SHELTER PETS BECOME LIFE SAVERS

Adopted Shelter Mutt Becomes a Hero!

Article by Barbara Garrison
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

4:55 p.m., Nov. 17, 2006--The votes are in, and Dogchannel.com has
announced that Toby, a UD staff member's dog, has won its national
My Dog Hero contest.

“I'm so proud of my boy and thankful to the Delaware Humane

Association for finding my special dog,” Kimberly Doucette,
administrative assistant in marine and earth studies said.

Doucette said when she adopted Toby from the Delaware Humane
Association, she knew she was giving a dog nobody wanted a new
chance at life. Toby had reached his end date at a shelter in southern
Delaware and was transferred to the Humane Association where
animals are taken care of until adopted.

What Doucette didn't know was that the wirehaired-terrier mix with
expressive brown eyes would bring fame to the Doucette family.

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With his My Dog Hero win, Toby's picture and an article about how,
with patience and a wagging tail, he and Doucette helped a little girl
overcome the child's fear of dogs appears in the December issue of
Dog Fancy, and the Doucette family will receive a one-year
subscription to Dog Fancy and a hard-bound copy of the book Dog
Heroes of September 11.

In November 2004, Toby was a semifinalist in the annual Great

American Mutt contest, a competition that had 1,500 entries and
spanned the globe.

In both contests, finalists and winners were chosen by popular vote.

Since adopting Toby, Doucette has become a volunteer for the

Delaware Humane Association and has adopted two kittens from the
shelter. “I try to tell people how great a shelter pet can be. They're so
thankful that they turn out to be the best pets,” she said.

Toby was taken to the shelter as a stray. He was extremely thin when
he was found. After the Doucettes adopted him, they discovered had
been shot with a BB gun, Doucette said. “He still has the pellet in his
right rear leg.”

Doucette said she is very proud of her Dog Hero and very grateful that
she found him. “Other people's loss is our gain,” she said.

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 Three Amazing Cat Heroes
Author: Article Editor

We’ve heard lots of stories about dogs that have saved the say, but
what about cats? While it’s true that most kitties would just as soon
avoid trouble there have been a few cats on record that have rescued
their people-families from danger. For instance:

• Jack the Cat of West Milford, New Jersey. Never tell this fifteen-
pound orange and white tabby that he’s too small to take on a
bear. On June 4th, 2006 Jack was minding his own cat business
when a black bear wandered into his yard. Jack has a long
history of chasing small animals away but this time he really
outdid himself. He chased the bear up a tall tree not once, but
twice! His owner, Donna Dickey told the Newark Star-Ledger,
“We used to joke, ‘Jack’s on duty,’ never knowing he’d go after a
bear.” Neighbor Suzanne Giovanetti first noticed Jack’s efforts
after seeing a black bear scoot up the tree and thought that
Jack, pacing around the bottom of the tree, was only watching
but soon realized that the bear was actually in fear of the sassy,
hissing kitty.

• Felix of Glasgow, Scotland. Television duo Justin Ryan and Colin

McAllister of the How Not to Decorate show may well owe their
lives to Felix the cat. Felix’s incessant meowing got their
attention to a fire that had started by sunlight being magnified
and reflected off a goldfish bowl. Colin said: “Felix is a true feline
hero and we are immensely proud of him.”

• Tommy of Columbus, Ohio. Tommy’s owner, Gary Rosheisen

suffers from osteoporosis and mini strokes. When Gary fell out of his
wheelchair he was unable to reach the emergency cord that alerts
paramedics. That didn’t stop a 911 call from being received by local
police. When the dispatcher answered the call there was no one on the
line, so she sent police and an ambulance to check things out. That’s
when they found Tommy the cat sitting on the floor next to a
telephone and Gary on the floor several feet away. Gary swears that
he was unable to dial the call himself so it became evident that it was
Tommy that hit the speed-dial button for 911.

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These are just three heroic cats that have been in the news lately–
there have been many more

Rescued Dog Saves Diabetic Owner

By Kris O'Donnell

Australian cattle dog Middy relishes his new role as a service dog after the discovery of his
amazing ability to warn his diabetic owner. (Photo Courtesy of Walter Graham)

Ten-year-old Australian cattle dog Middy is never far from the side of Walter
Graham, his owner. Whether playing fetch or taking a walk by the lake, the two
are constant companions. But Middy is no ordinary pet.

“He knew before I knew what was going on with me,” Graham said.

Graham adopted Middy from a rescue group, when he was just six months old.
Then, about four years later, Middy’s behavior suddenly changed.

“I’d come home from work and Middy would just constantly bark at me,” Graham
said. “I had no idea what was going on other than I knew I was sick and
something was wrong.”

