People Show Off Their Fake Therapy Dogs to the New York Post

"Fake service dogs are becoming pretty popular now," one numbskull proudly tells the newspaper.

Because the laws for therapy dogs are so easy to skirt, people do it, taking their dogs everywhere that dogs otherwise are not allowed. Sometimes these people have real problems and just don't want to go through the effort of getting an officially trained dog when they can simply buy a patch on eBay and get the same results. 

But this isn't about people with real problems and fake therapy dogs. This story is about a guy who doesn't want to leave his little dog outside when he goes shopping. This story is about Brett David, a 33-year-old restaurateur who seems to be just loving spilling all his secrets to the New York Post, even posing with his Maltese Yorkie, Napoleon, in a Whole Foods in New York, grinning through his ice cream.  

“I was sick of tying up my dog outside,” he told the Post. “Sometimes, they’ll give me a hassle and say bring the papers next time, but for five bucks, you order [a patch] off eBay, and it works 90 percent of the time."

Wonderful, David! We're so happy for you. What other dumb crap do you do with your dog? 

“He’s been to most movie theaters in the city, more nightclubs than most of my friends."

Super! I'm sure the people who work there are convinced Napoleon aids tremendously in your illness (you're without a brain, aren't you?), and will no way cast a suspicious light in the future on real service dogs who come in to their establishments. Certainly you're not carrying on and potentially ruining it for others out their who really need their service dogs, fake or not? 

“I don’t care who you are, a teacup Yorkie will trump a black [American Express] card when you’re trying to pick up a girl.”

Huh. Well, you have a point. Carry on, David.

Let's hear from Kate Vlasovskaya, a financier, who tells the Post she bought a a phony “service dog” ID card online from the United States Service Dog Registry for her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lila.

Why? Hell, I don't know how you get to the Hamptons with your dog, but Kate takes the Jitney. Her $50 laminated card clears the way no problem. It's real official looking -- it has a hologram and even an ID number for the dog. She is not worried about anyone finding out. 

“You’d have to go through all of these links or get someone on the line,” she said. “With all of that effort, they will probably just let you in.” 

Also, she said that fake service dogs are “becoming pretty popular now.” The subtext, of course, is that only losers tie up their dogs outside restaurants.

This is not looking good. 

Via the New York Post

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How Laser Therapy Works

K Laser Class IV Therapy Laser is a non-invasive outpatient procedure for your dog.  Non-thermal photons of light are administered to the body and absorbed by the injured cells.  These cells are then stimulated and respond with a higher rate of metabolism.  This results in increased circulation from the body, an anti-inflammatory reaction, relief from pain and an acceleration of the healing process.

The treatment is simple and the relief your dog will feel is immediate.  Pain relief is provided with just a few minutes of therapy, reducing your pet’s anxiety and increasing their quality of life.

The average visit lasts 10-15 minutes and in some cases only one or two visits are needed. For more chronic concerns such as pain management associated with osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia or degenerative disc disease, regular visits are highly recommended.  Contact your vet to discuss the therapy and whether it is the best option for your dog.

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Army Vet Faces Eviction Over His Shih Tzu Therapy Dog

If a dog is a comfort animal, what hoops must its owner jump through to prove that the dog provides comfort? Can comfort be measured by degrees?

Eugene Ovsishcher. Photograph courtesy of Facebook.

A U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan faces eviction from his New York City residential co-op because its official rules forbid pet dogs from living on the premises. He has a Shih Tzu, acquired on doctor's orders to counteract his post-traumatic stress disorder.

After nine months in Afghanistan, Eugene Ovsishcher returned to the U.S. suffering from nightmares, anxiety, and flashbacks. "I still see them in the foxholes, fighting," he said in an interview, as reported by KSDK-TV.

Doctors frequently recommend dogs as part of comprehensive PTSD therapy programs. Accordingly, Ovsishcher acquired Mickey, a Shih Tzu puppy whom he credits with having helped him immensely.

“He helps me to calm down my anxiety. And sometimes when I’m stressed out, he helps me to overcome without using the strong medicine,” the veteran said. "He is my medicine." 

Ovsishcher, who reached the rank of sergeant during his stint in the U.S. military, lives with his wife, children, and Mickey in a three-bedroom unit in the Trump Village Cooperative at Coney Island, which has more than 2,000 residents -- and maintains strict rules forbidding dogs that are not service animals.

