Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 1.

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1 Edition 24 May 2016 Pierce Transit May 21, 2016 Pierce Transit will be meeting us at TACID at noon. Our SDs will have the chance to practice loading on and off the bus and then take a short ride. There are always changes to our lives and a day might come when the bus needs to be used. The Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound is a 501 (c) (3) organization. Our tax ID# is WA Secretary of State Charities Program Registration Number is Website Address assist_dog_club@hotmail.com Mailing Address Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound 2522 N. Proctor Street, Box #459 Tacoma, WA Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound Board of Directors President Pat Kessler Vice President/Treasurer Wayne Terry Secretary Diane Funai Assistant Secretary Sally Montejano Social Coordinator Fred Fuller Editor s Notes by Jack Pearce-Droge On the evening of April 14th, 2016 the Art Stop in downtown Tacoma celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Arfs and Craft, a fundraising event for the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound and the Prison Pet Partnership Program. We are always grateful to Phyllis Harrison for her generosity and her support to help us educate the public about assistance dogs. The bonus for Arfs and Craft to ADC members is that we are able to come together, relax and paint creative designs on bisqueware. Our friend of many years, Donna Vaquer, a potter extraordinaire, takes the bowls and fires them. I personally rely heavily on Donna s expertise! Photos of the many beautiful bowls that were sold during the silent auction can be found on Page 5. April s meeting focused on First Aid and CPR for our dogs. This is something that we never wish to have to use but the day might come when it s necessary. Many thanks to Vicki Holt for introducing her business Animals Reign, LLc to the club and our members. Photos of that exercise can be found on Page 8. We have a very exciting opportunity on the horizon. Kersey Mobility located in Sumner, WA holds an ability expo every year. The focus has to do with securing a more independence lifestyle for people with disabilities. I encourage you to take a look at all that is involved with this event as ADC will be having a table to talk about assistance dogs. There is information about this event on Page 11. We (the Droge family) have relied on Kersey s integrity for many years and I have thoroughly enjoyed attending the expo in the past. Looking forward to talking with you as summer approaches and hearing about your more relaxed days with your assistance dog. All activities and meetings will be held at TACID unless otherwise noted. TACID s address is: 6315 S 19th St, Tacoma, Washington Mission Statement The mission of the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound is to provide a safe, supportive, and educational environment that will enhance the partnership of persons with disabilities and their assistance dogs. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 1.

2 President s Corner by Pat Kessler, President Well, April s meeting was quite a challenge to get started as we had room difficulties, but finally we found a place for our meeting. For those that took the time to attend the First Aid and CPR class I hope you found it valuable. We practiced applying bandages and doing CPR for dogs, had a slide show and also had workbooks. Hopefully we won t need a lot of what we learned but if we do we will be better prepared. For those who did not take this opportunity, I think you missed out on something that could benefit your dogs. It is a shame that the club goes and gets Speakers and sets up classes for its members yet so few care to participate. If you want speakers to come, especially if they come from some distance, then a club should have enough people there to show they are interested in the speaker. I would like all club members to think how they would feel if they were a speaker and only 5 or 6 people showed up. Would you want to come back again? Think about this the next time we have a speaker scheduled and you decide not to bother coming. These speakers are brought to help you, to inform you on things involving service dogs or disability. To the faithful few that always come, it shows you care not only about the club, but about receiving more knowledge. In June we e will have a discussion group. Prepare now for questions you have regarding service dogs or club programs. For those new to the club, no question is silly, if you want to know something ask it. We all had lots of questions when we first joined. July will be our annual picnic, more to follow on that. See you all on May 21. May Meeting May 21, 2016 On May 21, Pierce Transit will be sending a bus to Tacid at noon and we will practice loading the dogs on and off the bus. Afterwards we will take a short trip to allow the dogs to get the feel of the bus and then return to Tacid. Remember, although you may not use the bus now your dog should be familiar with it so that if you have to ride it in the future it is not unfamiliar. We will be meeting outside and we will not have food available. I hope to see you all there. Pat Kessler, President Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 2.

