2015 companion pet tab

your local guide to

Companion Pets

Photo by Perry Backus

February 1, 2015

Photo Courtesy of True North Search Dogs

2 - Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015

Montana Companion Animal Network: Helping find homes for unwanted pets

By PERRY BACKUS Ravalli Republic

The group’s idea was to take those dogs out of the shelter and place them in foster homes where the animals could learn the coping skills they needed to become good companions in their new homes.

Since that time, quite a lot has changed in the Bitterroot Valley. An innovative group of volunteers led by retired veterinarian Alan Applebury created a low-cost spay/neuter clinic called the Fox Hollow Animal Project that’s made real inroads into reducing the numbers of unwanted companion animals in the Bitterroot.

The Hamilton shelter now rarely finds itself in the situation where it is

Fred has issues.

The 7-year-old cocker spaniel has a cataract that makes it hard for him to see out of his right eye. He doesn’t really like to have his feet touched much and his neck is rather sensitive too.

His previous owners knew all that, but none of it mattered. They loved him anyway.

When one owner passed away recently, his wife found herself in a situation where she had to move from the family home and PERRY BACKUS – Ravalli Republic into an apartment. She Montana Companion Animal Network organizer Judy Paul and her neighbor, Terri Nason, enjoy a short visit about the two dogs Nason adopted. Nason adopted the mother and one of the 14 puppies that came couldn’t afford to take to Paul’s home last year from another Montana dog rescue organization that finds homes for stray dogs Fred with her. on two Indian reservations.

But she also couldn’t bring herself to take the sensitive dog to the shelter either. forced to euthanize an animal.

“She knew Fred would have shriveled up and been very “That’s been really encouraging,” Paul said. “It’s allowed me unhappy,” said Judy Paul, one of the founders of Montana to branch out and help other rescues and shelters that are still Companion Animal Network. “He might not have survived.” addressing the issue of overcrowding.”

Today, Fred is one of eight dogs that are currently at home at The Montana Companion Animal Network has reached out to Paul’s Doggone Acres just off Bailey Lane. All of the canines are assist shelters in Idaho and a two-person rescue operation from patiently waiting for new owners to come claim them.

Dodson that looks to find homes for dogs found roaming freely Almost every single one is a dog that wouldn’t have fared well on two Indian reservations. at an animal shelter for one reason or another.

“They work on the Rocky Boy and Fort Belknap reservations,” Back in 2008, Paul and three others who volunteered at the Paul said. “They have saved all kinds of dogs over the past few Bitterroot Humane Society’s shelter in Hamilton saw a need to years. On the reservation, the dogs are seen as nuisances. There’s help those animals that reacted poorly to life inside the noisy kenno place for them.” nels.

So far, Paul has found new homes for 91 of the dogs rescued “There was an awful lot of euthanasia going on at the time due from the two reservations. to overcrowding at the shelter,” remembered Paul. “We wanted to try to do something for the benefit of those animals who Since its inception, Paul has found homes for 117 dogs. The couldn’t find a home quick enough at the shelter.” total number of adoptions completed through the Montana Often as not, the animals that didn’t show well due to the Companion Animal Network’s foster care program is 137. stress of being confined at the shelter often weren’t adopted and Beyond that, the network has also helped find new homes for ended up getting put down.

Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015 - 3

pets whose owners are moving or have other reasons why they The organization also uses social networking to find their pets can no longer care for their dogs and cats. new homes too.

“We keep a list of people who are looking for a specific breed “Network is a key word,” Paul said. “We all work together or size,” Paul said. “Sometimes the pet goes directly from its old toward a common goal of finding forever homes.” owner to the new owner without us being much involved in the People interested in learning more about Montana Companion process. … Anyone who finds themselves in the position where Animals Network can go to http://www.mtcan.org/home.html. they have to give up a pet can post it on our website.”

The only requirement is the animal is spayed or neutered and is current with its vaccinations.

“A lot of times they find new homes for their pets and we don’t even know anything about it,” she said.

When the weather permits, volunteers from the group gather on the lawn outside Hamilton’s Walgreens Store with their dogs dressed in vests that say “Pick me” in hopes that someone driving by will fall in love with on their charges.

