As you’ve been hearing, I’m working on a new project about therapy dogs. Therapy dogs provide an amazing service to people in need by providing cheer and companionship. Service dogs fill a different role — while they clearly provide emotional support, they have been diligently trained to provide specific skills for disabled people — helping them shop, picking up things for them, opening doors, etc. And service dogs open more doors than just those to the front of the house or the laundry machine — they help people regain independence by making daily tasks easier to accomplish. Wendy Morrell is an amazing lady who also opens doors for the disabled — working tirelessly to make certain that disabled individuals with service dogs are permitted access to places everyone else goes.
Wendy Morrell has had a colorful life – teacher, archer, and pilot. You might be surprised to learn that this accomplished lady suffered a sports injury in 1989 while trying out for the British archery team that resulted in her being confined to a wheelchair. Her own recovery was aided by Caesar, a Golden Retriever registered assistance (service) dog. Together, they are a well known advocate team for the disabled and the important role of registered dogs for people with disabilities. This team works tirelessly to help Wendy fulfill her role as European Vice President for the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners.
Caesar was trained through Dogs for the Disabled. The Dogs for the Disabled website states that they train dogs to help disabled people “achieve greater independence.” Wendy and Caesar have become important role models showing the world that barriers to the disabled are made to be broken. Together, Wendy and Caesar have dined in the House of Commons and on Capitol Hill. They broke ground by helping to open transportation on Eurostar through the Chunnel to people accompanied by assistance dogs. Caesar was also the first dog to attend Wimbledon. More recently, they carried the 2008 Olympic torch across London Bridge on its trip to the Beijing Olympics.
Don’t worry — Endal Junior wasn’t arrested for “walking under the influence,” jaywalking, or failing to have his poo picked up. EJ is helping to highlight the important work that Hounds For Heroes does providing service dogs for injured police and other emergency personnel.
Endal and his side kick, Allen Parton, helped a your police officer, gunned down by an armed robber on New Year’s Eve 2007. Here’s an excerpt from a report by Michael Byrne in the Ormskirk Advertiser:
WHEN police officer Katie Johnson went out on her first job as a dog handler she thought it was just a routine call.
But when she arrived at the Hospital Inn, Bamber Bridge, on New Year’s Eve 2007 she was gunned down by an armed robber and left fearing for her life.
It was five months before Katie was able to resume full duties as a police dog handler.
She was helped during her recovery by reading a book called Endal as she was inspired by the story of its author, Gulf War veteran Allen Parton.
PC Johnson was inspired by Endal and Allen’s story, which helped through her recovery. She has returned to the police force as a dog handler and is marrying her fiance this month. She also serves as a Hounds for Heroes advocate, helping others find the strength for survival by holding tightly to the end of a leash.
Everyone with a dog learns to understand the amazing healing power of dogs. You all know how my two terriers are hospital therapy dogs. Through my dogs, I have witnessed the amazing ability of dogs to comfort the sick and give strength to their caregivers. I think all of us lucky enough to be on the end of a therapy dog’s leash have had days where we left visits engulfed in emotion and teary-eyed from the incredible visits we’d been blessed to be part of.
So I’m now asking you to share your stories with me! I’m beginning a new book focusing on the healing power of dogs and dog therapy. I will be including interviews and photographs describing how people’s own dogs and formal therapy dogs have helped them through health problems. I’m looking for stories from patients, caregivers, and therapy dog handlers.
Do you have a therapy dog story you’d like to share?
Have you had an illness and been helped through it by a furry friend or a therapy dog?
Have you had a family member of friend who has found facing the challenges of illness were eased by having a dog in the picture?
Does your dog seem to understand when you’ll be sick even before you do?
Do you take care of the sick and look forward to visits from therapy dogs, knowing that they’ll cheer you as well as your patients?
Email me at dawn@dawnmarcusmd.com or click on the “Email Dr. Marcus” link at the Fit As Fido homepage and leave me a message. Please put the words “Dog Therapy” in your message’s subject line. I’m looking forward to speaking with you and hearing about you and the amazing dogs in your life.
Cholesterol is important for making our body’s steroids, hormones that control sexual development and reproduction, and the membranes that surround our body’s cells. Just like most good things in life, too much cholesterol can cause problems. We all know about the link between high cholesterol and heart disease. Researchers at Tufts University published a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showing an increased risk for developing cancer when people had high levels of LDL cholesterol — the bad cholesterol. But don’t forget about HDL cholesterol — the good cholesterol. These researchers also showed that there was a 36 percent reduction in cancer risk for every 10 mg/dL increase in HDL. So, as with most things in life, your risk for cancer was reduced when your cholesterol was in a proper, healthy balance.
How do we keep our cholesterol in proper balance? In most cases through good ol’ Fit As Fido lessons — controlling our weight, getting daily exercise, and eating properly.
