colony, or "town" and they never leave their
colony or territory, where they have built an elaborate
underground complex of tunnels and burrows.
In order to figure out what the prairie dogs were saying,
Slobodchikoff and his colleagues trapped them and painted
them with fur dye to identify each one. Then they recorded
the animals' calls in the presence of different predators.
'With a sudden intuition, I thought, "What if they're
describing the physical features of each predator?"'—Con
Slobodchikoff, biologist
They found that the animals make distinctive calls that can
distinguish between a wide variety of animals, including
coyotes, domestic dogs and humans. The patterns are so
distinct, Slobodchikoff said, that human visitors he brings to
a prairie dog colony can typically learn them within two
hours.
But then Slobodchikoff noticed that the animals made
slightly different calls when different individuals of the same
species went by.
"With a sudden intuition, I thought, 'What if they're
describing the physical features of each predator?'" he
recalled.
He and his team conducted experiments where they paraded
dogs of different colours and sizes and various humans
wearing different clothes past the colony. They recorded the
prairie dogs' calls, analyzed them with a computer, and were
astonished by the results.
Clothing colour, size described
"They're able to describe the colour of clothes the humans
are wearing, they're able to describe the size and shape of
humans, even, amazingly, whether a human once appeared
with a gun," Slobodchikoff said.
The animals can even describe abstract shapes such as
circles and triangles.
Also remarkable was the amount of information crammed
into a single chirp lasting a 10th of a second.
"In one 10th of a second, they say 'Tall thin human wearing
blue shirt walking slowly across the colony.'"
Besides being a researcher, Slobodchikoff is an author of
the book Chasing Doctor Doolittle: Learning the Language of
Animals, in which he profiles many other animals with
complex language, including crows and ravens, chickens
and vervet monkeys. He believes complex speech is
probably common within the animal kingdom.
"It's just that we have not looked," he said. He blames the
fact that humans have long assumed animals are incapable
of such intelligence.
Computer translation
Slobodchikoff said he has been working with a computer
scientist to develop a device that uses voice pattern
recognition techniques and artificial intelligence to translate
between human and animal speech.
"We could potentially have something maybe the size of a
cellphone in five to 10 years where a dog would say, 'Woof'
and the device would say. 'I want to eat chicken tonight" or
a cat could say, 'Meow,' and the device would say, 'My
litterbox is filthy, please clean it.'"
He thinks if humans and dogs could understand one another
more clearly, it would reduce the number of animals
euthanized each year because of behavioural problems,
which he blames on a lack of communication. In the
meantime, Slobodchikoff said, he has found that just
knowing that animals can share complex ideas makes
people more empathetic toward them.
"When people realize that prairie dogs and other animals as
well can talk … suddenly they see these animals with a new
perspective," he said. "They're actually thinking, breathing
things not that much different from us."
Many Veterinary Bills Include 'Inappropriate' Costs
Marketplace reveals that, despite evidence, some vets
continue to over-vaccinate pets
By Megan Griffith-Greene
CBC News, October 04, 2013
Despite guidelines that recommend vaccinating dogs every
three years, many veterinarians continue to push annual
vaccinations, a CBC Marketplace investigation reveals.
And when dogs get annual jabs, pet owners may be getting
gouged.
"It's inappropriate and [veterinarians] need to get with the
current policies and guidelines," said Dr. Jean Dodds, a
California-based veterinarian and researcher, who is an
expert in dog vaccination protocols and an outspoken critic
of over-vaccination.
Some veterinarians told Marketplace staff who documented
vet visits on hidden camera that they recommend yearly
vaccines as a way of making sure that pet owners schedule
wellness exams.
Other vets either were not familiar with or did not trust
research that says annual shots are unnecessary.
Research in this area is "black and white," Dr. Dodds said in
an interview with Marketplace co-host Erica Johnson for the
show's season premiere, "Barking Mad,"
"There's plenty of documented evidence that shows that
vaccines last much longer than we used to believe, and from
now on, vaccines should be given less frequently to those
animals that are properly immunized when they were
younger."
Hidden camera investigation
There are about 14.5 million dogs and cats in Canada,
according to research published in the Canadian Veterinary
Journal in 2009, and 50 per cent of cats and 78 per cent of
dogs saw a veterinarian in the past year.
Money may be a factor: Veterinary costs in Canada
increased 90 per cent between 1997 and 2009, according to
Statistics Canada.
In its investigation, Marketplace took Marshall, a healthy
three-year-old English bulldog, to 10 veterinarians. During
the exams, Marshall was prescribed treatments and
procedures that experts say are not needed, including
unnecessary testing and a weight loss program.
The Marketplace investigation uncovered five ways in which
veterinary bills may be inflated, from vaccines to the price of
pet medications.
Despite being up to date on all vaccinations, six out of 10
veterinarians Marketplace visited recommended that
Marshall be given at least one vaccine during the exam.
Most veterinarians -- and veterinary medical groups -- agree
that all dogs should receive "core" vaccines, which
immunize against illnesses that are contagious, widespread
or very serious, including rabies, distemper, adenovirus and
parvovirus.
Guidelines released in 2011 by the American Animal
Hospital Association
(AAHA) recommend that dogs receive core vaccines every
three years, though some jurisdictions may require that the
rabies vaccination be given more frequently.