In the winter months, the volunteers are there from 11:30 a.m. to the point it either gets too cold to stay or 2:30 p.m rolls around. In the summer, they arrive a little earlier to beat the heat.

While they don’t always find someone interested in adopting a dog, Paul said it’s a good experience for all.

“I always tell people it’s a lot like going fishing,” she said.

“You start out with high hopes when you throw your line in the water. Sometimes you catch a few going by. Sometimes you get PERRY BACKUS – Ravalli Republic skunked. All the same, it’s a good time for the dogs to socialize.

Judy Paul, Naomi Web, Terri Nason, and Carrie Storrow enjoy some fun time with six of It’s a positive experience for them.” the seven dogs that Paul is currently fostering at her home northeast of Corvallis.

Montana CoMpanion aniMal network, inC. (MtCan)

Make Adoption Your Only Option Because Every Heart Deserves A Home

www.mtcan.org • www.facebook.com/MTCAN.INC MTCAN is a 501(c)3 nonprofit (406) 961-3029

Friendly Ser v O v r e o r F 40 Yiece a rs m O ne &L “Sa e w r

ocation S

ince 197 4”

FULL SERVICE ~Grooming~Boarding~Training~Supplies ~All Natural Pet Foods “If your dog is not becoming to you, he should be coming to us”

363-5654 197 Golf Course Rd., Hamilton, MT

4 - Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015

Wild About Pets: One-stop pet shop

By PERRY BACKUS

For many in the Bitterroot, Wild About Pets is kind of like a de facto When Karen Pelkey looks zoo. back on nearly 17 years of “We have a lot of people who operating Hamilton’s only onebring their kids in and just kind of stop pet shop, she knows she wander to look at the animals,” she can blame it all on the crickets. said. “I have quite a few people Back before her big advenwho come here when they are hurtture into pet care began, her ing inside. It seems to help them to second daughter decided she spend some time with the animals would love to raise a lizard. when they are hurting over one thing Being a good mother, Pelkey or another. embraced the idea.

“During the fires of 2000, it was “We would stop by the pet really crowded in here,” Pelkey said. store on a regular basis right “Loving on animals seems to heal after piano lessons to buy the the heart.” crickets her lizard craved,” Pelkey enjoys helping people care Pelkey said. for their pets.

Somewhere along the way, “We have a lot of people who spePelkey learned the store’s owncial order this or that,” she said. “I PERRY BACKUS – Ravalli Republic ers were thinking about closing keep a running tally on who needs Wild About Pets owner Karen Pelkey with a chinchilla for sale and a treasured the shop and moving on to what and when. I remember when employee. their next challenge. someone needs six cans of someSuddenly that lizard didn’t seem like such a good idea any thing or a bag of something else. more.

“It’s me,” she said, with a smile as she points to her head. “It’s “I knew if that place closed down, I would have to start driving all stored inside here. We’re all about caring for people and their all the way to Missoula to buy a dozen crickets,” she said. “Two pets. We’re all about customer service.” weeks later, as they were getting ready to close for the last time, in a state of exasperation, at the age of 8, my daughter said, ‘Why Pelkey is proud of the people who work for her. The experidon’t you just buy it?’ ” ence they gain working at the pet store prepares them for whatAfter giving it some thought, that’s just what Pelkey and her ever it is they decide to do in their later lives. husband decided to do.

“They are busy from the time the lights turn on until the lights “I’ve never been bored since,” she said. go out at night,” she said. “Their top priority is caring for the Stepping into Hamilton’s Wild About Pets store is like taking a animals and right after that, it’s all about taking good care of the step back in time when customers came first and pet stores were customer. … In this day and age, if you can learn to work a cash filled with almost any kind of critter that a pet lover could imagregister correctly, that’s half the battle.” ine.

Pelkey also takes a good deal of pride in the fact that she seeks out the smaller distributers of quality dog and cat food.

