by Cindy Horsfall La Paw Spa Today was one of those good days, the kind that makes you glad to be alive. It began when I met Sarah and ended as I drove home under a beautiful sunset sky that matched the warm glow inside of me. Sarah is a six-year-old lab who has had some spondylosis in her spine. She is a perfect candidate for water therapy and enjoyed her session today, but that’s just part of the story …
I have had a very important job in my life. I have taken care of my family for 16 1/2 years. I became a service dog to better take care of my dad and was also schooled thru the “Wonder Dog” program where it was required from me to be very alert and self disciplined.My job has taken me on many journeys both far and wide. With my family I have been on many airplanes, taken a cruise and spent …
The lovely Maggie suffers from a condition called Fibro Cartilaginous Embolism (FCE) – which basically means that Maggie had a stroke in her spine. Maggie lost use of her hind legs, bladder and bowels, which for a 55lb dog in this condition requires so much extra care. Her owners found her prognosis was not good and after finding out they were going to have a baby on top of the mounting vet bills, keeping Maggie was something they could no …
On a frosty winter morning thirteen years ago, my niece Jessica Abrams was on her way to Port Angeles High School. Stopped at an intersection, she saw a tiny white ball of fluff dart out from the side of the road and run under her truck, where he sat trembling. She got out, fished him out from under the truck and put him in the cab. The look on his face, she told me, said, “I am the King and …
Hi my name is Lilly. I am only 5 years old and I have arthritis so bad that I was loosing the use of my hind legs. One day I went out to play and was having so much fun I jumped in the air and when I came down I could only walk backward not forward. That really scared my family so they rushed me to the vet. That is where we got the bad news. The vet gave …
I just wanted to pass along our incredible experience yesterday with Melody (who trained with you). Our 5-year-old border collie Mica, was rescued 4 years ago after having severe anxiety issues and the owners were going to euthanize him. We have worked extensively with Mica to help him overcome his fears and he has made such great progress! He sustained an ACL injury with the original owners, so our goal was to improve the strength and condition of the leg without surgery. That …
Life, love, loss, and getting skunked with the best friend a man ever had by Hal Everett Emmy entered my life in 1998, at six weeks of age. I bought her to be a fishing dog, who would accompany me on fly fishing trips, both local and distant. It was more than ironic that Emmy would later be the principal reason for me to give up fly fishing. She was bred from field trial lines, but the meaning of this …
by Gigi Callaizakis – www.HarmoniaBH.com Sometimes when our canine companions get older and their abilities begin to become compromised, we need to seek solutions and to offer help. Here is one story of a woman and her dog – true and equal partners in this life – as they balance their relationship and each help each other to evolve during this process. I watch Ebony rest peacefully and I think back to her wilder younger years when I affectionately called her …
Courtesy of Therapy Dogs International By TDI Staff Imagine. You return from vacation, well-rested and missing your dog who you had to regretfully leave behind at the kennel. You can’t wait to see the excitement on your pup’s face when you pick her up, and you’re already thinking about a long walk as soon as you get home. But as you greet the kennel workers, something feels wrong; they stare at you nervously. “Hello, Mrs. Harris,” they say, trying not to panic, …
Weekend Warriors and Winter Couch Potatoes:How can we help to turn them into true Canine Athletes? By Debbie LaMonicaACWT Therapist, Washington It looks like it is springtime here in Washington. I say this not because it FEELS that way when I walk out my front door, but because the calendar says so. Pretty soon, what the calendar says, and what my senses feel, will match one another. This time of year, the thoughts of many a dog fancier turn to …