3 The Value of Insurance Submitted by Linda Alberda On April 5th, I had to say good-bye to my very young working service dog, Chaplin (on the left). He would have been three on the 15th so it was a particularly devastating loss based on his age. I had done everything right; Chaplin came from a top breeder of Labradors around the world. His parents were tested and certified for any and all likely health issues. He was an amazing puppy and incredible young dog. I will never get to know him in middle aged or as a senior dog - he will be forever young, something incredibly bittersweet. When we had pet dogs and dog sport partners, I had never gotten health insurance. However, when I was first looking for a service dog prospect 10 years ago, I decided to do my research and consider getting health insurance. That can be difficult; looking at the various pet insurance policies is very much like comparing apples and oranges. However, there are some websites that can help you make an informed decision- and - to name a few. Originally, based on the variety of premiums and subsequent co-pays and deductibles, I decided to get coverage for catastrophic illness or injury. Generally, you are expected to pay for emergency treatment up front and I never wanted to be put in the position of not being able to afford testing, procedures or treatments. The $30. - $35/ month premium seemed like a reasonable amount to assure our ability to cover whatever might be necessary, if the worst would happen. We had selected a policy with a $200 deductible and 20% copay with a $10,000 a year limit. We never went above the $10,000 yearly limit. You can get a wellness policy and prescription coverage as well. I also considered the idea of self insuring. However, when I realized that $5000 could be a fairly reasonable cost for an emergency between the procedures and tests, ICU, veterinarian fees, board and medications, I did the math and realized that I would need to save $35 a month for over 11 years to save that amount of money. I know people often say that they can t afford the monthly premium. My question to you would be that if that is true, how could you afford a serious injury or catastrophic illness? Chaplin s first experience with meningitis cost about $5000, between the ICU, hospital stay, spinal tap and other blood tests etc. Prices vary by locations and breeds and one of the variables that I found important was whether the company covered diseases and/or problems various breeds were likely to have. For example, Labradors and other large breeds can be predisposed for hip dysphasia. Some insurance companies would exclude that coverage. I decided I wasn t interested in paying premiums for insurance that would decline that with which my dog might have a problem. Based on my personal experience, assuming premiums and coverage remain reasonable, I will always get insurance for my service dogs. When Chaplin was 8 months old, we realized something was wrong. He looked stiff and sore and was running a fever. Thankfully, within a day, we ended up with a neurologist who confirmed that Chaplin had meningitis. It looked very hopeful because there is a specific type, steroid responsive which young large breed dogs can get and with appropriate care, can recover from completely. Unfortunately, in February, Chaplin relapsed, something that happened three more times. At this point, according to our well-known neurologist, in his 18+ years he had never seen anything like this. While we were still treating him for the meningitis, last September, Chaplin developed uveitis in both eyes, a very painful inflammation at the front of the eye. That disease as well as its treatment led to a number of complications. An ongoing treatment for both (The Value of Insurance; Continued on Page 4) Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 3.

4 The Value of Insurance submitted by Linda Alberda; (Continued from Page 3) conditions involved Prednisone so we took him every week to a rehab therapist where he played in the gym and swam in order to keep his muscle mass. This too was covered by insurance. In fact, they covered everything we expected and more while paying promptly and with sensitivity. In February, when we realized Chaplin had lost all the pigment on his face in a matter of weeks and went on to develop skin lesions, we took him to a dermatologist who diagnosed a syndrome in which his immune system was attacking the pigment throughout his body. This is not considered genetic and although very rare, it s thought to be related to exposure to a virus. It explained the meningitis, uveitis and skin lesions but also meant that we could not fix him. The prognosis was poor, there is no cure and we determined that we would not allow him to suffer any longer. We created a bucket list for him and had an early birthday party. Our friends and family joined right in and Chaplin had a lifetime of living over a very short period of time! It hasn t lessened the pain of our loss or that of his potential. He was a very talented boy who did his job very well and also enjoyed partnering with me in a number of dog sports. One saving grace, however, was that we were able to do everything we could for him, right up to the end. Chaplin had excellent care and we never once had to tell them not to do something because we couldn t afford it Linda Alberda is the founder of the Lake Erie Assistance Dogs, a service dog club as well as co-founder of a national therapy/crisis response K9 organization, Paws with Compassion. Prior to becoming disabled, Linda trained and competed successfully in AKC Obedience with her Standard Poodles, Corey and Pruf and a neighbor s Sheltie, Katie. Linda has used clicker training with her three owner-trained service dogs, Laurel, Hardy and Chaplin. Besides doing typical mobility tasks, they perform three different medical alerts which have profoundly changed Linda s life. Linda and the Labradors have competed in various rally and obedience venues as well as C-WAGS and NACSW scent work. Laurel (Shawnee s Mountain Laurel born June 2006), a female yellow Labrador, is now retired but also loved competing in various agility venues. Hardy (Ridge View s Hard Day s Night born April 2010), a male chocolate Lab, is registered with Pet Partners and the Alliance for Therapy Dogs (formerly TDInc) as a Therapy Dog and Paws with Compassion as a Crisis Response K9. He and Linda responded to tragedies at Chardon High School; Newtown, CT; Boston, MA; Case Western Reserve University as well as the National Parents of Murdered Children Conference in Cincinnati, OH. Chaplin (Ridge View s Charlie Chaplin born April 2013) a male yellow Lab, came to live with Linda, her husband, Brent, Laurel and Hardy in June of that year. Unfortunately, after multiple bouts of meningitis and other immune mediated problems, Chaplin was diagnosed in February with a syndrome in which his immune system attacked the pigment throughout his body. Linda and Brent were able to ensure he didn t suffer any longer and said goodbye at the beginning of April of this year. In his short life, Chaplin was a wonderful teacher, an amazing service dog, therapy/crisis response K9 and dog sports partner. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 4.