On this particular morning, Pelkey is missing her baby corn “I try to concentrate on only carrying the most nutritious food snake and her employees are keeping their eyes open as they go you can get at a good price,” she said. “I seek out the privately about their business. owned businesses that are owned by the little guy. I think it’s “It’s the third time it’s gotten out,” she said. “It’s about the size important to support those kinds of businesses.” of a piece of spaghetti. My husband kind of wigs out when it’s And, yes, she still has crickets. out, but for me, it’s all part of the game of owning a place like “Crickets are still huge here,” she said, smiling. “I order about this.”

6,000 a week. I can still save people a trip to Missoula.”

Ravalli Republic

Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015 - 5

K-9 search and rescue: Essential partners in backcountry missions

By BECKY LOVEJOY for the

Ravalli Republic

SAR. Burleigh Curtis (CurtisSAR1@gmail.com) welcomes committed applicants who want to learn, and monthly meetings are open to all. Next, get your pooch certified. Count on at least a year of twice-a-week training for your canine to be mission-ready. A trained team would be welcome since Ravalli County could use a local dog’s four paws on the ground!

A hunter is two days overdue and a heavy snow has fallen. A hiker has drowned in a lake beneath a rockslide. A horseback rider has been thrown, is injured, and doesn’t know her location. Our sheriff may call on Search-and-Rescue (SAR), but sometimes four paws on the ground and an exceptional nose are what it takes to efficiently recover people or their remains.

A dog’s ability to quickly cover rough terrain, follow specific scents or tracks, and work where human sight is limited (at night, under water, or through heavy brush), makes K-9 search-andrescue teams an unparalleled asset for law enforcement. Rigorous and extensive training of both dogs and their handlers combines the dog’s extraordinary nose with man’s sophisticated search methods and technology, to effectively search an area and locate the ‘find.’

Dogs are able to identify ‘skin rafts’ – microscopic scent-carrying skin cells that shed from us at a rate of 40,000 cells a minute.

Perspiration and decomposition gases can also be identified, since a dog’s ability to smell is up to 10,000 times better than ours.

Trailing dogs follow a specific subject’s scent track, while airscenting dogs often work off-leash in large areas to find evidence Photo Courtesy of True North Search Dogs of humans up to a quarter mile away. A trained bloodhound can Larry and Sage water training to locate drowning victims. search 50,000 empty stadium seats and locate where the ‘target’ was sitting days ago. Dogs trained in disaster recovery can sniff out bits of hair and bone amidst piles of rubble, and those trained in water searches can locate cadavers by detecting decomposition gases that emanate below the surface.

Ravalli County uses True North Search Dogs, Inc., a Helenabased non-profit that provides certified search-and-rescue dog teams to law enforcement. GPS-equipped dog collars allow data to be downloaded on maps showing where K-9 teams have searched. This adds valuable data to a mission where speed and efficiency can mean life or death in locating a person, yet even finding remains provides closure to friends and family.

The National Association for Search and Rescue is one organization that certifies K-9 teams. Handlers are highly trained in human and canine first aid, navigation, GPS and radio skills, wilderness survival, and search methods. They understand their dogs’ unique ‘alerts’ when they are close to a ‘find,’ and their animal’s strengths and weaknesses in the field. Working dogs need nerves of steel, Like us on Facebook stamina, and specialized skills including high-level obedience, for updates! working around cattle and horses, riding in boats and trucks, going over and under obstacles, and swimming.

363-0723 777-1662 Are you adventurous? Does your dog like to find things? Stay Hamilton Stevensville away from searches since your presence compromises crime a2zpersonnel.net scenes and scent trails. Instead, apply to volunteer with our local

we love our pets

Meet Ali, our Director of Public Relations!

AZ 2

PERSONNEL

6 - Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015

When should I call my veterinarian?

By LINDA PERRY TURNER For

the

Ravalli Republic

It’s 10 p.m. on a Saturday night and your 3-year-old husky, Jake, suddenly begins to tremble. He falls down with legs extended and goes into a full body tremor for 30 seconds. Slowly, he gets back on his feet, seems disoriented for several minutes, and then settles down to rest.

Do you rush him to the nearest veterinary emergency clinic, knowing the potential costs involved? Or can you wait until Monday when his regular veterinarian, the one who knows Jake best, can see him? How do you decide?