Soon after, Graham was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Once he got his levels
under control, Graham says Middy stopped barking at him. So he wanted to test
his theory.

“I then started creating diabetic events, if you will, and at that point would realize
that Middy was reacting to my blood sugar,” Graham said.

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Graham’s doctor put Middy through some tests and confirmed his remarkable
abilities. By using his nose, Middy was apparently smelling sugar level changes
on Graham's breath. Graham then got the idea that perhaps his pet could
become a service dog, which would give Graham a lot more freedom without
having to constantly worry about his blood sugar levels.

That’s when New Horizons Service Dogs stepped in. Based in Orange City,
Florida, New Horizons has been training service dogs for more than fifteen years.

“Middy had good skills but he needed to learn some basic obedience,” New
Horizons Executive Director Janet Severt said. “He needed to learn how to
behave in public and to be socialized around unusual things whether it be a
subway or a plane or grocery store or going into a restaurant.” She said.

Severt says she has never trained a dog quite like Middy.

“Most of our dogs are started from a very young age,” Severt said. “Very rarely
do we have an older dog that becomes such a wonderful service dog like Middy.”

Even more unusual is that most service dogs are Labrador or golden retrievers.

“Middy’s a one of a kind for a cattle dog, which is not a normal dog for service
work because it’s a herding breed,” Severt said. “He uses his herding instinct to
bump him. He uses that to tell Walter he needs to take care of himself,” Severt
said.

Middy’s training took about six months, and he’s been an active service dog for
the last six years.

Severt says she’s still amazed by him. “It’s a miracle that Middy was able to help
Walter in the way he did,” Severt said.

As for Graham, he says he adopted Middy because he wanted to rescue a cattle

dog. Reflecting on their special bond, Graham says, “Now, he’s rescued me.”

If you would like more information about New Horizons Service Dogs visit their
website at www.newhorizonsservicedogs.org

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 The Rescued Become the Rescuers

To Nancy L., an injured hiker on Monument Mountain in Great

Barrington, Massachusetts, three former homeless dogs — Brodie,
Corie, and Lukas — must seem like angels. To cousins Kerstin Voss
and Temora Allen, who were walking the dogs that memorable
afternoon, Nancy's rescue feels like a miracle.

Kerstin Describes the Rescue

On a rainy, cold October afternoon, on one of our usual treks up
Monument Mountain, the dogs ran off the trail and barked
frantically. Initially we called them back, suspecting a squirrel or
porcupine had set them off, but the dogs persevered. We were a
little suspicious because we had found an abandoned knapsack, When not saving lives, heroic
and followed them on the steep terrain, some 100 feet off the trail. adopted dogs, Brodie, Corie,
and Lukas, live life to the
fullest with cousins Kerstin
At that point we spotted Nancy, lying unconscious, unable to call Voss and Temora Allen.
for help. Temora ran down the mountain with Brodie and called
911. Corie and Lukas and I stayed with Nancy, kept her warm, and
braced her to prevent her sliding further down the mountain. Finally help arrived — including 30–40
firefighters and paramedics. They had to cut vegetation and string ropes along the steep incline to
enable them to carry Nancy on a stretcher to the trail. Further down the mountain where the trail is
accessible by four-wheelers, she was placed on a trailer-sleigh.

Four hours after being discovered by the amazing canine trio, Nancy arrived at the emergency
room. Her doctors reported that she had sustained severe injuries from her 100-foot fall, and was
suffering from hypothermia when the dogs found her. Today, she is steadily improving while she
undergoes rehabilitation therapy.

Kerstin is grateful that she and Temora and the dogs were able to help. "We were the last hikers on
the mountain that day. Had it not been for the dogs finding her, they tell us Nancy would certainly
have died during the night. I'm sure the dogs sensed that Nancy, lying there unconscious, was
worthy of a huge alarm. Only they, with their incredible sense of smell, could have known that she
was there."

Heroes with a Menacing Past

What put these three canine heroes on Nancy's path that day? Perhaps chance — just as chance —
and some caring humans — saved Brodie, Corie, and Lukas from almost certain death earlier in
their lives.

Four years ago, Brodie, a red merle, was found wandering in the
woods around Denver, without a collar or ID. He spent the next
month in the Fort Collins shelter, unclaimed and slated for
euthanasia. Then Aussie Rescue was contacted. They placed Brodie
in foster care, where he remained until Temora adopted him.
Brodie is about eight years old, and a very handsome fellow. He is
independent and positive, and loves to play Frisbee with limitless
intensity and enthusiasm. He is gentle, good-tempered, and a
tireless hiking companion.

