Search and Rescue Dog Stars in Children's Book
On September 11, 2001, as she watched the search and rescue dogs pawing through the rubble of the Twin Towers, Leah Waarvik made a decision. She would dedicate herself and her new Australian Shepherd puppy Emma, to becoming Search and Rescue volunteers.
Today, they are a highly trained team for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office of Search and Rescue as well as the California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA). On call 24 hours a day, Waarvik and Emma are available for deployment in case an emergency strikes or a person is reported missing.
Search and Rescue dogs are specialists in their fields. Emma is an "area dog" who can search vast acreage for lost humans. Unlike "trail dogs" who are given an item to scent, Emma covers large areas in short periods of time. Waarvik says, "People always ask me how my dog alerts me that she's found someone. Emma does "head pops" or a jump alert. I am just very in tune with her. It's very subtle how we read each other."
Over the years Waarvik has been involved in heartbreaking cases where children have gone missing in the wilderness. This prompted her to write a book, I Sit and Stay: A Survival Guide for Kids (and parents too!). The book is designed to help children and their parents learn safety tips especially for families who enjoy the outdoors.
Endorsed by CARDA, I Sit and Stay uses real search and rescue dogs to teach children lessons that can save their lives.
Stay tuned when we continue Emma's story next week covering Emma's other job - pet therapy dog for the San Francisco SPCA's Puppy Dog Tales program where she helps young children gain confidence in their reading skills.
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"Why We Love Cats & Dogs" is Must See TV
You've heard the slogan Must See TV. Rarely do I feel that I must see a
TV show or else suffer the consequences. That is until I finished
watching "Why We Love Cats and Dogs," a show that is part of PBS's Emmy
winning Nature series, produced by ThirteenWNET, New York. For anyone
who doubts the relevance of cats and dogs, a television show such as
this can change minds and possibly save lives.
Many people who have
cats and dogs marginalize them perhaps without meaning to. The dog
spends more time in the backyard than in the family room. The outdoor
cat's whereabouts are of little concern. If this sounds familiar, then
this show is your wake-up call. Because it will remind you that life
with an animal can be extraordinary.
In "Why We Love Cats and
Dogs," the segment about Jerry illustrates the depth of love an animal
can inspire in humans. He is a shepherd mix whose joy of the great
outdoors defines who he is until the day he is diagnosed with a lethal
form of cancer. This leads his parents to sell their business, buy a
trailer and hit the road for what could very well be Jerry's last foray
into the wilderness of nature and life. Yes, the tears will start
flowing as you see the three of them hiking through forests and
swimming in lakes, all the while knowing time is short. But the
producers are content to enfold us in the experience of life and love
between human and animal, sparing us the actual moment when Jerry
leaves them. It is powerful and real. As Jerry's mom says, "How far do
you go for a dog?" Their answer in caring for Jerry ends all
speculation.
Throughout "Why We Love Cats and Dogs" experts are
interviewed. One dog trainer labels nine different patterns of behavior
we humans have with our dogs. It is always fun to categorize yourself
when an expert provides a list for you to choose from. Especially when
she says that watching your dog is a cheat sheet into seeing our own
personality. I guess of the nine patterns she lists, my dogs and I are
a combination of Angel and Buddy. The other seven are Soul Mate,
Observer, Idealist, Dynamo, Free Spirit, Master and Expert. Which one
are you? One young woman who recently broke up with her boyfriend,
agrees with the dog trainer saying "It was mean, but I said to him, I
wish I could love you like I love Zachary." Zachary is her terrier, a
dog who she describes as "the dog of my lifetime - it's a kind of love
that's uncomplicated. It's just truthful."
Cat stories are
balanced with the dog stories, showing that they too can permanently
stamp themselves onto human lives. Especially the young man whose
oversized black and white cat engulfs his lap while he matter of factly
admits to almost drinking himself to death. Hitting rock bottom and
locked alone in a dark room, he says, "Humans couldn't even reach me.
It was the cat who saved me."
"Why we Love Cats and Dogs" shows
us that a warm body to stroke or a paw resting on our knee is just the
beginning to where these relationships can take us. And what is truly
moving about the stories told in this show is that they're told without
apology. These people have undisguised love for their animals, exposed
for the world to see. The pride, joy, sorrow and sacrifice they
experience on behalf of their dogs and cats is genuine and honest. They
confirm for us what many of us feel for our animals, yet were afraid to
express. Fear no more, because "Why We Love Cats and Dogs" gives you
license to elevate your companion animals without fear of ridicule. And
the more the lives of animals are elevated, the more likely someone
will save them.
"Why We Love Cats and Dogs" premiers nationally
on PBS stations and on KQED channel 9, San Francisco, Sunday, February
15 at 8 p.m.
To visit PBS, click here.
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Maybe You Should Get a Dog
What's better? Watching the super bowl or the commercials? It's the
commercials of course! And this year's batch includes one that is sure
to become a classic - Pedigree's "Maybe You Should Get a Dog."
The
piece begins with a rhino tearing through a young woman's house as
she's calling him to go for a walk. HIs big body can't help but
destroy walls, furniture, the front door. In another house, the
proverbial mailman walks toward an open door when out swoops an
ostrich. An elderly lady is chasing him yelling "Bruno - you come back
here, you bad bird!"
Next we are riding in the back seat of a
car listening to the mom asking us how we're doing. The perspective
switches so we get a good look at how we're doing... and it's not
good. A giant boar is squished next to a grandma who says
sarcastically, "How do you think we're doing?"
The last pet
owner is a young man who lobs a frisbee at "Max," his water buffalo.
Needless to say the frisbee harmlessly bounces of Max's nose. The
screen flashes a bit of advice, "Maybe you should get a dog."
As
a company working to help animals, Pedigree is top notch. On their
website they unabashedly promote pet adoption. This is a company who
could have easily veered towards breeders, dog shows, and the AKC. But
instead they've chosen to advocate for the underdog by providing their
customers with specific things they can do to help animals:
volunteering, donating, adopting.
Granted, the more dogs who
live in American households, the more dog food Pedigree will probably
sell. But they can be forgiven for that, especially when their
commercial provides belly aching laughter.
Be sure to tune in to
Sunday's Superbowl. Because no matter which team wins, Cardinals or
Steelers, this 30 second commercial suggesting that maybe you should
get a dog, could very well result in thousands of dog adoptions.
For more information about Pedigree, visit Pedigree.
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Healthcare Goes to the Cats & Dogs
If you've ever been "sick as a dog," then you'll appreciate the San
Francisco SPCA's new state-of-the-art Animal Care Center. Named in
honor of former board member and generous donor Leanne B. Roberts, the
new hospital includes a cat claw clipping clinic, a cat elevator (or
cat-a-vator) a dentistry suite and an expanded surgery center.
The
old hospital had less than ideal conditions. Veterinarians were forced
to perform surgery under dim lighting. Surgical instruments had to be
hand washed. The new hospital is twice as large allowing far more
animals to receive care more quickly. And when more animals are spayed
and neutered, fewer unwanted animals are born. This could potentially
help reduce pet overpopulation issues in San Francisco.
Even
though the official grand opening has not yet taken place, separate
waiting rooms for dogs and cats are filled daily with anxious patients.
The SFSPCA is hosting an open house of the Leanne B. Roberts
Animal Care Center on Saturday, January 31, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m. There will be tours, activities for children, animals
available for adoption, a cat claw clipping clinic and more.
For more information visit the San Francisco SPCA by clicking here.
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