By learning how to assess your pet’s physical condition, understand the consequences of an untreated puncture wound, appreciate the time limits involved in treating poison cases, etc., you will be better prepared to make the right decisions for your pet’s health and safety.

Determining an animal’s wellness in the absence of verbal communication often relies upon an owner’s power of observation.

Attentive owners know their pet’s normal appetite and activity level, behavior patterns, and general enthusiasm for life. Any change in these features could signal the onset of illness, where

“There is no limit to how long our guests can stay at the shelter”

the severity of the change often reflects the severity of the animal’s condition.

Mild vomiting and diarrhea from eating carcasses or garbage are common complaints, but should not be allowed to persist more than a day before seeking veterinary care. Severe or persistent vomiting, on the other hand, could indicate an intestinal blockage and constitute a surgical emergency.

A single seizure, as described above, should be reported to your veterinarian soon, but prolonged or cluster seizures deserve immediate attention. Poisonings are potentially fatal and should always be treated ASAP (if no veterinarian is available, call fee-based ASPCA Poison Control at 888-426-4435). Punctures can wait a little longer but, inevitably, abscess without proper care.

Always use your best judgment and common sense, but consult your veterinarian before giving any medications. A rule of thumb: Offer your pet the same level of care as you would a child, for dogs are equally helpless and dependent upon you for their well-being.

For further information, call the Bitter Root Humane Association at 363-5311 to register for a canine first aid seminar being offered this spring.

Linda Perry Turner, Ph.D, D.V.M, is a Bitterroot Valley veterinarian and board member of the Bitter Root Humane Association.

BOARDING - TRAINING – PET SUPPLIES

The Bitter Root Humane Association reunited, adopted or fostered over 96% of the animals they served in 2014.

“Where Your Pet is a Person” Bitterroot Kennels & 8-Paws Pet Shop

(406) 363-5311 • 262 Fairgrounds Road • Hamilton MT 59840 SHELTER HOURS

Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri: 1:00pm - 6:00pm • Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm Sunday: 2:00pm - 5:00pm (Closed Wednesdays)

119 Big Corral Road, Hamilton 363-6616 www.bitterrootkennels.com

Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015 - 7

bitterroot valley vets Ambrose Veterinary Clinic 424 Rio Ln Stevensville ...................................... 777-3544 Basin Veterinary Service ..................................... 363-4579 Bitter Root Veterinary Clinic PC 1116 N 1st St Hamilton ..................................... 363-1123 Bitterroot Petmobile Inc Hamilton/Bitterroot Valley ................................. 360-7387

VALLEY PET CUNIC 1420 S 1st St Hamilton .......................................363-5390 Veterinary Chiropractic & Acupuncture 257 Marcus St Hamilton .................................... 363-6489 Willow Mountain Veterinary Hospital 1039 Main Street Corvallis...................................961-3077

Blue Mountain Veterinary Hospital & Surgery PLLC 4646 Buckhouse Ln Missoula ............................ 251-4150 Bower Doug DVM Hamilton ............................. 370-2838 Bower Doug DVM Bitteroot Valley ................... 821-3474 BURNT FORK VETERINARY CLINIC 3682 Eastside Hwy Stevensville ......................... 777-3844 CompanioN Pet Clinic ACSW 801 S 1st St Hamilton.................. 363-6803 Or 363-6802 Horizon Mobile Veterinary Hospital 1 9000 Maple Ln Florence ................................. 273-7000 Lolo Creek Veterinary Hospital 9825 Hwy 93 S Lola ........................................... 273-6335 Noah’s Ark Vet Center 104 Sheafman Creek Rd Victor ..... 961-6819 or 642-3471

Photo Courtesy of True North Search Dogs

Radar waiting to go to work.