Handsome Australian
Shepherd, Brodie, was slated
for euthanasia when Temora
Allen adopted him four years
ago.
Corie and Lukas, Border Collie crosses, were taken from the NYC
AC&C Manhattan shelter by New England Border Collie Rescue, a
member of the Mayor's Alliance and its NY Breed Rescue Network.
Viv Ramos, the group's NYC representative, adopted Corie to
Kerstin in the summer of 2003, when he was just six months old;
he had been surrendered to AC&C when his former guardian lost
his job and home. "Corie was a sweet and well-loved boy," she
says, "so he didn't have any real issues or baggage when I claimed

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him."

Kerstin agrees. "Corie is so gentle, and prances everywhere he goes. He loves water, and doesn't
miss a puddle to bathe in no matter how cold or dirty it is."

The following summer, Viv pulled Lukas from AC&C on the day he was scheduled to be euthanized.
"He was a scrawny boy who had been adopted out to an inappropriate home. He hadn't been
neutered, and wasn't in terribly good shape when I got him," she says.

"The day I evaluated Lukas I had my heart set on him going to live with Kerstin and Corie," Viv
continues. "Though Kerstin had been evaluating all of the rescues I fostered in the interim, when
she watched Lukas and Corie playing together, she saw
how well suited they were to one another."

So Viv had Lukas neutered, and he went to live with

Kerstin and Corie. "When I adopted Lukas, he was two
years old, but very thin, wasted and scrawny." remembers
Kerstin. "He seemed puzzled by my attention, stroking,
and play. That's changed, however, and now he is an
affectionate cuddler. He also is very vocal, and relentlessly
herds the other dogs on our walks. Lukas prefers to chase
the dog who chases the ball."

The dogs obviously adore each other, Kerstin explains.

"Brodie and Lukas wrangle for top-dog status, while Corie
doesn't get into dog politics. Corie and Lukas, who usually Kerstin Voss relaxes with Corie and Lukas
live with me in NYC, are a team, and can spend hours shortly after Lukas joined the family.
rough-housing with each other."

Kerstin and Temora are delighted that they can share their
lives with these beloved heroes. And they are also thrilled that the rescued trio was able to return
the favor by helping to rescue Nancy. "They're so positive, and take joy in the simple things of life,"
says Kerstin. "They live in the moment and remind me to do the same, rather than to brood about
the future and the past."

Brodie, Corie, and Lukas will be honored this month in Great Barrington, where the town's mayor
will award them a special plaque acknowledging their heroic achievement.

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 Dog, cat heroes of the year named by ASPCA
By RICHARD PYLE
Associated Press
Vail, CO Colorado

Debbie Parkhurst, of North East, Md., poses with her golden retriever Toby at the 2007 ASPCA Humane Awards
Luncheon in New York. Toby received the ASPCA Dog of the Year award for performing a modified Heimlich
maneuver on Parkhurst when she was choking on a piece of apple.
(AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)

NEW YORK — When Debbie Parkhurst choked on a piece of apple at her Maryland home, her dog
jumped in, landing hard on her chest and forcing the morsel to pop out of her throat. When the
Keesling family of Indiana was about to be overcome by carbon monoxide, their cat clawed at
wife Cathy’s hair until she woke up and called for help.

For their nick-of-time acts, Toby, a 2 1/2-year-old golden retriever, and Winnie, a gray-eyed
American shorthair, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

In addition, five humans were honored Thursday for their actions toward animals in the past
year, including a Bronx firefighter who saved a dog and cat from a burning building.

Neither Parkhurst nor Keesling could explain their pets’ timely heroics, though Parkhurst
suggested her pooch’s Heimlich maneuver might have been guided by divine intervention.

“That’s what our veterinarian said,” she said. “He wasn’t making a joke; he’s very spiritual,
and now I have to agree with him.”

Both pets were themselves rescued in infancy — Toby as a 4-week-old puppy tossed into a
garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that
Keesling’s husband, Eric, had to feed her milk with an eyedropper.

As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump being used to remove flood waters from their
basement in New Castle, Ind., last March malfunctioned, spreading carbon monoxide through

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the house. By the time Winnie moved into rescue mode, the couple’s 14-year-old son, Michael,
was already unconscious.

“Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry meow,” Cathy
Keesling said. “When I woke up I felt like a T-bar had hit me across the head.”

State police and sheriff’s officers responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes
from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house.

Debbie Parkhurst’s husband, Kevin, was at his job at a Wilmington, Del., chemical firm when
she took a midday break from making jewelry and bit into an apple.

“Normally I peel them, but I read in Good Housekeeping magazine that the skin has all the
nutrients, so I ate the skin, and that’s what caused me to choke,” she recalled.

“I couldn’t breathe and I was in panic when Toby jumped on me. He never does that, but he
did, and saved my life.”

Both Toby and Winnie accompanied their owners to the awards luncheon at Manhattan’s posh
Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center.