pet therapy

Filed under: Themes, Auties & Aspies, Books & Book Reviews, QuIrked Kids, Irked Videos, Interviews

The book Cowboy & Wills opens the day after critically-acclaimed author Monica Holloway’s adorable three year-old son Wills is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She takes him to a pet store; and from her first impulse purchase of a full aquarium, Holloway quickly graduates to hermit crabs, hamsters, African dwarf frogs, and a rabbit. But like all children, what Wills wants most is a puppy. That Christmas, eight-week old Cowboy arrives and forever changes their lives.

Where Wills is cautious, fastidious, and tender hearted, Cowboy is rambunctious, affectionate, and impulsive. Soon, the boy who could barely say hello to his kindergarten classmates is going on playdates, learning to swim, and sleeping in his own bed. Through it all, Cowboy is there, dragging him toward other children and giving him the confidence to face his fears—with her by his side. But love is not enough to save the beautiful Cowboy from her fate, and the cruel world of puppy mills quickly catches up to them. When Cowboy is diagnosed with lupus, Wills and his family realize that they must be there for her, just as she was there for them.

Monica Holloway sat down with Simon Spotlight Entertainment (a division of Simon & Schuster) for a discussion of her life’s path as a mother and memoirist, and the unexpected trajectory this path has taken through her life. Here are the highlights:

Click to continue »

Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries

Quoting The Chronicle-Herald:

When Helen McFadyen got her first Seeing Eye dog a few years ago, she realized quickly there was a need in Halifax for places to exercise the animals. Her five-year-old black Lab, Opal, is extremely well trained and disciplined, but like other dogs she needs a chance to run free, play and sniff around a bit. ”That’s a huge thing, that part of a dog’s life,” Ms. McFadyen, 53, said Monday. “They need the downtime because working dogs, especially guide dogs, have a pretty stressful job. ”They have to do stuff that’s opposed to their natural instinct.” So as the chairwoman of Halifax’s advisory committee for people with disabilities, she started to push three years ago for an enclosed place where people could take their working dogs without worrying about them running away or getting into trouble. ”I thought, wouldn’t it be great if there was a place where I could go and my guide dog could run freely,” she said. Now there is . . . Ms. McFadyen, a divinity student at the Atlantic School of Theology, lives in residence. ”If I were to let Opal off leash, she’d probably decide she wants to go swimming in the Northwest Arm,” she said. “And I don’t think I want her smelling like that.” She said the park cost about $25,000 to build and caused some envy among other dog owners in the city who have been lobbying for off-leash areas. She said she has no problem sharing the space with non-working dogs, as long as they’re behaving. ”There are people who have really wacko dogs out there,” she said. “My dog’s been attacked. We’ve been jumped on by pet dogs.”

.

Read the rest of Jeffrey Simpson’s great article

Then…

Read all about Canada’s first Service Dogpark

Read all about Opal-the-dog

.

Permalink / Comments

Filed under: Uncategorized

Quoting UPI.com:

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Two U.S. researchers say dogs appear to be helpful to soldiers and former soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Craig Love, a research psychologist, and Joan Esnayra, founder of the Psychiatric Service Dog Society, discussed their work Thursday during a conference on military health research in Kansas City, The Kansas City Star reported. They are about to begin a $300,000 study, funded by the Defense Department, at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington. Love and Esnayra surveyed 39 people with PTSD who were given service dogs and found 82 percent reported a reduction in symptoms. There are now about 10,000 psychiatric service dogs in the United States. What they do depends partly on the symptoms experienced by the people with whom they are paired. In the case of people with PTSD, the dogs can be trained to nudge them when they show signs of panic attacks. They can also help calm PTSD patients down by reacting calmly or not reacting at all to something the person perceives as a threat.

.

Permalink / Comments

Filed under: Uncategorized

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

is a type of anxiety disorder.

People get it.

Cats get it too.

.

Permalink / Comments

Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries, Campaign Watch

The Globe and Mail:

Opal is trained to work with the unflappable calm you expect from a Seeing Eye dog. Conditioned to ignore distractions, the black lab is usually the epitome of propriety as she guides Helen McFadyen around Halifax.

But while extensive training has taught Opal to suppress her instincts, she still has all the energy of a five-year-old dog and Ms. McFadyen says she’ll run “like a freight train” when given the chance.

“There’s the assumption that these dogs are regimented little machines,” Ms. McFadyen said. “But they’re still dogs. They need downtime. They need play.”

Until this summer, though, when Halifax opened what is believed to be the country’s first dog run specifically designed for service animals, letting Opal play the way she wanted was too big a risk for Ms. McFadyen. She worried about letting her trusted companion out of reach, and the only way to allow Opal to get real exercise, she said, was to stand in an open space with a long leash and let the dog do laps around her.

“She would run in circles,” Ms. McFadyen said. “It gives an opportunity to run very hard but not what you’d call free running.”

Now, thanks to her lobbying efforts, the dog can run free. The downtown spot set aside for service animals is not big, and it is bounded by several major roads. But it is fenced and double-gated, secure enough that Ms. McFadyen is comfortable letting Opal off leash to work out her excess energy.

Ms. McFadyen, a master of divinity student at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, is chair of the municipal government’s advisory committee on persons with disabilities, which comprises councillors and members of the public.

Blair Blakeney, capital projects parks co-ordinator for the Halifax Regional Municipality, said the city already owned the land when the request came in from the advisory committee, making it a relatively easy idea to pursue.

“This is not a dog park; it’s an area we set aside especially for people with service dogs,” he said. “They deserve something unique.”

The idea is unique not only in the region but apparently in the country as well.

John Rafferty, CEO of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, said that he is not aware of a similar project elsewhere in Canada.

“I think it’s a great step,” he said. “It’s certainly a fantastic commitment by the city of Halifax.”

.

Read the rest of Oliver Moore’s great article >>

then…

Read all about Canada’s first Service Dogpark

Read all about Opal-the-dog

.

Permalink / Comments

Filed under: Themes, Cerebral Ballsy, Wheelchairman of the Board

WindReach Farm

312 Townline Road, Ashburn, Ontario, Canada L0B 1A0

Tel: 905 655-5827

Nestled in the rolling countryside in southern Ontario, WindReach Farm is a 109-acre nature property designed to meet the needs of individuals with different abilities. Wheelchair accessible pathways, buildings and barns combine to make a wonderful experience. Offering five main programs (see below), WindReach welcomes both the special needs and able-bodied communities. Officially opened in 1989 by the founder Sandy Mitchell, who has cerebral palsy, WindReach Farm is the result of his primary life-long interest to work outside on the land. After he purchased his 109 acres, Sandy was able to integrate this desire with providing a similar opportunity to other persons with disabilities. His own past experience as a young man working on a farm in Scotland and then in a farming community for Down’s Syndrome, helped him realize that one day he wanted to help persons with disabilities lead a more productive life. Facilities are also available to rent for special events, overnight visits, meetings, conferences, etc.

Click to continue »

Filed under: Themes, Auties & Aspies, QuIrked Kids, Irked Videos

An astonishing spiritual journey…after the jump!

Click to continue »

Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries, Campaign Watch, Irked Videos

Interesting developments…after the jump!

Click to continue »

Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries, Campaign Watch

Helen McFadyen—who is chair of the Halifax Regional Municipality’s Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities, a board member of Guide Dog Users of Canada, a member of the blind caucus of equualaccess.org, past president of the Halifax Chapter of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians, and a much-cherished Irked contributor—recently forwarded us the following advance news release:

Click to continue »

Filed under: Campaign Watch, Irked Videos

Never has the world seen a pony quite like Molly…

Click to continue »