NORTH VALLEY VETERINARY CLINIC 13185 Hwy 93 S Lola ......................................... 273-2287 Pet Emergency Center 1914 S Reserve St Missoula ............................... 829-9300 SAPPHIRE ANIMAL HOSPITAL 4052 US Hwy 93 N Stevensville ......................... 777-4399 TAMMANY VETERINARY HOSPITAL PC 303 Selway View Rd Corvallis ............................ 961-1321

Home Made Dog Treats & Gifts

No Preservatives or Artificial Flavorings Made with Human Grade Ingredients Made in Hamilton, MT 10% of all proceeds go to help pets & local pet owners

www.pawrifictreats.weebly.com 406-363-1168

8 - Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015

Pant daily: Fitness for Fido

By BECKY LOVEJOY For

the

Ravalli Republic

Pant daily! To be healthy and happy, both you and your dog have gotta get out and play! Pry Fido from the couch every day, and get that endorphin high that’ll keep you two energetic, sleeping well, and feeling good. Exercise keeps the joints lubricated, the heart strong, and pumps oxygen to the brain. There’s no excuse for overweight dogs, so nix the people food and limit the kibble to keep him lean and fit.

North Star Kennel

Special

Long Term Boarding Rates Dogs and Cats call: (406) 239-5816 red flannel® is the pet food for the home where red, white, and blue are a

way of life.

· Operated by an American Farmer-Owned Company · 100% American Meat · 100% N. American Protein

PMINUTRITION.COM

AVAILABLE AT 1308 Eastside Hw Hwy, Corvallis MT 59828

406.961.4917

© 2014 PMI Nutrition, LLC. All rights reserved.

cowpoke@montana.com

Grab a leash and head outside. A retractable leash gives him freedom to sniff the ‘pee-mail’ and relieve himself. Then get a brisk walk going, throw him a ball, or have him romp with other dogs. Let him pant. Watch him grin. You will too.

Excessive panting, stumbling, hot ears, or bright red or white gums are signs of overexertion. Don’t give food or large amounts of water right before or after exercising, and let him cool down slowly.

He’s a dog, not a machine, so keep him in his comfort zone.

Hiking with your pet is transformative. Your dog bounds ahead sniffing the pine-scented air, and a crisp breeze whips your troubles away. Everyone is happy because you’ve: • Gotten both of you into shape over time.

• Stayed aware of terrain. He’s barefoot, and rough trails can be harsh for couch-potato pads.

• Brought ample water for you and him.

• Kept him on a leash and away from wildlife, gut piles, wolf traps, and other hazards.

• Protected him from carsickness, sunburn, snow glare, and deer poop-eating nausea.

• Watched for over-heating. (Cool him down by wetting his chest where his heart and lungs are, since dogs only sweat through their feet or by panting.)

• Trained him to come with called, and have an ID tag or microchip in case he gets lost.

• Realized that inexperienced dogs need to learn to balance on logs, ford streams, and clamber up steep slopes, so you don’t laugh at him as he learns and sometimes fails.

• Packed a pet first aid kit, just in case.

All dogs love to swim. Or do they? Some breeds sink rather than float, and panicked dogs raise their heads causing their bodies to sink even faster. Tragically, 10,000 dogs drown every year. If you hike, fish or hunt around water, drown-proof your pup.

Never force a dog into water. Instead, train in stages by throwing sticks at the water’s edge, letting him play with dogs that swim, and going into the water yourself with his favorite treats. Swimming Swimming comes naturally with confidence, and soon he’ll hurl himself into the lake, and love those chilly swims in the river. Canine floatation vests are a ‘must’ on a boat, and always supervise dogs around water.

The great outdoors awaits. Wade in the river, race through piles of fall leaves, and make tracks in the first winter snow as you get fit with Fido. So off the couch now, and pant with your pet. Let’s play!

Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015 - 9

Buying a purebred puppy: A how-to guide

By JAYNE AZZARELLO for the

Ravalli Republic

When I was young, I fell in love with Labradors and the idea of training a working retriever. So I saved my money and bought my first purebred Labrador. He was a fun companion but he was no hunter. And I lost him to hip dysplasia four years after I bought him.

I learned a lot from that experience. I bought another Lab: trained, traveled, hunted over and savagely loved that dog till the day she died at 13 years old. She too was a purebred, AKC registered dog. And she too had health problems over the years, but the problems she had were for the most part short-lived and treatable. And boy, could she hunt!

The difference in outcome was due in great part to the quality and commitment of the breeder of each dog. And that set my attitude toward the purchase of dogs that would last throughout my life.