The guidelines are based on "professional, scientific, and
clinical evidence, as well as published and unpublished
documentation," and note that
protection from the shots often lasts much longer than three
years.
Published research has demonstrated that the protection
offered by core vaccines can last seven to nine years.
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA)
maintains that the research on vaccines is still
controversial, and that the vaccination schedule should be
determined on an individual basis.
"The decision on how often to vaccinate and what to
vaccinate for is a direct conversation between the client
and the veterinarian based on the individual animal and the
circumstances that that animal lives in," said Dr.
Jim Berry, president of the CVMA, who notes that the
guidelines do allow veterinarians to determine their own
vaccination schedule based on the pet, resources and other
factors.
Over-vaccination increases cost, risk
But other experts maintain that annual vaccinations are
unnecessary.
"[Core] vaccines provide long-term immunity," said Dr. Ron
Schultz, who teaches veterinary medicine at the University
of Wisconsin and helped develop the AAHA guidelines.
Dr. Schultz said that giving dogs core vaccines every year is
"like vaccinating a human for measles every seven to 10
years for the rest of their lives."
In addition to the financial cost -- vaccines can cost about
$40, in addition to the cost of the exam -- over-vaccinating
dogs is not without risk.
"There is always the risk of adverse reactions, albeit small,"
said Dr.
Schultz.
Annual wellness visits are important in keeping dogs
healthy, said Dr.
Schultz, but veterinarians shouldn't be using vaccinations as
a premise to book the annual exam.
"It's very difficult for me; I love my profession," said Dr.
Dodds. "Are we going to harm [pets] by giving them
something they don't need?"
For more on the Marketplace investigation of veterinary
bills, watch the season premiere "Barking Mad" on Friday,
October 4 at 8pm (8:30 in Newfoundland).
Join the investigation by sending in your veterinary bill and a
photo of your pet as Marketplace maps basic services coast
to coast.
Fgducgduc agm minutesfrom:http://www.cbc.ca/news/manyveterinary-bills-include-inappropriate-cost
s-1.1876019
Gone to The Dogs and Loving It- a CD of poems
If you are like most of us, your family and friends love dogs.
Now you can give them a birthday, Christmas or thank you
gift that is unique and will help Guide Dog users of Canada.
Thanks to Devon Wilkins you can purchase a ten dollar CD
called Gone to The Dogs and Loving It. The CD has poems
about dogs. Many of the poems are written by Devon Wilkins,
(current president of Guide Dog Users of Canada). Several
Poems have sound effects or musical backgrounds. Every
cent of the ten dollars per CD will be used to benefit Guide
Dog Users of Canada. You can order CDs by contacting
Devon at
theharness@bell.net
A work of love by a dedicated member of GDUC. Help
support this organization. Send a cheque to Devon at the
GDUC address given at the top page of this newsletter.
Include an envelope with your name and address so that
Devon can put the CD into the envelope and mail to you. She
included the poem read at the AGM which everyone enjoyed
so much. Get your copy today, limited Cds available.
Bloating In Dogs
The most common signs of bloating are that your dog will
begin to have non-productive retching or only producing
variable amounts of stringy, foamy vomitus or drool. Often
the dog is also very restless and cannot seem to get
comfortable, and can have abdominal pain. Sometimes (but
not always) you can see that the abdomen looks very large
and bloated. Because of the proximity of the stomach to the
diaphragm, the dog may show signs of respiratory distress,
and may seem as if he cannot catch his breath, which will
sometimes lead to the dog collapsing and unable to get up.
The most common sequence of events leading to bloating is
that the pet eats a meal and then soon after begins to play
or rough-house, and then begins to exhibit the
aforementioned signs shortly thereafter.
When a dog "bloats" it is an emergency and he should be
seen by a veterinarian immediately, as time is truly of the
essence. Gastric dilatation volvulus or "bloat" is a fairly
common problem of large breed, deep-chested dogs such as
Labrador retrievers, standard poodles, German shepherds,
Great Danes, and multiple others.
What actually happens is that the dog's stomach flips
around on itself anywhere from 90 to 360 degrees; when this
happens not only are the contents of the stomach not able
to get out into the intestines, but the blood supply to and
from the stomach is also diminished. Because of this
twisting and lack of blood movement, the dog enters into a
state of shock wherein the body is unable to maintain proper
blood pressure and blood flow, which if left untreated is
deadly.
Once the dog arrives at the hospital, the doctors will
immediately start to give aggressive volumes of IV fluids
and pain medications to help with the shock; however, until
the pet is taken into surgery, he will remain in great danger.
Once in surgery, the doctors will manually untwist the
stomach and then examine the tissues to ensure that the
blood flow has returned and that the stomach tissue is
healthy. Sometimes the veterinarian will have to remove
part of the stomach or even the spleen of the pet to ensure a
full recovery.
Once the stomach is deemed healthy, the veterinarian will
perform a procedure called a gastropexy, in which the
stomach is attached to the body wall in the natural position,
in an attempt to prevent the twisting from happening again.
The success rate of the surgery is very good, with almost
80 to 90 percent of the pets returning to a happy and healthy
life.
— Dr. Steven Berkowitz, emergency and critical care
department of Oradell A