Shih Tzu on grass by Shutterstock.com

As reported by KSDK-TV, Ovsishcher applied to have Mickey registered as a comfort animal, but his application was rejected. 

"Listen, I fought for my country and I risked my life to make the country a better place," he said. "I don't think it's the right thing for them to kick me out."

An attorney for the Trump Village Cooperative argues that a letter from Ovsichcher's family doctor does not constitute sufficient proof that Mickey is a therapy dog rather than simply a pet. Both sides will argue the matter in court next month.

"I'll win or I'll die fighting. I'm a soldier," Ovsishcher told ABCLocal.

Photo: Shih Tzu standing by Shutterstock.com. 

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A Great Idea: Airport Therapy from a Lovable Dog

Henry James is there for anyone who needs a furry shoulder to cry on.

Airports aren’t filled solely with travelers who are harried or excited or just doing business as usual. Look a little under the layers of an airport scene, and you’ll find a woman going to the funeral of her beloved mother. Or a man moving away after a painful divorce. Or — for the sake of this blog — someone whose dog just died.

It’s all there if you just look around. That’s exactly what Kyra Hubis, a volunteer chaplain at San Jose International Airport in California, would do at the airport during her rounds. And sometimes she found people to help.

But it wasn’t until she started bringing in Henry James, her golden retriever therapy dog, that she became a magnet to those in need.

“I’ve walked the terminal without him and people don’t come up to me, but if I walk the terminal with him he’s an ice breaker,” Hubis said in a KSBY News story.

Henry James offers a soft and furry shoulder to cry on, and nonjudgmental ears to hear troubles of others. He’s there for everyone, from the grieving to the simply nervous.

Hubis said a couple recently approached Henry James, and the wife, “knelt down on the floor, buried her head in his fur, and for a good two or three minutes was sobbing and telling him her father was dying in town here and that she and her husband were having to leave and she didn’t know if she was ever going to see him again.”

I think airports should trade in all their TSA scanners for therapy dogs, don’t you? The terminals would be more relaxed and happy places to be.

Thank you, Kyra and Henry, for being such devoted practitioners of your highly caring craft.

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Kindred Spirits hosts a therapy dog education day

On Sunday, May 22, Kindred Spirits Dog Training hosted the Love on a Leash therapy dogs for a day of fun, food, and continuing education. This was the second year for this activity and the North County chapter leader, Connie Kelly, is certainly getting the hang of organizing and hosting this event. Connie is also a trainer at Kindred Spirits so she wears two hats.

The goal was to help therapy dogs and their handlers keep their skills sharp. The dogs and owners had a chance to work on some obedience skills, especially with some distractions. Last year Kate Abbott, a KS trainer and president of the board for Love on a Leash, devised her ‘gauntlet of distractions’ as she called it, and she set that up again this year. There was a flapping kite, a billowing trash bag, some wind spinnners, an animatronic parrot that made noise, and a horrifyingly lifelike ape head that moved, made noise, and reacted to sounds and movement in its space.

Bashir had seen the ape last year and didn’t seem bothered by it at all this year. However, Sisko was not at all happy with the ape. He went up to about a foot away from it and stared at it, hard, growling very deep in his throat. There was obviously something very wrong. A talking head on a table just doesn’t compute in the World of Sisko.

The goal was for dogs and owners to walk through these distractions. The dogs didn’t have to ignore them; in fact, the lesson was to help the owners learn how to help their dogs when their dog reacts to something so out of the ordinary.

KS trainers Dawn McMahon and Melissa Duffy also held a Canine Good Citizen test for dogs who either hadn’t passed it or who wanted to re-take it for the practice. Attendees also got to play with a variety of Nina Ottosson and other smart toys. You could see the dogs trying hard to figure out how to work the toys. Some other games included tic tac toe, using dogs on sit or down stays as Xs and Os. This is a great way to practice obedience training with distractions, too.

Deb and Dan Jensen provided lunch for everyone and it was welcome. Deb’s chicken salad is great but her lemon bars are awesome.

Dog owners were also given a chance to ask questions about visiting, visit skills, problems, training needs, and anything else they needed help with. Attendees included some experienced dogs and owners as well as some new therapy dog teams so a great deal of sharing happened over lunch.

Last but certainly not least, Walter the Wonder Dog demonstrated a number of his tricks. His human partner, Kate, assisted him. Plans are already in the works for next year’s continuing education day.

All photos by Sheri Wachtstetter. Top: Dogs and owners playing tic tac toe. Middle: A therapy dog investigates the ape head. Bottom: Walter the Wonder Dog and his human assistant, Kate.