If you have decided to buy a purebred dog, you have probably already done some research. With luck this pup will be with you for a decade or more. So if you would like to make your best informed decision you may want to use some of the following resources: For general breed characteristics a good place to start is the AKC website: www.akc.org For health issues within a breed, I recommend www.OFFA.org and www.CanineHealthInfo.org These last two will help you find general breed disease information. They will also list individual data on testing results for some common heritable health issues in specific dogs that may interest you . And they will link you to other references for further research.

To find a reliable breeder, you can again start with the AKC website: www.akc.org They will have a listing of breeders and breed clubs in the area. Ask for referrals: from local veterinarians, breed rescue sites and acquaintances who own the breed. Visit an AKC or other club sanctioned event in your area. You can meet and talk to enthusiasts, trainers, and breeders at those events.

And when you decide on a breed and begin talking to breeders, here are some questions to ask each breeder: • Do you health screen your dogs before breeding: For what problems? What were the outcomes for the parents of this particular litter?

• Describe the breed’s basic characteristics: temperament (both breed typical and specific to these pups); adult size; age at full adulthood; coat type, including ability to withstand the ele-

ments, grooming requirements and degree of shedding; attitude toward children, adults, other pets, livestock; how much exercise and training the dog will require; • Are you a member of the AKC or other dog-related club?

• Are any of your dogs titled: what titles do they possess?

• What are the major limitations or drawbacks to this breed: what type of person or family should not own this type of dog?

The breeder should be willing to answer your questions fully.

They should ask questions about you, your lifestyle, your family, and the physical area the dog will be inhabiting. If a breeder doesn’t respond fully to your inquiries, or doesn’t show interest in you and the needs of the dog after it leaves their facility, you should most likely find another breeder. A responsible breeder wants to make a good match between the dogs they breed and their new owners. Your breeder should be the kind of person you want on your side as you negotiate the ins and outs of living with your new dog.

Jane Azzarello owns North Star Kennels in Darby, and is a breeder of German shepherds.

Clark’s Canine Camp (formerly Beaded Bassett)

Boarding grooming daycare

529-2971 Beadedbassett.com

10 - Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015

Wild about bunnies: Feral rabbits in the Bitterroot

By BECKY LOVEJOY Sapphire Lutheran Homes

A 4-H project gone awry? Escapees from a residential rabbit hutch? We’ve all seen domestic European rabbits hopping through business districts and across residential lawns, but where did they come from? There’s even a local RV park that was somewhat of an attraction with over 100 long-eared residents that hung out for handouts.

Yes, these are abandoned and escaped pets. Folks think they can survive since the evidence is roaming around Hamilton. But traits bred out of them to make docile pets make them poor candidates for happy lives in the wild. Instead of living for 8-10 years in captivity, their lifespan is usually less than a year and it’s a very tough year.

Let’s say Ralph the Rabbit escapes his pen and hippity-hops down Old Corvallis Highway. He’s now ‘feral’ - a domesticated pet that lives in the wild. Life was easy in the hutch with protection, food and water. Now he’ll need to up his game, dodging traffic as he looks for a new home.

Ralph needs a safe place with suitable food nearby and as few predators as possible. Rabbits live in colonies and in groups,

WANT TO BUY DEER, ELK & MOOSE HORNS

build interconnecting tunnels called warrens, complete with living quarters, nesting houses, and emergency exits. Ralph has no pals, so as he sniffs around some likely real estate seeking warmth and companionship, he may be killed by a territorial male.

If Ralph were a Rachel, she would need to fight to protect her nest and her babies. Lining the nest with grass and her own plucked fur, she can have litters of four to eight kits, eight times a year. Rabbits are young brides, often breeding when they’re just a few months old. But amorous rabbits can share more than affection – mites, fleas, ticks, and parasitic diseases can enter the love nest making life miserable for their host.

Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. Hiding out during the day is their best bet since cats, dogs, coyotes, weasels, owls and hawks have a taste for rabbit.

These predators have kept our local feral rabbit population in check, but cats and dogs often kill baby rabbits just for fun and it’s not a pretty sight. Ample free food also increases the number of predators, who might then go after our small dogs and cats.