5 ARFS & CRAFT 2016!!!!! 20th Anniversary!! April 21-23, 2016 Beauty Abounds! Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 5.

6 The Veterinarian Olympics by Lisa Polazzi, DVM (A whole bunch of things you can teach your dog to make it the best patient the vet has ever seen) The sit, stay, roll-over event: 1. Stand in stay position with owner s hand on head or neck and at most a hand gently resting under abdomen. 2. Teach your dog to sit on command. 3. Teach your dog to lift one paw (shake) 4. Have your dog lay on each side with legs away from you and your hands holding gently both lower legs (typical restraint for most lameness exams). 5. Teach your dog to tolerate you giving them a bear hug around the neck (typical restraint position) 6. Teach them to lie on their back (for a belly rub). 7. If possible, gradually and with someone else s help teach them to lie on their back with front and back legs extended. Then on side with front and back legs extended. (X-ray positions) The people desensitization relay: 1. Have another individual approach in positions 1 and 2 above. 2. Have the approaching person wear a large jacket, white if possible. 3. Have above person wear a rope or ideally a stethoscope around the neck (cheap imitations in dress up kits for kids or ask your vet). 4. Teach your dog to allow another person to hold the paw (great for catheters or drawing blood samples). 5. Have your dog lay on each side with legs away from you and your hands holding gently both lower legs. After they are comfortable with this have someone else look between their toes and gently manipulate the legs. 6. Teach them (lots of treats) to enjoy someone else holding them around the neck in a bear hug. This can upset some dogs enough to bite so go very slowly and only do if you are comfortable that it won t push your dog beyond the bite threshold. 7. Teach them to walk politely on a leash away from you led by someone else (especially important if you own a 150lb Great Dane) The how many places can you touch on your dog event: 1. Teach your dog to tolerate you handling the paws. 2. Accustom your dog to handling of ears and opening of mouth. 3. Look at your dog s eyes and shine a penlight in the eyes. 4. Teach your dog to sit with you holding gently around the muzzle and lifting the head up gently to expose the neck. Then have someone gently press on the neck. You can even pour a tiny amount of alcohol on the neck. This simulates jugular blood samples. 5. Have someone else do the above. (The Veterinary Olympics; Continued on Page 7) Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 6.

7 The Veterinarian Olympics, by Lisa Polazzi; (Continued from Page 6) The new place generalization marathon (The more new locations the better): 1. Teach your dog to stand stay on a table (may want to always do this on a special towel and take that towel to the vet) 2. Repeat the stand stay (and various other behaviors on the table). 3. Now repeat on a park bench outside. 4. Repeat at a friend s house (with their permission of course). 5. Go on short car rides - treat extensively during trip and when get there (If he tends to get carsick try treating for car trips to the end of the drive or go to the nearest park and play instead). 6. Drive to the vet s when they are closed or slow (don t do late at night and always with veterinarian s permission -they can recommend slow times). Play or practice obedience in the grass or waiting room. 7. Teach them the joys of crate training (crating unfortunately happens at the vet and crate trained dogs fair better). 8. Teach them the joys of being crated in places other than home. 9. Teach your dog it is fun to be crated in strange places with you and various other people coming and going (simulates hospitalization). Weird and scary equipment event: 1. Teach your dog to tolerate or enjoy nail clips. 2. Teach your dog clippers are sources of treats (not scary monsters). 3. Teach your dog that muzzles are fun (many dogs will growl or snap when hurt and must be muzzled for human safety - making the muzzle a fun thing prior and knowing how to put one on will provide safety and significantly less stress for your dog. Veterinarians can t risk bites to you, them, or their staff, and even nice dogs will bite if they hurt enough.) 4. Teach them to enjoy being brushed. 5. Teach yourself that your dog can love an e-collar. Most dogs tolerate very well but anxious dogs may be worth accustoming. 6. Desensitize your dog to a stethoscope (toy ones work fine). Use it first then have others use. Your dog should face forward and stand calmly. If your dog pants, gently close his mouth. 7. Teach them to enjoy bathes (It is occasionally necessary to give therapeutic baths). The gold medal finalists event (The harder, less common, or more bizarre things): 1. Teach them to allow you to brush their teeth. 2. If you have a breed with tendency toward ear problems, clean the ears starting at a young age with a mild cleaner (ask your vet for recommendations). Repeat every week. 3. Teach your dog to enjoy other people getting it out of and putting it in a crate. Be careful and go slow. With a nervous dog this is a possible area where dogs will bite. 4. Teach your dog to tolerate its temperature being taken. The above are not a complete list and are not always broken into all the mini steps needed to desensitize your dog. These will however dramatically increase the odds of your dog having a more pleasant trip to the vet. Everyone who works in a vet office has heard My dog knew he was going to the vet, My dog hates car rides, I don t understand why he s growling when he s so friendly at home, etc. The list is intended to start you thinking about all of the weird stressful things that can happen at a trip to the vet. (The Veterinary Olympics; Continued on Page 8) Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 7.