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The Making of a Therapy Dog: Sisko’s Turn

Note: This post was prepared by Liz last week, before the recent tragedy that claimed her husband Paul’s life. We delayed the posting of this column until a more appropriate time. Liz asked us to go ahead and start posting her writing again. Quite frankly, we just couldn’t yet bear to edit for tense.

It was just a little more than two years ago when Archer was going through therapy dog training, and I began the series of posts titled, “The Making of a Therapy Dog.”* Archer turned out to be an awesome therapy dog and has often visited a Veterans Administration center with my husband, Paul. They visit grizzled Vietnam war vets and young-faced wounded warriors from this generation. Everyone greets Archer with open arms.

Now it’s Sisko’s turn. It’s hard for me to believe he’s actually old enough to begin therapy dog training, but he is. He has grown up so fast and will be a year old in April.

A couple weeks back, Sisko and I began a first week Canine Good Citizen class. I don’t anticipate any problems as his obedience skills are very good; his only weakness is a tendency to lie down when left in a sit stay. We’re working on that. Everything else –  heel, down, stay, and come are wonderful. His “leave it” is excellent; once told to ignore something, it no longer exists. He doesn’t jump on people, doesn’t paw or scratch, and never touches anyone with his mouth. Well, except for the occasional teeny tiny tongue flick lick. He’s very social with other dogs. I don’t anticipate any problems but we’ll go through the class and earn his CGC.

The therapy dog class also began last week. Sisko was introduced to the command, “Go say hi!” and learned how to approach people so they could touch him. That was fine with him; people can pet him. He leaned into their hands.

During Sisko’s puppyhood I neglected to introduce him to wheelchairs and walkers. I have no idea why; I usually do it as a matter of course. But he learned what they were in the first class. He saw them move, heard them rattle, and walked up to investigate – no problems.

He also learned how to approach wheelchairs from the side – left or right – and to stand still so people in a chair can reach him. We also did the same thing to walkers.

My only reservation is that Sisko is still young. Most of our previous Aussies have been mentally immature at just a year of age. They can really still be silly at this age. I don’t want to force him into therapy dog work and if he appears to be too immature I’ll slow down. However, although Sisko is always willing to play, he’s an old soul. He’s serious for his age and very loving. I do think this is going to be perfect for him.

In coming weeks, I’ll post about Sisko’s progress and perhaps Kim will add some notes about Harper, too, as she also has the goal of becoming a therapy dog.

Photo credit: Bashir on the left, Sisko on the right – almost as tall as Bashir. Photo by Liz Palika.

*(As a minor side note, that series was nominated as Best Regular Blog in the 2009 Dog Writers Association of America writing competition.)

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Singing “Therapy” Dog May Get Couple Kicked Out of NYC Co-Op

From left, Julie Hyman, Murray Hyman, Rita Hyman, and Sal Markowicz with Maltese poodles Rocky (in blue plaid) Vegas. (Photo: NY Daily News)

A wee Maltese who likes to accompany his human “grandmother” when she sings may end up getting grandma and grandpa kicked out of their Bronx, NY, co-op.

Rita and Murray Hyman are being evicted from their no-pets co-op because of frequent day-long visits from their daughter’s two Maltese pooches, Rocky and Vegas, reports the Daily News. Rocky is the one whose voice has worn out its welcome around the building, but no dogs means no dogs, say building officials. The Hymans say there are signs for rules for visiting dogs, and think they’re being singled out.

“Rocky gives me a whole different outlook on life and keeps me going,” Rita Hyman, 62, told the newspaper. The paper reports she was left disabled after a 2003 car crash and that she considers Rocky her “therapy dog.”

“They’ve hurt me so much by trying to take away our special relationship,” she said. “Who will I sing with?”

Neighbors would prefer Rita Hyman sing solo, and an appeals court supported their desires. The legal dogfight continues, with the Hymans saying Rocky will keep visiting until their case is completely resolved.

“He’s family to us, and he makes our lives worthwhile,” Murray Hyma, 69, told the Daily News. “We’ll keep fighting until we win.”.

So for now, at least, neighbors will have to deal with the dynamic duo.

What do you think, Dogsters? Is Rocky giving therapy dogs a bad name? Or should he be allowed to visit the Hymans any time and sing his heart out? I’m not so sure there will be a Dogster landslide on either side of this case. I’m interested in seeing the breadth of opinions this story may bring in.

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