It’s estimated that over 12 million people take cholesterol-lowering drugs. (If only half of those people had just bought a copy of Fit As Fido!) Cholesterol drugs have become a multi-billion dollar industry! And what’s new with cholesterol drugs? A top-selling drug for cholesterol Lipitor was just approved in the EU for use in children. Is this unusual? Absolutely! Although doctors prescribe a lot of drugs for kids, very few have actually been approved for use in children because of the problems and ethical concerns involved in using children for research studies. Are drugs in kids bad — absolutely not. Many kids need drugs to treat important medical conditions. What caught my eye on this new approval is that our society continues to address health problems related to lifestyle with prescription drugs. Will the drug manufacturer encourage proper diet and exercise among children taking the new, chewable kiddie Lipitor — I’m certain they will. Here’s my peeve. “Healthcare” reform should be about more than getting drugs for everyone for everything. If only we put as much effort, energy, and commitment into ensuring our families follow healthy lifestyle behaviors! While people “don’t have time” for preparing some fruits and vegetables to eat, proper sleep, 20 minutes of daily exercise, and portion control, there sure seems to be plenty of time to call for a new pill, wait in doctor’s offices, stand in line at the pharmacy, and drive all over time finding the pharmacy that now participates with your prescription plan.
Add some real healthcare reform to your life — get Fit As Fido!
Check out this fabulous DUQ interview about certified therapy dogs at the University of Pittsburgh.
We’ve all heard about famous people who did poorly in school — composer George Gershwin, photographer Ansel Adams, and Wendy’s entrepreneur Dave Thomas. And, of course, there’s Endal, who successfully trained a despotant Royal Navy veteran Allen Parton to become a champion of service men and women through Hounds for Heroes.
Meet another amazing dog Ricochet who, after washing out of service dog school, has changed the way we look at disability by focusing on possibilities and the can do’s rather than can’t do’s. Today’s celebrity spotlight is on Ricochet and her trainer, Judy Fridono. When Ricochet wasn’t making the grade in service dog school, Judy didn’t lament what could’ve been. Instead, she focused on what Ricochet could do and and how she could turn Ricochet’s talents into an amazing service to others — even if Ricochet wouldn’t be able to wear the honored service dog vest.
So check out today’s celebrity spotlight and get inspired by Judy and Ricochet. And who knows — maybe you’ll discover new ways YOU can make a difference in your community, like Ricochet does while hanging 20 in San Diego.
If you’ve been a regular at Fit As Fido, you’re very familiar with Endal Junior, his human Allen Parton, and their commitment to help service men and women through Hounds For Heroes.
Here’s the latest EJ report. Like his predecessor, Endal Junior continues to prove himself to be a tireless supporter of the troops. Here in the United States, we’re preparing to celebrate the sacrifices our service men and women have made since our country’s independence, so it’s an appropriate time to salute our brothers and sisters in uniform across the pond — and one of their biggest (and cutest!) supporters, EJ!
This week, Endal Junior and his sidekick Allen Parton visited the Royal Air Force of the 99 Air Squadron. Here’s EJ and Allen with RAF and Hounds for Heroes Reservist dog Ikea.
EJ, Allen, and reservist Ikea with RAF personnel in front of a Globemaster
EJ joins RAF crew on a test flight of the C17
Of course, my first question for Allen was, “What’s a Hounds for Heroes reservist?” Allen explained, “A reservist dog is really a supporter dog. A reservist can be any dog that has achieved accredited and proven behavior. Reservists are marked by wearing special jackets. Reservist dogs work at events to help reduce the pressure on the full working Hounds for Heroes dogs, like EJ. The title reservist dog is easily understood by the military personnel we visit. Our puppies who provide this same service are called cadets.”
Full working Hounds for Heroes dogs, reservists, or cadets — you can easily see how spending time with these giving dogs has brightened the day for these hardworking men and women who give so much of themselves every day to protect their fellow citizens. Cheers EJ - keep up your great work! (Yes — Allen does good work, too, but let’s face it — those smiles are all for EJ!)
For those of you who can’t get enough shoes … and you KNOW who you are. (Not mentioning any mother-in-laws’ names!) Just kidding — actually, I’ve always been a bit envious of those women who coordinate outfits with matching shoes as I’m one of those one-pair-of-shoes for all occasions kind of gal. Now you can coordinate Fluffy’s collar to her footwear!
So cute you'll be looking for a similar pair for you!
Perfect for the dog days of summer
And remember to change the shoes you wear for your daily Fido wallks. New shoes are needed every 500 miles or 6 months
Be Man’s Best Friend is an important chapter in Fit As Fido, describing the numerous health benefits from important social connections we make with our fellow human beings. Fido can be your social ambassador, dragging his reluctant owner on the end of his leash to encounters with strangers who will become long-lasting and true friends.
Sometimes as we see someone across the street we think, “They look weird,” or “I bet I’d never have something in common with her,” or “He’ll never want to talk to me.” Luckily our Fidos don’t share these derailing thoughts, knowing instinctively that the most unlikely and unusual combinations can result in the fastest friendships. Watch the video below, and you’ll see what I mean.
Check out Suryia and Roscoe’s website for update on their true Fit As Fido friendship
