One of my favorite series of books is the Atlantis series by Bob Mayer. In the series, the main character, Dane, has a golden retriever and they are a search and rescue team. Search and rescue dogs do work that is at the same time needed during disasters as well as upsetting when you consider they find the deceased as well as the living.

A rescue dog recently passed away after saving 7 people in the aftermath of an earthquake in Ecuador.

Dayko the hero dog, who rescued seven people from under the rubble after a massive earthquake hit Equador, passed away from heatstroke this week. To put it in more emotional terms, Dayko died because he valued saving human lives more than he valued his own life.

The training that these amazing service dogs do is also something to learn about –

They climb ladders, run through tunnels and play hide-and-seek in the snow. They also go for a dip in the pool and get a pilates workout.

Three students at the Working Dog Center work on their agility.

The dogs at the WDC are training to do a wide variety of detection jobs. Some will work in law enforcement, sniffing out explosives, fire accelerants and drugs; while others will participate in disaster recovery or have a medical focus, like detecting ovarian cancer or working as diabetic alert dogs. They learn through positive reinforcement and play — and fitness and obedience are keys to their success, too, says Dr. Cynthia Otto, a veterinarian who started the WDC and is the lead investigator in a long-term study on the health and behavior of detection dogs.

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A service animal (usually a dog) is an animal that has been specially trained to help a human function in their normal daily lives.

A companion animal (cats, dogs and other pets) give their humans emotional support and supply them with stress reduction benefits. A recent study in Australia shows that dog owners and their dogs have matching heart rates and beats – they syncronize.

In the UK, family time off (paid) used to mean maternity and death of a loved one. Now it also includes bringing a new pet into the home. Yeah, paid time off to do whatever with your new pet. In my opinion, that might go over a line that employers shouldn’t cross but that’s me. If I have a pet emergency, I ain’t coming in to work. If I’m adopting a new pet, I do it on a Friday so I have nearly 72 hours with them.

As I read research, web sites and documentation for my book, I get the distinct feeling that companion animals get the low end of the totem pole – are second class pets behind service animals. Yes, service animals do get a lot of training and are actually working animals that provide an absolutely needed service. I’ve seen them in action and I’ve seen the training they get. It’s amazing.

Concerning companion animals, these animals provide and equal (in my opinion) importance – they save lives by reducing contributing factors to health problems. This is a subject that I can attest to personally – having had a wide gamut of pets: Rabbits, Cats, Birds, Lizards, Preying Mantis (honest) and Tree Frogs, plus fish and at one time a killer Red Slider Turtle. Even the care and upkeep of pets can be theraputic simply because concentrating on something other than the problems in your life can save your life from the reduced stress, lower heart rate and with some pets, the exercise that comes with their care.

Let’s look at this article:

Companion animals may improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and regulating the heart rate during stressful situations. In a 2002 study, researchers measured changes in heart rate and blood pressure among people who had a dog or cat, compared to those who did not, when participants were under stress (performing a timed math task).

Children’s exposure to companion animals may also ease anxiety. For example, one study measured blood pressure, heart rate, and behavioral distress in healthy children aged 3 to 6 at two different doctor visits for routine physicals.

Among elderly people, pet ownership might also be an important source of social support that enhances well-being. In one study, elderly individuals that had a dog or cat were better able to perform certain physical activities deemed “activities of daily living,” such as the ability to climb stairs; bend, kneel, or stoop; take medication; prepare meals; and bathe and dress oneself.

My own mother has a companion animal and while the animal’s health problems weigh greatly on her, just having the animal in the house gives her focus, a loving relationship and a constant companion. That’s not to be taken lightly.

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As I go through the process of writing “Living With Them”, I am doing a lot of self-learning and educating myself about the relationship between companion pets and humans. The relationship can be complex, ranging from bonding with a single person to pets picking up behavior patterns from their humans.

Throughout my reading and learning, I am creating a reading library for you, the visitor to the site that you can also read. The list changes pretty often so you may want to bookmark the page.

The reading library….

There have been well thought of studies that investigate connections between our attachment to pets and the relationship we have with them.
One of the hardest decisions that we make in our lives is the euthanasia of our companions. The end of life decisions we make are not only emotionally difficult but also physically demanding.

Evidence suggests that there are psychological, physical and social benefits in human-pet relationships. We humans also have a tendency to see our pets as children which creates even more mental and emotional trauma as we plan euthanasia.

There are two varieties of euthanasia – in the veterinarian’s office an at home. I would like to address in home euthanasia which I have experience with. When we take our pet to the veterinarian to perform the euthanasia, from the pet’s point of view, this induces a lot of trauma at the end of their life. Imagine yourself as your pet, probably stressed and having bad memories of visits to their doctor. Now your master is taking you to the doctor and the last experience that you have is a trauma that you won’t return from.

The other choice, again from the pet’s point of view, is surrounded by your family, in your most trusted space, what you consider your den. As you slip away from this life, you are relaxed, feel loved and are calm.

Which version would you prefer? I would pick in home euthanasia.

The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement has a list of veterinarians that perform this service. In fact, most vets will do this.

Read more….

With the price of gasoline falling, more Americans are taking road trips and are bringing their dogs with them. While we are on the road, we want to keep our four-legged family members safe.

Dogs should never ride on your lap or next to you in the passenger seat. If you were to stop short, your dog can act as a projectile and go through your car’s front window. If there is an accident and your dog isn’t restrained, he could panic, get out of the car, and get lost. Accidents are not for the faint of heart. So, follow these tips to keep you and your dog safe:

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goodnewsforpets has an article about pet safety including first aid tips.

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Zika virus was first identified in 1947 in Uganda’s Zika Forest. If you’re wondering, “Zika” means “overgrown” and the forest is home to The Uganda Virus Research Institute of Entebbe.

Signs of Zika virus infection include fever, joint pain and muscle aches, rashes, headaches and red eyes (conjunctivitis). Most people recover within a week without hospitalization and death is extremely rare.

Zika virus is spread through the bite of a mosquito; Aedes africanus, Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopticus have been identified as carriers, and other species may also transmit the disease.

The biggest concern with Zika virus is it appears to cause a serious and life-threatening birth defect known as microcephaly (small head). If a pregnant female contracts Zika virus from an infected mosquito bite, the fetal brain could become underdeveloped, resulting in death or severe neurological deformation.

Can dogs or cats get Zika virus?

We don’t know. At this time there is no evidence that dogs or cats can transmit or contract Zika virus. The studies haven’t been done. There is evidence that primates and humans can become infected and transmit the disease through mosquito bites.

“I think unless you’re talking about pet monkeys, which should be extremely rare cases, as far as dogs and cats, I don’t know of any information or scientific studies on that topic,” says Chris Barker, a researcher in the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at the University of California, Davis. Barker studies the epidemiology of mosquito-transmitted diseases.

Even if you live in cold regions, the larvae of these mosquitoes can remain dormant for months during cool weather and emerge as soon as temperatures increase.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika virus yet. The disease isn’t widespread in North America and doesn’t pose a threat in the U.S. at this time.

Although there have been no cases of Zika being transmitted via mosquito in the United States, the mosquitoes that are capable of transmitting the virus do live in the U.S. So one of the best ways to protect people (and pets) from possible infection is to practice good mosquito control on your property.

“Encourage people to limit mosquito production from their own backyards, and they should encourage their neighbors to do the same. That’s one of the best measures we can take,” says Barker. “Where we do have the mosquitoes, we want to do everything we can to minimize the mosquitoes and limit the transmission risk.”

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