Man is another significant predator, shooting and trapping rabbits for sport, because they’ve chewed into sheds or crawlspaces to keep warm and have their babies, or because they’ve just decimated the vegetable garden.

Releasing any non-native animal is bad for the environment, bad for the animal, often illegal, and a sad testimony to our once beloved pets. If you can no longer care for your rabbit, setting him free to hop around Hamilton doesn’t him any favors. Instead, be a good steward and find Ralph or Rachel a safe new home with a friend or through a shelter or foster agency.

Will pay per pound.

ANTLERS GALORE - LOLO, MT -

Call Bill 273-9987

YOU SELL ‘EM, WE BUY ‘EM!

Pampered Pets Boarding and Grooming Linda Mavros, Owner and Master Groomer Debbie West, Groomer Boarding suites, Cattery suites, Indoor and Outdoor facility for larger dogs- We live on Premises

1735 Ward Lane

(behind Porterbilt off Highway 93 South, Hamilton)

363-3091

Ravalli Republic, Sunday, February 1, 2015 - 11

Photo by Mary Burlingame

Barbara Sanders and Chili (above).

Photo of resident Wayne Wardwell and his dog Sydney with staff memeber Betsy Day and her dog Rosie(left).

Photo Provided Sapphire Lutheran Homes

Therapy dogs: An unconventional prescription

By BECKY LOVEJOY For

the

Ravalli Republic

Magic happens when you pair loving animals with people in need. Certain well-trained canines sense the presence of cancer cells, warn owners of impending diabetic or epileptic episodes, sniff out peanuts or other allergens, or ease depression. Service dogs can be the eyes or ears for those who can’t see or hear. It’s no longer odd to see a dog team making hospital rounds, providing sensory stimulation to those in a coma, comforting children in pediatric pre-op, or providing a non-judging presence for the men-

tally ill.

There’s science behind why snuggling with your dog feels good.

Connecting with another beating heart delivers oxytocin, a feelgood chemical that tells us all’s right with the world. People experience lower blood pressure, less anxiety, and the toe-curling happiness that unconditional love can bring. Animals can comfort and heal when traditional methods can’t, and Bitterroot organizations are taking part in this unconventional prescription.

Emma’s House will soon receive a service dog from Canine Companions for Independence. The dog has prepared for 18

Photo Provided

months to perform over 100 tasks, and is trained to attune to children’s emotional sensitivities and needs. Handlers must pass an intensive training program as well.

Then it’s all about fur time and that steady presence of a dog, when a child’s life has been torn asunder.

The Bitter Root Humane Association loves when the Keystone Program students tell stories to dogs and cats, improving reading confidence and soothing the animals. The shelter also coordinates canine visits to Sapphire Lutheran Homes, Valley View Estates, Bee Hive Homes, Discovery Care Center and the Living Centre, so seniors can enjoy time with a pet again.

Pet Partners.org, a national certifying organization, trains and evaluates volunteers to do animal-assisted therapy in everything from retirement homes to psychiatric wards, schools to counseling offices. Handlers with good people skills can apply, with their dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and even ponies or llamas. Dogs take basic obedience tests and act in role-playing scenarios that they might encounter, to be sure they’re suited for the work. Five strangers hug them enthusiastically, a wheelchair goes by, and someone drops a pair of metal crutches. If the dog’s tail is still wagging and he’s calm and focused, there might be a therapy career in his future. Gary Kammerer is the local evaluator for Pet Partners: gk2heel@montana.com, 777-3527.

Dogs visit college campuses during final exams, to bring light-hearted fun to stressed-out students. Three-legged canines or those with burns or scars nuzzle kids in hospitals, letting them know that life goes on even with medical challenges.

Seniors love the distraction from their aches and pains when a gentle dog nestles in their lap, and a pet’s visit can help fill the void after the loss of a spouse. Therapy animals are an unconventional prescription. The only side effects? To comfort and heal.

Gary Kammerer evaluating a dog for Pet Partners.

German Shepherd Puppies West German Import Lines

Family Dogs Bred for Temperament, Intelligence, Working Ability

North Star Kennel 3113 Highway 93 Darby MT 59829 Info @ NorthStarDarby.com

(406) 239-5816