8 The Veterinarian Olympics, by Lisa Polazzi; (Continued from Page 7) Most training involves breaking behaviors into the tiniest bits and teaching them step by step, but few people take the extra time to teach the unusual behaviors asked for when the pet is sick. I ll be quite honest, my dog (a rescue) still needs to be muzzled for some things and can t do all the above. But she loves the car and is gradually tolerating more and more unusual requests. Also ask your vet about their policies involving giving treats during exams, after exams, and during various procedures. Do not get upset if your dog fusses or if the vet thinks it is better to have a qualified technician handling the dog. Many owners and veterinary staff members get bitten every year because of improper or inadequate restraint. Those staff members need their fingers to be able to do surgery, put in catheters, and otherwise take care of your pet. Also remember the emergency clinic is a new set of people. This may mean that a dog that is good at the regular veterinarian will bite at the emergency clinic. Also please only bring your dog to the vet on a leash or in a crate. Dogs left to wander the waiting room can escape and get hit by a car, can fight with another dog, or stress a cat quietly minding its own business. Reprinted with permission of author. copyright 2002 Lisa Polazzi First Aid and CPR for Animals April 23, 2016 Animals Reign, LLC Pet First Aid Instruction Vicki Holt, Certified by Pet Tech, Inc. P.O. Box Seattle, WA Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 8.

9 Informational Websites About Service Dogs Given that the partnership of a person with a disability with an assistance dog is governed by legal requirements it is beneficial that each of us have access to as much material as possible. The discussions at the January meeting included suggestions that can be misleading, inaccurate or legally correct and helpful. It is critically important that each of us become our own best advocate. Here are some websites that are accessible to you that will provide you with valuable information. Many of these websites are also available on ADC s website on the Favorite links page. The link for our website is: Legal Description of Service Dogs: Legal Clarification on Rules for Assistance Dogs: Medical information: Veterinary questions: (credit card for veterinary care, people have 1 year to pay, use it if you have no other credit card for emergency surgery.) Service Dog Information: Service Dog Gear: Also remember that the Assistance Dog Club has a facebook page: Be sure to friend us for the latest information about all things service dog. Additional Information: Note to Members and Friends If you are familiar with any internet links to service dog resources, please them to assist_dog_ club@hotmail.com and make a note in the subject line that you have sent a link for an educational resource. Thanks! Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 9.

10 Future Meetings and Events Mark Your Calendar The Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound organizes meetings and events that will serve to strengthen the relationship between the service dog and their human partner. If you are interested in joining us at a meeting or event, please us at assist_dog_club@hotmail.com. May 21 - Become acquainted with Pierce Transit buses and Shuttle services - Activity will be held from 12:00-3:00 at TACID. No class will be held. June 25 - Member Discussion - Join us to share your thoughts and ideas - 12:00-3:00 at TACID, Class led by Jeanne Hampl - 11:00 July 23 - Picnic August 13 - Kersey Mobility Ability Expo, Sumner, WA August 27 - No Meeting - Summer Haitus September 24 - TBA October 22 - Annual Meeting and Potluck - TACID November - Meeting cancelled - Happy Thanksgiving December 10 - Annual Holiday Celebration, The INN at Gig Harbor Support ADC While You Shop If you are interested in supporting the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound there are a few options that are available to you! ADCPS has entered into a partnership with both Amazon.com and Fred Meyer. If you would like more information about both options offered by these two corporation you will find it on ADC s website, [ complete with links that will guide you through the process. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 10.

11 12th Annual Northwest Ability Expo on Saturday August 13th! Kersey Mobility will be holding its 12th Annual Northwest Ability Expo and 12th Annual adaptive equipment sale on August 13 and the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound will be participating with many other organizations offering supplies and equipment to help provide people with disabilities more independence in their lives. This event will be held on Saturday, August 13th this year and Kersey has invited ADC to be a vendor and share information about the way in which assistance dogs better strengthen our lives, the legal aspects pertaining to assistance dogs and the tasks that our dogs can be trained that will assist you. This event is free to everyone presenting information and to Kersey customers and we would love to have our members and friends to be there this year! Kersey offers a FREE BBQ lunch and valet parking is provided. Follow this link for information about last year s Expo Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 11.